Politically Speaking

State Rep. David Wood is the latest guest on the Politically Speaking podcast. The Versailles Republican spoke with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jaclyn Driscoll and Jason Rosenbaum Wood was elected to Missouri’s 58th House District in 2012. He’s currently serving his final term in the General Assembly’s lower chamber, where he’s chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee for Health, Mental Health and Social Services.

The latest episode of Politically Speaking features state Rep. Doug Clemens talking to St. Louis Public Radio’s Julie O’Donoghue and Jason Rosenbaum about his first impressions of legislative life. The St. Ann Democrat represents the 72nd House District, which takes in portions of Maryland Heights, St. Ann and Breckenridge Hills. He was first elected to his post in 2018.

State Rep. Derek Grier is the latest guest on the Politically Speaking podcast, where he talked with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum about how Missouri is approaching economic development policy.
 
 The Chesterfield Republican represents the 100th District in the Missouri House. That St. Louis County-based district takes in parts of Chesterfield, Town & Country, Winchester and Ballwin.
 
 Grier is a St. Louis County native who first entered the local electoral scene in 2011 when he won a seat on the Chesterfield City Council. Aside from his political pursuits, Grier has spent time working in the real estate industry.
 
 When Rep. Sue Allen departed from the Missouri House due to term limits, Grier jumped into the GOP primary for the 100th District House seat. He ended up defeating Allen’s husband, Michael Allen, by roughly 1,000 votes — which was tantamount to election since no Democratic candidate filed to run for the seat.

State Rep. Chuck Basye is the latest guest on the Politically Speaking podcast. The Rocheport Republican talked with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum about some of his accomplishments during the 2019 session — and some agenda items that remain unfinished. Basye represents a portion of Boone, Howard, Cooper and Randolph counties in the Missouri House. He was first elected to the General Assembly’s lower chamber in 2014. Basye is a Marine Corps veteran who spent roughly 30 years as an air traffic controller. The St. Charles County native also was the president of the Columbia Pachyderm Club, which often hosts lunches featuring prominent political figures. After years of working behind the scenes in Mid-Missouri Republican politics, Basye entered the electoral arena in 2014 when he challenged Democratic Rep. John Wright. Wright spent hundreds of thousands of dollars of his own money in 2012 to win the 47th House District, which includes counties that are historically Democratic.

Senate Minority Leader Gina Walsh returns to Politically Speaking to talk with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum about Gov. Mike Parson’s first year in office, as well as the lay of the land for organized labor. The Bellefontaine Neighbors Democrats represents Missouri’s 13th Senatorial District, which takes in a portion of north St. Louis County. Walsh will leave the Senate after 2020 because of term limits, completing a 16-year legislative tenure that began in the early 2000s. As minority leader, Walsh is often the spokeswoman and chief negotiator for the 10-person Democratic caucus. While Democrats are heavily outnumbered in the Missouri Senate, they often have a lot more power to make a mark on major bills because of the state’s tradition of a strong filibuster.

Sen. Karla May is the latest guest on the Politically Speaking podcast, where the St. Louis Democrat talked with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum about a bipartisan push to overhaul the criminal justice system. May represents parts of St. Louis and St. Louis County. She was elected to the Senate in 2018 after spending eight years in the House. Among the things May worked on during the 2019 session was an effort to pare down mandatory minimum sentences. She worked with Republican Sen. Ed Emery ADD on legislation that gives people convicted of certain crimes a chance to be paroled. It doesn’t affect major offenses, such as sexual assault.

Missouri Republican Party Executive Director Jean Evans is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where she talked with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum about the state of her party going into next year’s election cycle. Evans served for one term in the Missouri House before resigning earlier this year to take on the executive director position in the state party. She’s in charge of the day-to-day operations of the Missouri GOP, including helping organize the process to select state delegates for next year’s Republican National Convention.

