Politically Speaking

State Rep. Deb Lavender is the latest guest on the Politically Speaking podcast, where she talks with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum about running in the competitive 15th District Senate contest. The 15th District takes in portions of south central and southwest St. Louis County, which includes cities like Kirkwood, Ballwin, Manchester, Twin Oaks and Valley Park. Lavender is squaring off against Sen. Andrew Koenig, a Manchester Republican who won his general election in 2016 by nearly 20 percentage points. Koenig is slated to record an episode of Politically Speaking in October.

The Republican candidate for St. Louis Circuit Attorney discusses his philosophy for the office and what he sees as his path to victory.

Democratic lieutenant governor nominee Alissia Canady is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where she joined St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Jaclyn Driscoll to discuss her run against GOP incumbent Mike Kehoe. Kehoe is slated to record an episode of Politically Speaking in the coming weeks. Canady easily won the Democratic nomination for the post last month against Greg Upchurch.

Republican St. Louis County Executive nominee Paul Berry III is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where he talked with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum about his campaign.
 
 Berry is running against incumbent Sam Page. Also on the Nov. 3 ballot are Green Party nominee Betsey Mitchell and Libertarian Theo Brown, Sr.

State Sen. Bob Onder returns to Politically Speaking to talk to St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Jaclyn Driscoll about the stalled special session on violent crime and the future of the Conservative Caucus in the Missouri legislature. Onder has represented the 2nd Senate District since 2015. The district covers the western part of St. Charles County, including Lake Saint Louis, O’Fallon and Wentzville.

On the latest episode of Politically Speaking, St. Louis Alderwoman Dwinderlin Evans joins St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Rachel Lippmann to discuss her first few weeks on the board. Evans represents the 4th Ward, which encompasses all or part of The Ville, Greater Ville, JeffVanderLou, Kingsway East and Vandeventer neighborhoods. She won a special election in June without opposition to fill out the term of the late Sam Moore.

State Rep. LaKeySha Bosley is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where the St. Louis Democrat talked with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Jaclyn Driscoll about the special session on violent crime — and primary results that showcased the power of Black women in Missouri politics. Bosley was elected to represent Missouri’s 79th House District in 2018. She is unopposed for re-election, so she will represent the district that includes parts of St. Louis through at least 2022.

After easily winning in a challenge for re-election on Tuesday night, St. Louis Treasurer Tishaura Jones chose to reflect on one of the unmistakable themes of the 2020 Missouri primary: Black women prevailing in bruising, and often, personal elections. For Jones, Tuesday was about “a wave of Black girl magic that’s hit Missouri.” She pointed to Democratic wins by St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner, Lt. Gov. nominee Alissa Canady and, of course, 1st Congressional District nominee Cori Bush. St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum, Jaclyn Driscoll and Rachel Lippmann break down Tuesday's pivotal primary election.

St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum teams up with Left Bank Books' Shane Mullen once again to interview author Larry Tye. Tye is the author of the new book Demagogue: The Life and Long Shadow of Senator Joe McCarthy. It's the definitive biography of the Wisconsin senator who gained historical infamy for his ill-fated crusade against communism. You can buy Tye's book at Left Bank Books by going to left-bank.com — or copying and pasting this address (https://www.left-bank.com/book/9781328959720) into your browser.

State Rep. Mary Elizabeth Coleman is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where the Arnold Republican talked with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Jaclyn Driscoll about the 2020 special session on violent crime. Coleman was first elected in 2018 in a hotly-contested race for the 97th District, which encompasses parts of Jefferson County and St. Louis County. She is unopposed for re-election in 2020.

Mary Pat Carl returns to Politically Speaking to talk with St. Louis Public Radio’s Rachel Lippmann and Jason Rosenbaum about her bid for St. Louis Circuit Attorney. Carl is running against incumbent Kim Gardner. Carl and two other Democratic candidates lost to Gardner in the 2016 race to succeed Jennifer Joyce. You can listen to Gardner’s episode by clicking here. Those interviews occurred before Gardner made national news by charging Mark and Patricia McCloskey with unlawful use of a weapon when they confronted protesters outside their home. That issue will be addressed in a story next week.

St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where the Democratic official talked with St. Louis Public Radio’s Rachel Lippmann and Jason Rosenbaum about her re-election bid. Gardner is running against Mary Pat Carl in the Aug. 4 Democratic primary. Carl recorded an episode of Politically Speaking that will be posted later this week. This interview occurred before Gardner made national news by charging Mark and Patricia McCloskey with unlawful use of a weapon.

Former Democratic Secretary of State Jason Kander is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where he talked about his efforts with the Veterans Community Project to end homelessness among veterans. Kander joined St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum for a special edition of the podcast that was livestreamed on Twitch. Kander also discussed national efforts to make it easier to vote from home and protests decrying police killing Black people.

