Politically Speaking

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On the surface, the purpose of Tuesday’s primary is only to select candidates that will run in the November general election. But in reality, the results could resonate for years to come.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">That’s because Missouri voters will decide whether to retain right to work, which bars unions and employers from requiring workers to pay dues as a condition of employment. And in the St. Louis region, prevailing in the Democratic primary is often tantamount to election — especially in state legislative and local contests.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So on this episode, Jo Mannies and Jason Rosenbaum break down what to look for on Tuesday. And they're joined by a mystery guest to explain some vital information about going to the polls.</span></p> <p> </p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">David Steelman joins St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies to talk about the health of the University of Missouri System, as well as the demise of former Gov. Eric Greitens.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Steelman is a veteran Republican public official who served as a state lawmaker in the 1980s. He’s currently the chairman of the University of Missouri System Board of Curators, which oversees four campuses in Columbia, St. Louis, Rolla and Kansas City.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Attorney General Josh Hawley joins Politically Speaking to talk about the nationally-watched contest for Missouri’s United States Senate seat.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hawley is the most well-known and well-funded Republican seeking to take on U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill in the fall. He’s facing off against 10 GOP candidates in next month’s Aug. 7 primary, including two,</span> <a href= "http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/politically-speaking-austin-petersen-standing-out-increasingly-crowded-us-senate-field#stream/0"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Austin Petersen</span></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">and</span> <a href= "http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/politically-speaking-tony-monetti-makes-his-case-why-he-should-take-mccaskill"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Tony Monetti,</span></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">that have been guests on Politically Speaking.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This week’s Politically Speaking takes a look at three competitive elections in St. Louis County. It comes as relations between St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger and the St. Louis County Council have deteriorated.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Stenger is facing an expensive bid for re-election against businessman Mark Mantovani. St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch is engaged in an increasingly high-profile race against Ferguson City Councilman Wesley Bell. And two Democrats are challenging Councilman Pat Dolan’s bid for re-election.</span></p> <p> </p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch joins Politically Speaking to talk about his bid for re-election.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">McCulloch is one of the longest serving elected officials in Missouri. He’s squaring off against Ferguson City Councilman Wesley Bell in the August 7 primary. Since no Republican filed for the position, the winner of that contest will get to serve a four year term.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This week’s election edition of Politically Speaking examines how national and state-based political figures are assisting Attorney General Josh Hawley and U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill’s campaigns.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hawley received a fundraising boost this week from Vice President Mike Pence, who swung through the St. Louis area on Thursday to promote President Donald Trump’s policies. Meanwhile across the state, House Democrats are trying to a link</span> <a href= "https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article152745344.html"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">a 2017 controversy</span></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">involving Senate President Ron Richard with Hawley.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In addition to recapping a few of the week’s top events, St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies break down two Democratic primaries for St. Louis-based congressional seats.</span></p> <p> </p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ferguson City Councilman Wesley Bell comes back to the Politically Speaking podcast to talk about the race for St. Louis County executive.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Democratic official is taking on incumbent St. Louis Prosecutor Bob McCulloch, one of the longest serving local officials in the entire state. Since no Republican signed up to run, the winner of the August 7 primary will serve a four year term.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This week's election edition of Politically Speaking looks into the referendum over Missouri's right to work law — and the GOP primary for state auditor.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Besides the U.S. Senate contest, the right to work fight and GOP auditor race will be on every Missouri primary ballot on Aug. 7. And both matters could have long-term ramifications for the state's politics.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">State Rep. Gina Mitten returns to the Politically Speaking podcast to talk about serving on the committee that investigated former Gov. Eric Greitens.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mitten was one of three Democrats who were members of a committee looking into Greitens conduct. The committee ended up releasing a bombshell report in April in which Greitens was accused of sexual and physical abuse, which he denied. But the personal and campaign finance allegations against Greitens prompted lawmakers to call themselves into special session to possibly consider impeachment.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On the latest edition of Politically Speaking, St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies debut a new edition of the show — a weekly roundup of the big issues shaping Missouri’s election cycle.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It will also showcase some contests that are below the radar — as well as marquee contests that will attract national attention.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On this week’s show, we look into how U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy’s retirement will factor into Missouri’s U.S. Senate race. If President Donald Trump’s pick is confirmed, it will likely reshape legal precedent on a host of topics for decades.</span></p>