State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where he talked with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum about his first few months in the statewide office. Fitzpatrick is a Republican who served three full terms in the Missouri House, including two years as the chairman of the powerful House Budget Committee. Gov. Mike Parson appointed the Barry County Republican to be treasurer after Eric Schmitt was picked to be attorney general. Fitzpatrick is a native of Shell Knob, a Barry County community that’s about 40 miles away from Branson. He started a dock repair business while he was in high school, a company that grew dramatically while he was in college. After state Rep. David Sater termed out of the Missouri House, Fitzpatrick prevailed in a contested Republican primary for his seat – the real contest in the heavily Republican district. He became House Budget Chairman in 2017, which gave him a major say over how to craft Missouri’s spending priorities.

Sen. Jill Schupp returns to Politically Speaking to talk about the aftermath of the 2019 legislation session, which saw passage of a ban on abortion after eight weeks of pregnancy and other aspects of Gov. Mike Parson’s workforce development agenda. The Creve Coeur Democrat is serving her second term in the Missouri Senate. The 24th Senatorial District includes St. Louis County cities like Creve Coeur, Town and Country, Maryland Heights, Olivette and Ladue. During the 2019 session, Schupp alternated between handling pieces of legislation that got to Parson’s desk — and trying to either stop or force compromise on GOP priority legislation. For instance: Schupp ended up passing what’s known as Nathan’s Law, which restricts capacity at in-home daycares. Schupp also was a key participant in debate over the abortion legislation, which also bars the procedure except for medical emergencies if Roe v. Wade is overturned. Senate Democrats chose not to filibuster the final legislation after hours of negotiations.

St. Louis Alderwoman Shameem Clark Hubbard is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where she talked with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum about her transition onto the Board of Aldermen. Hubbard represents the 26th Ward, which takes in a portion of western St. Louis. That ward includes neighborhoods like Skinker DeBaliviere, the West End, Hamilton Heights and Kingsway West. Hubbard is a second generation member of the Board of Aldermen. Her grandfather, Joseph Clark, represented the 4th Ward. He also served as the head of the St. Louis NAACP and was the city’s first African American public safety director. Back in 2012, Hubbard successfully ran for 26th Ward committeewoman — but decided against running for re-election four years later. When Alderman Frank Williamson chose not to run for another term, Hubbard jumped into a Democratic primary against Leata Price-Land and Jake Banton.

State Sen. Andrew Koenig is the latest guest on Politically Speaking. The Manchester Republican spoke with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum on the end of the 2019 session, including passage of the state’s abortion ban. Koenig represents Missouri’s 15th District, which takes in a portion of St. Louis County. He represents cities like Kirkwood, Wildwood, Manchester and Ballwin. <--break-> Koenig was first elected to the Missouri House in 2008 and served for four terms. He defeated former state Rep. Rick Stream in a highly competitive primary in 2016 for the 15th District seat, and easily defeated Democratic candidate Stephen Eagleton in the general election.

State Rep. LaKeySha Bosley is the latest guest on the Politically Speaking podcast. The St. Louis Democrat spoke with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum about her first year as a member of the Missouri House. Bosley represents the 79th District, which takes in portions of north, central and south St. Louis. She was first elected to her seat in 2018. Bosley comes from a prominent political family in St. Louis. Her father, mother and two brothers have all served in elected office. Her brother Freeman Bosley, Jr. was elected as St. Louis’ first African American mayor in the 1990s. Her father, Freeman Bosley, Sr., served on the Board of Aldermen for decades. Her brother Brandon Bosley is currently the alderman for St. Louis’ 3rd Ward. And her mother, Lucinda Frazier, is a longtime Democratic committeewoman.

On a special edition of Politically Speaking, St. Louis Public Radio links up with KCUR’s Statehouse Blend to review the ins and outs of the 2019 session of the Missouri General Assembly. St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Rachel Lippmann joined KCUR’s Samuel King and Brian Ellison to talk about the final week of the legislative session. That’s when the legislature sent a wide-ranging economic development bill to Gov. Mike Parson over the objections of conservative senators. The General Assembly also passed a far-reaching abortion ban that bars the procedures after eight weeks of pregnancy. There are no exceptions in the bill for women who become pregnant because of rape or incest. And the legislation would ban abortion completely with the exception for medical emergencies if Roe versus Wade is overturned.

