CLAYTON — St. Louis County Chair Rita Days wanted longtime police union attorney and lobbyist Jane Dueker — a primary challenger to County Executive Sam Page — to join her and Councilwoman Lisa Clancy in a private meeting to discuss a whistleblower protection bill Days has threatened to send to voters to get around Page’s veto.
But Clancy objected to Dueker’s taking part — unless it were in a public council meeting — because of her past lobbying for the St. Louis County Police Association, according to a county email.
The two councilwomen ultimately met without Dueker, who on Friday denied any conflict of interest and accused Clancy of trying to delay the bill on Page’s behalf. But it was unclear where that left the dispute over the proposed whistleblower legislation. Days did not respond to requests for comment.
Last week, Days and Clancy said they would meet in a last-ditch effort to come to agreement on how to strengthen the county’s whistleblower ordinance, last updated in 1997. A 2017 state law provides whistleblower protections, but Days has said she wants to go further.
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A bipartisan council majority is poised to vote Tuesday to send Days’ four-page bill to voters, in the form of a one-paragraph ballot question in the August primary.
Days, a Democrat who represents the 1st District, joined Councilman Tim Fitch, R-3rd District; Councilman Mark Harder, R-7th District; and Councilwoman Shalonda Webb, D-4th District, to approve the bill last year. But they couldn’t get the necessary fifth vote to override Page’s veto.
Page argued the bill was too broad and would, among other issues, interfere with how the Board of Police Commissioners is able to handle workplace discrimination complaints from police officers. Days argued her bill would prevent against future discrimination lawsuits, including several high-profile lawsuits filed by police officers alleging discrimination in promotions or retaliation for reporting racism or prejudice.
Clancy, in an email to Days on Thursday, said she shared Days’ desire to protect police officers alleging racial discrimination in the department. But Dueker’s participation in negotiating the bill would be unethical if it weren’t occurring in public, she said.
“We must make sure that there is no ambiguity on if or how this policy applies to the Police Department. I believe we have similar goals to make sure there is fairness in or Police Department, so candidly I am shocked that you want to include a long-standing police lobbyist, Ms. Jane Dueker, in our meeting today,†Clancy wrote.
“If Mrs. Dueker wants to be part of the discussion, I urge another Committee of the Whole. I will not participate in a secret, closed-door meeting with her on this matter. That is not how good policy is made and is below the principles I have promised to uphold to the people I serve.â€
Dueker said Friday she had agreed to withdraw after Clancy objected. But she denied any conflict of interest.
“Everybody knows what kind of work I’ve been doing; what does that have to do with discussing legislation? Nothing,†Dueker said. “If she’s not able to sit with people and work out legislation in good faith because there isn’t a camera, that’s a problem.
“She’s the one who really isn’t interested in working with anyone, because she wants to kill it for the county executive,†she said. “She’s trying to protect the county executive and silence employees.â€
Clancy said Friday that Days had agreed to her objection but “didn’t make any commitments†to changing the bill after meeting.
“I just want a good piece of legislation,†Clancy said. “Jane should be happy that I objected to her presence and that Councilwoman Days agreed. She cannot lobby us without registering, and she can’t have a candidate committee if she registers.â€
Days declined comment in a text and did not respond to phone calls.
“I am not responding,†Days said.
It would not have been the first time Dueker weighed in on the legislation. She took part in a council committee meeting in March, while still a registered lobbyist, arguing that Days’ bill would better protect county employees. And on social media, she has blasted Page for vetoing the bill. Missouri law forbids registered lobbyists from operating campaign accounts.
Dueker had lobbied for police unions representing officers in the county and city of St. Louis since 2017. She deregistered as a lobbyist last month to open a campaign account.
Dueker said Friday that she had worked with Days on the bill “for a year†and said her interest was in getting stronger protections for police rank-and-file.
“These are the people these laws are supposed to protect,†she said.
A spokesman for the St. Louis County Police Association did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday. The police union had previously donated $10,000 to a third-party political action committee, JanePAC, formed to support Dueker’s campaign.
At least one police officer had been a vocal proponent of Days’ bill, telling the County Council at public hearings in October and March that it was was necessary to address complaints within the police department by officers who feel they can’t come forward due to possible retaliation.
Shanette Hall resigned from the department this month and sued the county Wednesday, alleging she was transferred out of her role in human resources recruiting minority officers in retaliation for speaking out and reporting racist behavior by other officers.