<p>St. Louis Alderman Shane Cohn, D-25th Ward, joins Jo Mannies and Rachel Lippmann on the latest edition of Politically Speaking to talk budgets, progressive politics, and running for office as an openly gay man.</p>

<p>Republican Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft joins Jo Mannies and Rachel Lippmann on the latest episode of Politically Speaking.</p> <p>Ashcroft's been busy since he took office in January 2017. He's overseen the implementation of the state's voter photo identification law. He's also in charge of certifying petitions for the November election, which could include several on marijuana.</p>

<p>On this week's episode, Jo Mannies and Rachel Lippmann talk to former St. Louis County police chief Tim Fitch, who is running as a Republican for the County Council's Third District.</p> <p>On the podcast, Fitch discusses the role he can play in getting the Council to work better with County Executive Steve Stenger, why he wants to "put a box" around money from a public safety sales tax, and why he isn't taking campaign contributions.</p>

<p>On this episode of Politically Speaking, Jo Mannies and Marshall Griffin talk to State Sen.-elect Lauren Arthur, a Kansas City-area Democrat.</p> <p>Arthur flipped a state Senate seat that had been held by Republicans for more than a decade. On the show, she discusses how she believes Democrats should stay true to a progressive message.</p>

<p>On the latest edition of Politically Speaking, St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum welcomes Sean Soendker Nicholson, Sen. Rob Schaaf and former Sen. Jim Lembke to the program to talk about a ballot initiative known as “Clean Missouri.”</p> <p>Clean Missouri is a multi-faceted ethics proposal that seeks to curb lobbyist-paid freebies, make it more difficult for lawmakers to become lobbyists, tweak campaign finance laws and, perhaps most notably, overhaul how state legislative districts are drawn.</p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On the latest edition of Politically Speaking, St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum, Jo Mannies and Rachel Lippmann reflect on Gov. Eric Greitens’ decision to resign from office.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The move marks a stunning end to a fast-rising political career that began with presidential ambitions and ended with a wave of scandal.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On the latest edition of Politically Speaking, St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum is pleased to welcome University of Missouri System President Mun Choi to the program for the first time.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Choi oversees four University of Missouri campuses in Columbia, Rolla, Kansas City and St. Louis. He took on his job on March 1, 2017, succeeding interim President Michael Middleton.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On the latest edition of Politically Speaking, St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies go over this week’s big developments in Gov. Eric Greitens’ political and legal saga.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This week’s episode zeroes in on how the woman at the heart of the scandal, identified only as K.S., spoke publicly for the first time. It came as lawmakers read depositions where the woman had to answer provocative and personal questions about her interactions with Greitens.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On the latest edition of Politically Speaking, St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies welcome back St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger to the program.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Democratic chief executive of Missouri’s largest county is running for a second four-year term. His main opposition is in the Democratic primary this August, where businessman Mark Mantovani is seeking to oust him. There are no well-known Republicans seeking the office.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On the latest episode of Politically Speaking, St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum, Rachel Lippmann and Jo Mannies detail a dramatic week in Gov. Eric Greitens’ legal and political saga.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This was supposed to be the first week of Gov. Eric Greitens’ trial for felony invasion of privacy. But as jury selection trudged along at a glacial pace, St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner’s office shocked many courtroom observers by dropping the case.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On the latest edition of Politically Speaking, St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies welcome state Rep. Peter Merideth to the program.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Merideth is a St. Louis Democrat who represents south central portions of the city in the Missouri House. He was elected to his seat in 2016 and running for re-election later this year.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Missouri General Assembly is going into the final week of its regular session this week. It comes as lawmakers are mulling over whether to impeach Gov. Eric Greitens, who is set to go on trial this week on felony invasion of privacy charges.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On the latest edition of Politically Speaking, St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum, Rachel Lippmann, Marshall Griffin and Jo Mannies break down all of the developments this week in Gov. Eric Greitens’ political and legal saga.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This week’s episode gives a preview of the governor’s felony invasion of privacy trial, which is slated to get started next week. We also get an update on whether legislators will impeach the governor — and the status of Greitens’ second felony charge for computer data tampering.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On the latest edition of Politically Speaking, St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies welcome state Rep. Shamed Dogan to the program.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dogan is a Republican from Ballwin. He was first elected to the Missouri House in 2014 and was re-elected in 2016. He decided to run for another House term in 2018 after mulling over whether to run for St. Louis County executive.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Unlike many of his Republican and Democratic colleagues, Dogan called on Greitens to resign soon after he was indicted for felony invasion of privacy. Many lawmakers ended up following Dogan’s lead after a House report accused Greitens of physical and sexual abuse against the woman he had an affair with.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On the latest edition of Politically Speaking, St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum, Jo Mannies and Rachel Lippmann examine what turned out to be a</span> <em><span style="font-weight: 400;">very</span></em> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">busy week in the legal and political saga of Gov. Eric Greitens.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This week’s edition of the show zeroes in on a historic special session to</span> <a href= "http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/greitens-likely-face-impeachment-after-lawmakers-call-historic-special-session#stream/0"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">possibly consider impeachment</span></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">— and a second House committee report regarding the acquisition of a fundraising list from the Mission Continues.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On the latest edition of Politically Speaking, St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies welcome back Councilwoman Hazel Erby to the program.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The University City Democrat represents the council’s 1st District, which takes in a number of municipalities in central and north St. Louis County. Erby represents most of Ferguson, and she was a key figure in the aftermath of Michael Brown’s shooting death in that city.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On the latest edition of the Politically Speaking podcast, St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum, Jo Mannies and Rachel Lippmann review what occurred in the Gov. Eric Greitens saga.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After two particularly bad weeks, it could be argued that there were rays of light on the legal front for the GOP governor. That’s because an investigator who allegedly made false statements during a deposition took the Fifth Amendment — which could place critical evidence in jeopardy.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The latest edition of Politically Speaking takes a bit of a break from the frenetic discussion of Missouri politics by welcoming conservative writers Guy Benson and Mary Katharine Ham onto the show.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Benson and Ham are co-authors</span> <a href= "https://www.amazon.com/End-Discussion-Outrage-Industry-Manipulates/dp/0553447777"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">of the book</span></a> <em><span style="font-weight: 400;">End of Discussion: How the Left's Outrage Industry Shuts Down Debate, Manipulates Voters, and Makes America Less Free (and Fun).</span></em> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">They were in St. Louis last week to speak at the St. Louis Chess Club.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On the latest edition of Politically Speaking, St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum, Jo Mannies and Rachel Lippmann break down all of developments in ongoing saga around Gov. Eric Greitens.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This week was particularly newsworthy. After last week’s release of an explosive House report that lead to widespread calls for Greitens to resign, at least three events ended up placing Greitens’ political career on virtual life support.</span></p>