Alderman Jack Coatar joins St. Louis Public Radio’s Rachel Lippmann and Jason Rosenbaum in talking about what to expect in the next few months at the St. Louis Board of Aldermen. Coatar represents the city’s 7th Ward, which includes neighborhoods like downtown St. Louis, Soulard, Lafayette Square and Compton Heights. He was elected to a full term on the board in 2017 after winning a 2015 special election.

State Rep. Maria Chappelle-Nadal returned to Politically Speaking to talk with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum about the leadership change in St. Louis County — and several issues percolating in the Missouri General Assembly. The University City Democrat represents the 86th District in the Missouri House, which takes in parts of University City, Wellston, Pagedale and Hanley Hills. After spending eight years in the Missouri Senate representing a slew of municipalities in central and north St. Louis County, Chappelle-Nadal chose to run for another term in the Missouri House last year.

Attorney General Eric Schmitt is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where the GOP statewide official talked with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum about his first few months in office. Gov. Mike Parson appointed Schmitt to succeed Josh Hawley, who resigned as attorney general after being elected to the U.S. Senate. Before taking on the role of attorney general, Schmitt served as state treasurer and as a state senator. Soon after taking over as attorney general in early January, Schmitt announced a number of high-profile initiatives. One included deputizing assistant attorneys general as special assistant U.S. attorneys. Schmitt said that’s allowed his office to work with federal authorities more closely on cracking down on violent crime. He’s also soliciting information from Missourians to help with lawsuits against the opioid industry launched under Hawley’s administration.

On the latest edition of Politically Speaking, Jo Mannies reunites with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum for a special edition of the show featuring former Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt. Blunt served as the state’s chief executive from 2005 to 2009. He was the first Republican governor to serve with a GOP-controlled General Assembly in modern history. Blunt was a third-generation elected official. His father is U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, who also served as congressman, secretary of state and Greene County clerk. His late grandfather, Leroy Blunt, was a state legislator representing part of southwest Missouri. After graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1993, Blunt embarked on a career in the Navy that lasted for 14 years. He served for six months in support of Operation Enduring Freedom during his tenure as secretary of state, which made him the first statewide official in Missouri history to be called in for military service. Blunt served as a state representative for one term before being elected secretary of state in 2000. Blunt then won a closely contested race for governor in 2004 against then-Auditor Claire McCaskill.

Rep. Bruce Franks returns for his third appearance on Politically Speaking, where the St. Louis Democrat talked about how he’s been faring during his third year in the Missouri House. Franks first burst on the Missouri political scene in 2016, when he defeated (after a high-profile redo election) incumbent Penny Hubbard. He was elected to another term last year without opposition, getting another two years to represent a part of eastern St. Louis. After a first term that saw a decent amount of success for a Democrat in the super minority, Franks said that he’s had a more frustrating 2019 session. For one thing, his effort to get more money for summer jobs programs in the state budget faltered. That comes amid increasing scrutiny of SLATE, a St. Louis agency that helps connect people with jobs.

Rep. Dean Plocher is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where the Des Peres Republican primarily talked about a potential merger between St. Louis and St. Louis County.
 
 Plocher represents the 89th House District, which includes parts of Town & Country, Huntleigh, Des Peres and Country Life Acres. Plocher, an attorney by trade, is the chairman of the influential House General Laws Committee.
 
 A group called Better Together unveiled a plan earlier this year to createa metro government overseeing St. Louis and St. Louis County. Among other things, the new entity would have a mayor, assessor, prosecutor and 33-person council government what is now the city and the county.
 
 Organizers are seeking to get the Better Together plan before statewide voters in November 2020. They contend a constitutional amendment is necessary to implement key elements of the plan, such as consolidating police departments and municipal courts. But that decision has sparked bipartisan criticism, because it means that a city-county merger could happen if it passes statewide, even if St. Louis and St. Louis County residents vote against it.