St. Louis County Executive Sam Page is the latest guest on Politically Speaking. The Democrat spoke with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum about why he’s seeking two more years in office.
 
 Page is one of four Democrats running. All four will appear on Politically Speaking in separate episodes released this week. This episode was recorded in late June.

St. Louis County Assessor Jake Zimmerman is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where he talked with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum about his bid for county executive.
 
 Zimmerman is one of four Democrats seeking the post. All four candidates will appear on Politically Speaking in separate episodes released this week. This episode was recorded in mid-June.

On the latest episode of Politically Speaking, Mark Mantovani joins St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum to talk about his campaign for St. Louis County Executive.
 
 Mantovani is one of four Democrats seeking the post. All four candidates will appear on Politically Speaking in separate episodes released this week. This episode was recorded on June 29, 2020.

St. Louis County Executive hopeful Jamie Tolliver is the latest guest on the Politically Speaking podcast. The University City resident talked with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum about her bid. Tolliver is one of four candidates running in the Aug. 4 Democratic primary. All four candidates will appear on Politically Speaking in separate episodes released this week.

State Rep. Kevin Windham, Jr., is the latest guest on Politically Speaking. The Hillsdale Democrat talked with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum about how the legislature expanded absentee balloting this session — and the prospects for policy change amid protests for police accountability.
 
 Windham represents the 85th District, which takes in roughly 20 municipalities in central and north St. Louis County. When he won his seat in 2018 at age 25, he became the youngest African American man ever to get elected to the Missouri House.

Earlier this week, St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum spoke with Elizabeth Shackelford — the author of the new book The Dissent Channel: American Diplomacy in a Dishonest Age. It was part of a live event for Left Bank Books. You find out more about Shackelford's work by going here: https://www.left-bank.com/event/elizabeth-shackelford-dissent-channel

On the latest episode of Politically Speaking, Democratic Missouri attorney general candidate Elad Gross talks about his bid for the office — and the steps he would take to reshape the post. Gross is a former assistant attorney general who currently runs his own law firm. He’s also served as a special public defender in St. Louis. He started a nonprofit called Education Exchange Corps that primarily helps students in the St. Louis Public School system. Gross received his undergraduate degree at Duke University and his law degree from Washington University.

On the latest episode of Politically Speaking, Democratic attorney general candidate Rich Finneran talks about his bid to unseat Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt — and his priorities for the office. Finneran is a University City resident who most recently worked for the Bryan Cave law firm. Before that, he served as an assistant U.S. Attorney during most of Richard Callahan’s tenure as the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri. Finneran grew up in St. Louis County and got his undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina. He then received his law degree from Washington University.

James Knowles III was taking down tents with his father at the Ferguson Farmers Market on August 9, 2014, the day one of his city’s police officers shot and killed Michael Brown. He learned about the shooting that would spark months of protests in his town and elsewhere through a phone call from Ferguson’s city manager. “It was one of those things at 12:30 or so on an August, Saturday… if the city manager’s calling me, it’s probably nothing good,” Knowles said. Nearly six years after Brown’s death sparked change and protests in the north St. Louis County city, Knowles is stepping down as mayor tomorrow due to term limits and turning the job over to Ella Jones. On the latest episode of Politically Speaking, Knowles reflected on a consequential tenure in office that changed his town — and his life.

On the latest episode of Politically Speaking, Yinka Faleti, the Democratic nominee for secretary of state joins the program to discuss his bid for the office — and the burgeoning protest movement for police accountability. Faleti’s appearance on the podcast kicks off an effort to have all of Missouri’s major statewide candidates on Politically Speaking. The two Democratic contenders for attorney general, Elad Gross and Rich Finneran, are slated to record episodes later this month — and we’ll be reaching out to GOP and Democratic candidates to come on the show in the coming weeks.

On the latest episode of Politically Speaking, Creve Coeur Mayor Barry Glantz joins the show to talk about his run for the 2nd District St. Louis County Council seat. Glantz is facing incumbent Kelli Dunaway in the Aug. 4 primary. Dunaway was elected to represent the district that takes in Creve Coeur, Chesterfield, Maryland Heights, Overland and St. Ann in 2019. She filled the seat vacated by Sam Page when he was named County Executive. Dunaway was on Politically Speaking last week.

On the latest episode of Politically Speaking, St. Louis County Councilwoman Kelli Dunaway talks with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum about how the county is spending federal coronavirus funding — and how county police should respond to protests over George Floyd’s death.
 
 Dunaway is a Chesterfield Democrat who represents the council’s 2nd District. That takes in cities like Creve Coeur, St. Ann, Maryland Heights and Chesterfield. She was elected to her post in 2019, filling out the rest of Sam Page’s term on the council after he became county executive.