House Speaker Pro Tem John Wiemann is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where the O’Fallon Republican discussed some of the issues that may consume the Missouri House’s time over the next few weeks. Wiemann is part of the GOP leadership team that runs the Missouri House. As speaker pro tem, Wiemann often presides over the Missouri House — and is part of some key policy discussions among the Republican supermajority. Originally from Phelps County, Wiemann is an insurance broker who first won election to the House in 2014. But he’s been involved in Missouri politics for several decades. He worked for then-Secretary of State Roy Blunt in the early 1990s. And he also helped out on his father’s unsuccessful state Senate campaign in 1990 against then-Democratic state Sen. Mike Lybyer.

On the latest edition of Politically Speaking, St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum spoke with U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley about his first few months in the United States Senate. The Republican senator was elected to a six-year term last November. Saturday will mark his 100th day in office, which has been jam-packed with some big debates over President Donald Trump’s agenda and administration. Hawley first burst onto the Missouri political scene in 2016, when he was elected as the state’s attorney general. Roughly two years later, he unseated U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill in one of the most expensive and high-profile federal contests of the 2018 election cycle. After being sworn into office in January, Hawley was assigned to a number of key committees — including the Judiciary and Armed Services Committees. The Judiciary Committee is responsible for voting on a president’s nominees to the federal bench. Thus far, Hawley has introduced legislation aimed at lowering prescription drug prices, placing more safety measures on duck boats and creating a grant that would pay for programs to reduce law enforcement suicides.

State Rep. Wiley Price is the latest guest on the Politically Speaking podcast. The St. Louis Democrat talked extensively about his first few months in the Missouri House, as well as a slew of bills he’s sponsored to overhaul the state’s elections. Price was first elected last year to represent Missouri’s 84th House District, which takes in portions of the western part of St. Louis. It includes largely African-American neighborhoods in north St. Louis, as well as primarily white parts of south St. Louis. Price comes from a civically-minded family. His father, Wiley Price III, is a photographer for the St. Louis American and a recent inductee into the St. Louis Media Hall of Fame. His mother Leata Price-Land is a longtime community activist who recently ran for the 26th Ward aldermanic seat, losing narrowly to Shameem Hubbard. When the 84th District House seat became open after state Rep. Karla May ran for the state Senate, Price ran against attorney Brad Bakker in the August 2018 Democratic primary. He emerged victorious by about 800 votes, a win that was tantamount to election in the heavily Democratic district.

State Rep. Deb Lavender returns to Politically Speaking to talk about upcoming debate over the Missouri budget, which is slated to take place over the next few weeks. Lavender, D-Kirkwood, is currently serving her third term in the Missouri House. She serves on the House Budget Committee, and has sought to make her mark on the panel responsible for mapping out the state’s spending priorities. Missouri has been experiencing a decline in revenue for months compared to the previous fiscal year. But the state has a fairly large surplus to fill in the budget gap this year. One of the other major initiatives going through the House Budget Committee is a plan from Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, to steer $100 million in general revenue funds to repair the state’s bridges. That’s in contrast to Gov. Mike Parson’s bonding plan, which Republicans like Smith worry will saddle the state with interest payments.

Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe joins Politically Speaking to talk about his first few months in office — and some of the issues that his Republican legislative colleagues are dealing with during the 2019 session. Kehoe spent nearly eight years as a state senator representing several Mid-Missouri counties, including Cole. After he became chief executive last year, Gov. Mike Parson appointed Kehoe as lieutenant governor. In many respects, the lieutenant governor’s office doesn’t have a lot of defined duties. The officeholder presides over the Senate and sits on a number of key boards and commissions. But the lieutenant governorship came into greater focus last year when Gov. Eric Greitens became embroiled in scandal.

State Rep. Kevin Windham is the latest guest on the Politically Speaking podcast, where the Hillsdale Democrat talked about his first few months as a member of the Missouri House. 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, he became the youngest African-American man ever to get elected to the General Assembly’s lower chamber. Windham is a graduate of Southeast MissourI State University. After college, he worked as a legislative aide to U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill. It’s a similar to path to former state Rep. Stephen Webber, who, like Windham, worked for the Democratic senator before getting elected to the House at the age of 25.

St. Louis Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed’s narrow victory on Tuesday required some unusual political coalitions and allies to come together. Reed bested state Sen. Jamilah Nasheed and Alderwoman Megan Green in easily the toughest re-election bid since he captured the presidency of the Board of Aldermen in 2007. It came after years of political toil for the Democratic official, featuring two unsuccessful bids for mayor and high-profile fights with aldermanic colleagues. St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum and Rachel Lippmann break down the results.

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sen. Denny Hoskins is the latest guest on the Politically Speaking podcast, where the Warrensburg Republican talked about some of the legislation he’s sponsoring during the 2019 session.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hoskins was elected to the 21st Senatorial District in 2016. That seat includes</span> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">Caldwell, Carroll, Howard, Johnson, Lafayette, Livingston, Ray and Saline counties.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Before running for the Senate, Hoskins served for eight years in the Missouri House. The certified public accountant was elected as House Speaker Pro Tem, which is the second highest ranking position in the General Assembly’s lower chamber.</span></p>

<p>State Rep. Nick Schroer joins Politically Speaking to talk about his legislation that would substantially restriction abortion in Missouri.</p> <p>The St. Charles County Republican's bill ended up passing the Missouri House earlier this week. It's expected to face a Democratic filibuster when it hits the Senate floor.</p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Among other things, Schroer’s bill would ban abortion if a doctor can detect a heartbeat is detected, which can happen as early as six weeks. It would also ban almost all abortions if Roe versus Wade is overturned.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The legislation does have exceptions for medical emergencies, but if a woman becomes pregnant because of rape or incest. Doctors could face criminal penalties if they run afoul of the legislation's provisions.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">State Rep. Phil Cristofanelli joins Politically Speaking for the first to talk about some of his key priorities for the 2019 legislative session.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The second term Republican lawmaker represents Missouri’s 105th House District, which takes in portions of St. Charles County.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A graduate of Washington University, Cristofanelli was elected as a Republican committeeman when he was 21. He later served on the Missouri Republican Party state executive committee. Before getting elected to the House in 2016, Christofanelli was press secretary for U.S. Congressman Dan Benishek, R-Michigan.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Since entering the legislature, Christofanelli has zeroed in an array of fiscal issues. He</span> <a href= "https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/legislation-map-missouris-special-taxing-districts-moves-through-capitol#stream/0"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">sponsored legislation</span></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">requiring the Missouri Department of Revenue to map out the state’s special taxing districts, which was signed into law last year.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger joins Politically Speaking to talk about Better Together’s proposal to merge St. Louis and St. Louis County.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If statewide voters approve the plan next year, Stenger will become the unified government’s</span> <a href= "https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/stenger-s-potential-ascension-metro-mayor-provokes-debate"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">first “metro mayor.”</span></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;"> That office was designed to be powerful: A mayor in the new government can make key appointments, use a line item veto, and help appoint whoever</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">is</span> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">in charge of</span> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">drawing districts for a 33-person council.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Stenger and St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson are backing the Better Together plan, which was</span> <a href= "http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/proposed-city-county-merger-would-create-st-louis-metro-government-and-police-department"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">formally unveiled late last month.</span></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;"> It comes as Stenger has lost some of his power as county executive after voters approved a charter amendment giving the St. Louis County Council more authority over financial matters.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Among other things, Stenger believes the reorganized government will allow for greater efficiency — and better services for roughly 1.3 million people. He’s also enthusiastic about having one police department and one municipal court serve the region, as opposed to dozens of smaller ones.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Alderwoman Megan Green, D-15th Ward, has done a lot of campaigning over the last 29 months.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Between October 2014 and April 2017, Green ran in three elections to secure a full term representing the ward, which covers parts of the Tower Grove South and Tower Grove East neighborhoods. Pretty soon after that last election, she set her sights on higher office. In the race for president, her main opponents are incumbent</span> <a href= "https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/politically-speaking-reed-his-bid-another-term-board-aldermen-president"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Lewis Reed</span></a> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">and State Sen.</span> <a href= "https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/politically-speaking-nasheed-her-decision-run-citywide-office"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Jamilah Nasheed</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, D-St. Louis. (You can find</span> <a href= "https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/politically-speaking-reed-his-bid-another-term-board-aldermen-president"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Reed’s episode</span></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">of Politically Speaking here, and</span> <a href= "https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/politically-speaking-nasheed-her-decision-run-citywide-office"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Nasheed’s episode</span></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">here.)</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I’m running for president of the Board of Aldermen basically because I feel like the status quo in our city is not working, and our city in order to move forward desperately needs some different leadership at the top of the board,” Green said.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">State Rep. Raychel Proudie is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where she talked with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum about her first year in the Missouri House.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Proudie represents the 73rd House District, which takes in St. Louis County municipalities like Ferguson, Berkeley, Kinloch, St. Ann and Hazelwood.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Proudie is a Ferguson native who received her undergraduate degree in elementary education from Grambling State University and her master’s degree in mental health counseling from Southern University and A&M College. She also is a doctoral candidate at Grambling State.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden is the latest guest on Politically Speaking. The Columbia Republican talked with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum about the lay of the land for the 2019 legislative session.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Rowden was first elected to the Senate in 2016, winning one of the most expensive legislative races in history against Democratic Rep. Stephen Webber. He represents Boone and Cooper Counties in the Missouri Senate.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After the 2018 election cycle, Rowden was elected by his fellow Republicans as majority leader. He’s responsible for deciding which bills are brought up for debate — making him one of the more powerful lawmakers in the General Assembly.</span></p> <p> </p>