A conversation with 10th Ward Alderman Joe Vollmer

St. Louis County Councilman Ernie Trakas is the latest guest on Politically Speaking. The south St. Louis County Republican joined St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum to talk about the split between the council’s Republican and Democratic members. Trakas was elected to represent the council’s 6th District in 2016. His district includes a part of largely unincorporated south St. Louis, which means that he makes many of the development and zoning decisions for the area.

House Minority Leader Crystal Quade is the latest guest on Politically Speaking. The Springfield Democrat joined St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Jaclyn Driscoll to provide her impressions of how the Missouri General Assembly is faring after it was idle for weeks due to the coronavirus. Quade represents a House district that takes in part of Springfield. As the leader of the House Democrats, Quade is largely responsible for crafting her party’s message and strategy in the Missouri House.

U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley wants to force a paradigm shift in how the United States handles mass employment during an economic calamity. The Missouri Republican senator wants the federal government to step in to help pay for an employee’s wages at companies negatively affected by the COVID-19 crisis. It’s a move he says will substantially tamp down on economic anxiety among workers and employers. Hawley’s proposal, which mirrors what some European countries are doing to deal with the economic downturn, has some fans among economists and Democrats. But it’s an open question whether his GOP colleagues that run the U.S. Senate will make it a priority.

House Speaker Elijah Haahr is the latest guest on Politically Speaking. The Springfield Republican spoke with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Jaclyn Driscoll about why the General Assembly is coming back into session on Monday — and what issues lawmakers plan to discuss. Haahr, a Springfield Republican, became Missouri House speaker in 2019 after serving two years as House Speaker Pro Tem. Term limits will bar Haahr from running again for his House seat.

On the latest episode of Politically Speaking, St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum talks with Greene County Clerk Shane Schoeller and Boone County Clerk Brianna Lennon about how Missouri elections should proceed amid the COVID-19 crisis. Schoeller, a Republican, and Lennon, a Democrat, have been working on a public policy response together since the coronavirus outbreak came to the state. Their main objective is to make absentee ballots more available to people during a pandemic or emergency.

On the latest edition of Politically Speaking, St. Louis-based author Sarah Kendzior talks with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum about her new book Hiding in Plain Sight — which chronicles President Donald Trump’s rise to power from the 1980s to present day. Kendzior, who holds a doctorate in anthropology from Washington University in St. Louis, has become a nationally-known voice in opposing Trump’s presidency. Her last book, The View From Flyover Country, was a New York Times-best seller. Kendzior’s episode is split into two parts. The first part features Kendzior talking about the key points of her book, as well as her experience living in St. Louis during the aftermath of Michael Brown’s shooting death in Ferguson.

On the latest edition of Politically Speaking, St. Louis-based author Sarah Kendzior talks with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum about her new book Hiding in Plain Sight — which chronicles President Donald Trump’s rise to power from the 1980s to present day. The second part features Kendzior answering questions about Donald Trump, the 2020 presidential election, and the media.

St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann has dealt with a lot of challenges since he became the fast-growing county’s top political leader in 2007. But it’s likely the GOP official has never dealt with something as impactful as the coronavirus outbreak. Ehlmann and St. Charles County Public Health Director Demitrous Cee-ance-ee-Chapman talk with St. Louis Public Radio’s Julie O’Donoghue about how their county is dealing with the pandemic.

The mayor talks about the city's response to the coronavirus outbreak.

Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where the Columbia Republican talked about how coronavirus upended the Missouri General Assembly’s legislative session.
 
 Rowden represents Missouri’s 19th District, which takes in all of Boone and Cooper counties. As majority leader, Rowden is responsible for what the Senate debates — making him one of the more powerful and influential lawmakers in Jefferson City.

St. Louis Alderwoman Heather Navarro is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where the 28th Ward alderwoman talked with St. Louis Public Radio’s Rachel Lippmann and Jason Rosenbaum on how the city of St. Louis is handling coronavirus. Navarro represents portions of the Central West End, Skinker-Debaliviere, Hi-Pointe and Wydown Skinker neighborhoods. She was first elected to the Board of Aldermen in a 2017 special election to succeed Lyda Krewson, who represented the ward before she was elected mayor.

St. Louis County Executive Sam Page talks with St. Louis Public Radio's Julie O'Donoghue about his county's response to coronavirus. Page and O'Donoghue spoke remotely using the videoconferencing program Zoom.

Luetkemeyer talks with Julie O'Donoghue about what Coronavirus means for the 2020 legislative session. He also walks her through a bill he has sponsored to lengthen prison sentences for violent offenses and the prescription drug monitoring program legislation.