<p>State Sen. Jamilah Nasheed is latest guest on Politically Speaking.</p> <p>The St. Louis Democrat is running against three other candidates in the March 5 contest for Board of Aldermen president. Episodes with incumbent Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed and Alderwoman Megan Green will be posted throughout the month of February.</p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">St. Louis Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed is the latest guest on the Politically Speaking podcast. He joined St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Rachel Lippmann to talk about his re-election bid.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Reed is squaring off against three other Democratic candidates in the March 5 primary, including Sen. Jamilah Nasheed and Alderwoman Megan Green, D-15th Ward. Both Nasheed and Green have recorded Politically Speaking episodes that will air later this month.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A native of Joliet, Illinois, Reed first appeared on the local political scene in the 1990s when he was elected alderman for the 6th Ward, which includes the Midtown and Lafayette Square neighborhoods.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 2007, he successfully challenged Board of Aldermen President Jim Shrewsbury. As board president, Reed joined the powerful Board of Estimate and Apportionment that makes most of the city’s financial decisions. He also appoints aldermanic committees and presides over meetings.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">St. Louis Recorder of Deeds Michael Butler is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where he joined St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum to talk about his first few weeks on the job.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Butler was elected to the citywide office in November 2018 after defeating longtime incumbent Sharon Carpenter in a Democratic primary. His office is responsible for issuing birth and death certificates, as well as filing real estate deeds.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Before jumping into the recorder of deeds race last year, Butler served for three terms in the Missouri House. He was a member of the House Budget Committee and captured a leadership position as the Democratic Caucus Chairman.</span></p> <p> </p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">State Rep. Dottie Bailey joins St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum to talk about her first few days as a member of the Missouri House.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Eureka Republican represents parts of St. Louis and Franklin counties, including municipalities such as Wildwood, Pacific and Eureka.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A native of Belleville, Illinois, Bailey’s professional history is in the banking industry as an accounts manager and loan buyer. She’s been active in local politics for some time, becoming a part of the St. Louis area Tea Party movement.</span></p> <p> </p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">House Minority Leader Crystal Quade joined St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum as the latest guest on Politically Speaking.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Springfield Democrat was elected as minority leader late last year, succeeding former Rep. Gail McCann Beatty of Kansas City. Quade was first elected to the House in 2016 to represent part of Springfield.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After the 2018 election cycle, Quade is the only Democrat to represent a district that’s south of Interstate 70. She’s noted that her district is relatively competitive, as much of the terrain was represented by a GOP lawmaker from 2010 to 2012.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">House Speaker Elijah Haahr is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where he talked with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum about what to expect during the 2019 legislative session.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Springfield Republican was elected as House speaker on Wednesday. His caucus will have a chance to accomplish a lot, since the GOP holds commanding supermajorities in both of the General Assembly’s legislative chambers.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">An attorney, Haahr was first elected to his post in 2012 to represent a part of Springfield in the Missouri House. He quickly rose up the ranks, eventually being selected to chair the House General Laws Committee and being elected as House speaker pro tem.</span></p>

<p>St. Louis County Councilwoman Lisa Clancy joins St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies to talk about a slew of issues affecting county government.</p> <p>Clancy was sworn in last week to represent the council’s 5th District, which takes in more than a dozen municipalities in eastern and central St. Louis County.</p> <p>Clancy has a master’s degree in social work and has worked for about a decade with nonprofit groups. She also has been president of the Hadley Township Democrats, which includes Richmond Heights, Maplewood, University City, Clayton and Shrewsbury.</p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With a revolutionary year in Missouri politics winding down, St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum, Jo Mannies and Rachel Lippmann decided to reflect on what happened and why it matter.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And what better way to do that than a list of the five biggest stories of 2018?</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You’ll have to listen to the final Politically Speaking to find out which event topped our list. But it’s fair to assume that the startling descent of Eric Greitens and the Missouri U.S. Senate contest made the cut.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Other developments that were contenders including the repeal of right to work, which bars unions and employers from requiring workers to pay dues as a condition of employment. And big political developments out of St. Louis County also caught the Politically Speaking team’s attention.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Senate President Pro Tem-elect Dave Schatz joins Politically Speaking to talk about issues that may arise during the 2019 legislative session.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Schatz is a Sullivan Republican who represents all of Franklin County and most of western St. Louis County. He won a contested race for president pro tem in November, meaning he’ll appoint committee chairs and direct legislation to certain committees.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Schatz’s family owns a utility contracting business. He successfully sought a vacant House seat in 2010. He then filed to run for the 26th District Senate seat in 2014, which was occupied at the time by Sen. Brian Nieves.</span> <a href= "http://kbia.org/post/nieves-drops-re-election-bid-sets-gop-jockeying-job"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Nieves ultimately decided against running for re-election,</span></a> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">while prominent GOPers</span> <a href= "http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/house-speaker-jones-drops-bid-senate-will-cunningham-jump"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">like former House Speaker Tim Jones</span></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">and</span> <a href="http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/cunningham-not-running-county-executive-says-gop-backing-someone-else"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">former Sen. Jane Cunningham</span></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">chose not to challenge Schatz in the primary. This effectively handed the election to Schatz, since winning the Republican primary in the 26th District is tantamount to election.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Councilman Sam Page and Councilwoman Hazel Erby join the latest edition of the Politically Speaking podcast to talk about the tumultuous year in St. Louis County government.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Page, D-Creve Coeur, and Erby, D-University City, are the chair and co chair of the St. Louis County Council. They’ve held those positions for two years amid tensions with St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Since the beginning of 2017, Page and Erby have been part of a bipartisan coalition that’s clashed with Stenger on a multitude of issues. Earlier this week, the council passed a budget</span> <a href= "http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/st-louis-county-council-gives-final-ok-slimmed-down-budget"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">with roughly $35 million in cuts</span></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">from what Stenger recommended. They also overrode his veto numerous times, including on removing a requirement that bidders for construction contracts be</span> <a href= "http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/st-louis-county-council-ends-apprenticeship-mandate-construction-contracts#stream/0"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">linked to apprenticeship programs.</span></a></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">St. Louis Alderman Terry Kennedy is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where he spoke with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Rachel Lippmann about his 30-year</span><strong> </strong><span style= "font-weight: 400;">tenure on the Board of Aldermen.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Kennedy represents the 18th Ward, which takes in nine neighborhoods in central and north St. Louis — including the Central West End, Vandeventer and JeffVanderLou neighborhoods. He’s planning to resign in early January to become clerk of the Board of Aldermen.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A second generation alderman, Kennedy joined the board in 1989. He succeeded his father, Sam Kennedy, who served on the board for 21 years. During his time in office, Kennedy helped</span> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">create the North Sarah development — a state, federal and private partnership that brought about new housing in his ward.