Dan Guenther, the first-term alderman for St. Louis’ 9th Ward, is the latest guest on the Politically Speaking podcast. Before being elected in 2017 to represent the ward, which covers part of seven south St. Louis neighborhoods including Soulard, Benton Park and Kosciusko, Guenther worked for Operation Brightside and with former Mayor Francis Slay’s Office of Sustainability. He says his three years on the Board of Aldermen have been “quite an adventure.”

On the latest episode of Politically Speaking, St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum, Julie O'Donoghue and Jo Mannies break down former Vice President Joe Biden's huge win in Missouri Democratic presidential primary.

On the latest episode of Politically Speaking, St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum takes a look at some of the week’s biggest news stories — including what state and local officials are doing to prepare for the coronavirus. Rosenbaum talked with St. Louis Public Radio’s Sarah Fentem about how state and local health officials are monitoring the coronavirus. There have been no recorded cases of the virus in Missouri, but there have been five confirmed cases in Illinois. Here's what else is on this week's roundup show: - St. Louis Public Radio statehouse reporter Jaclyn Driscoll talks about legislation in the Missouri General Assembly on LGBTQ issues. - Rosenbaum and Driscoll also discussed some of the developments in the Democratic presidential campaign — and how they affect Missouri’s primary Tuesday. - St. Louis Public Radio’s Rachel Lippmann broke down the resignation and federal indictment of St. Louis Alderman Larry Arnowitz, who is accused of using campaign money for personal use. Lippmann also explained the process for filing aldermanic vacancies.

St. Louis County Councilman Tim Fitch is the latest guest on Politically Speaking. The St. Louis County Republican joined St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Rachel Lippmann to talk about some of the biggest issues circulating throughout county government. Fitch, a former St. Louis County police chief, was first elected to the county council in 2018, succeeding longtime Councilwoman Colleen Wasinger. He represents the council’s 3rd District, which includes Town and Country, Huntleigh, Kirkwood, Des Peres, Fenton and Sunset Hills.

On the latest edition of Politically Speaking, St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies try to wrap their arms around Missouri’s Democratic presidential primary — which will take place on March 10. One of the reasons why that contest is difficult to handicap right now is because Missouri’s delegates are up for grabs a week after Super Tuesday. And it’s unclear how many of the seven major candidates will still be in the race by the time the Show Me State goes to the polls.

State Sen. Brian Williams is the latest guest on the Politically Speaking podcast. The University City Democrat joined St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum to talk about his priorities for the 2020 session — and what to expect when the General Assembly hits the home stretch. Williams represents Missouri’s 14th Senatorial District, which takes in a slew of municipalities in central and northern St. Louis County. That includes places like University City, Ferguson, Normandy, Bridgeton and Hazelwood.

On the latest edition of the Politically Speaking weekly news round-up, St. Louis Public Radio’s team of political reporters talk about efforts in Jefferson City to pass a prescription drug monitoring program — and the reemergence of former Gov. Eric Greitens. St. Louis Public Radio’s Julie O’Donoghue, Jaclyn Driscoll and Jason Rosenbaum discussed how a so-called PDMP once again passed the Missouri House despite loud opposition from some conservative Republicans. It faces a tough reception in the Missouri Senate, where the program aimed at stamping out opioid abuse.

The latest edition of Politically Speaking’s weekly round-up show zeroes in on two big stories that made waves in St. Louis County government: St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar’s retirement and the settlement of Lt. Keith Wildhaber’s discrimination case. Those two events occurred within hours of one another. And St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum, Julie O’Donoghue and Rachel Lippmann explained how they’ll impact county government going forward.

The Democrats from Columbia talk gas tax, free tampons, Medicaid expansion and Clean Missouri with Jason Rosenbaum.

Here's some highlights from this week's weekly roundup podcast: -St. Louis Public Radio’s Jaclyn Driscoll joins the program to talk about what Galloway’s audit was trying to convey — and how people from across the political spectrum are reacting to the findings. -Rosenbaum talked about his story this week that broke down the continued deadlock to start the Board of Freeholders. That 19-person panel can offer up big changes to St. Louis and St. Louis County governance, but it hasn’t done anything due to St. Louis’ inability to approve its members. -The Kansas City Star’s Jason Hancock talked with O’Donoghue about complaints around Missouri’s medical marijuana program. -O’Donoghue and Rosenbaum reacted to President Donald Trump sending out a tweet that incorrectly congratulated the “Great State of Kansas” after the Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl. The Chiefs, of course, play in Kansas City, Missouri in a stadium that Jackson County taxpayers funded.

Senate President Pro Tem David Schatz talks legislative redistricting, gambling restrictions, St. Louis police residency requirements and Medicaid expansion.