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Kennedy was also the key backer of a Civilian Oversight Board for the St. Louis Police Department. That idea languished for years, until aldermen ended up passing legislation after Michael Brown’s shooting death in Ferguson. After the Jason Stockley protests, aldermen ended up giving that board subpoena power.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sen.-elect Eric Burlison, the latest guest on Politically Speaking,</span> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">talked about the upcoming legislative session — including his bill that would implement “right to work” in Missouri.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Greene County Republican served for eight years in the Missouri House before hitting term limits. He successfully ran for a state Senate seat this year that includes part of Greene and all of Christian County.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Burlison is a computer programmer who has been active in GOP politics for some time. He first ran for the Missouri House in 2008, winning a seat that took in part of the city of Springfield with about 57 percent of the vote.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">During his tenure in the Missouri House, Burlison became chairman of the House Professional Licensing and Registration Committee. While that committee doesn’t attract a lot of attention, it’s arguably one of the most important legislative committees since it places regulations on a host of industries.</span></p> <p> </p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Veteran Democrat Mike Jones – who has played significant roles in St. Louis and St. Louis County government – joins Politically Speaking to offer his take on how best for Democrats to regroup after their generally poor showing.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Jones also talks policy, particularly in his current role as a member of the state Board of Education.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Jones began his political career more than three decades ago as a St. Louis alderman in the city’s 21st ward. Since then, he’s become a go-to person for state, city and county officials.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Most recently, he’s been tapped as a consultant in the city’s deliberations of whether to privatize St. Louis Lambert International Airport.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">State Rep.-elect Mary Elizabeth Coleman joins Politically Speaking to talk about her big win in Missouri’s 97th District House seat — and her expectations about the upcoming legislative session.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Coleman is a Republican from Arnold who defeated Democratic state Rep. Mike Revis in this month’s election. She will represent parts of St. Louis and Jefferson counties when lawmakers return for the 2019 session in January.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Coleman is an attorney who previously served on the Arnold City Council. She was one of three Republicans who signed up to take on Revis, who took over a seat that Republicans had</span> <a href= "http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/democrats-rejoice-after-capturing-jefferson-county-based-state-house-seat#stream/0"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">controlled for roughly eight years.</span></a></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">St. Louis Alderman Scott Ogilvie returns to Politically Speaking to talk about the pressing issues before the Board of Aldermen — and why he’s decided to leave after the 2019 elections.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ogilvie represents the 24th Ward, which takes in six neighborhoods around southwestern St. Louis. That includes neighborhoods that encompass Dogtown, such as Cheltenham, Clayton Tamm, Franz Park, Hi-Pointe and Ellendale.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ogilvie first burst onto St. Louis’ political scene in 2011 when he prevailed as an independent candidate against former Alderman Tom Bauer. For a time, he was the only member of the Board of Aldermen who wasn’t elected as a Democrat. He successfully ran for re-election in 2015 as a Democrat, once again defeating Bauer.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Throughout his tenure as an alderman, Ogilvie has been advocate for bolstering the city’s mass transit and bicycle infrastructure. He was also the sponsor of legislation that implemented donation limits for city-based candidates.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sen.-elect Cindy O’Laughlin joins the Politically Speaking podcast for the first time to talk about her priorities for the 18th Senatorial District — and her experiences as a first-time candidate.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">O’Laughlin won the election last week to represent the</span> 18th Senatorial District <span style= "font-weight: 400;">district, which takes in a swath of northeast Missouri including cities like Hannibal, Kirksville and Bowling Green.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">St. Louis Public Radio’s political trio – Jason Rosenbaum, Jo Mannies and Rachel Lippmann – did a postmortem of Tuesday’s election results on the latest edition of the Politically Speaking podcast.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The upshot is that Missouri Republicans did well, and state Democrats have some rebuilding to do.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., was ousted by Republican Josh Hawley, and state Auditor Nicole Galloway barely won, despite a low-budget challenge from Republican Saundra McDowell.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One Democratic bright spot was Cort VanOstran’s strong – but unsuccessful – bid to unseat U.S. Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Ballwin.</span></p>