<p>On the latest edition of Politically Speaking, St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies welcome Mark Mantovani to the program.</p> <p>The Democrat is running for St. Louis County executive. He's seeking to deprive incumbent St. Louis County executive Steve Stenger of a second term.</p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On the latest edition of Politically Speaking, St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum, Rachel Lippmann and Marshall Griffin examine all of the developments in Gov. Eric Greitens’ legal and political saga.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This week’s episode focuses on a House committee report that’s prompting bipartisan calls for Greitens to step down.</span></p> <p> </p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On the latest episode of Politically Speaking, St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies welcome back Sen. Jamilah Nasheed to the show for the fourth time.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nasheed represents roughly half of the city of St. Louis. The Democratic official was first elected to her state Senate post in 2012, and was re-elected in 2016.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After news broke that Gov. Eric Greitens had an extramarital affair before he was elected to office, Nasheed was one of the first Missouri politicians to call for the GOP chief executive’s resignation. But <a href= "http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/more-republicans-call-governor-step-down-while-democrats-step-back#stream/0"> she said later in February</a> that “Democrats, they want to play it out all the way until November,” a reference to how some in her party want to use the governor’s political woes for their electoral benefit.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On the latest edition of the Politically Speaking podcast, St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum, Jo Mannies and Rachel Lippmann break down all of the developments in the legal and political saga of Gov. Eric Greitens.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This week’s show zeroes in on how a special House committee investigating Greitens is set to release its report in the coming days.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On the latest edition of Politically Speaking, St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies welcome Sen. Bill Eigel back to the program.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Weldon Spring Republican represents a portion of St. Charles County in the Missouri Senate. He was elected in 2016 after a hotly-contested GOP primary, and a fairly easy general election victory.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Eigel is one of several Republicans who have put forward bills to overhaul the state’s tax code. It’s also been a priority for Gov. Eric Greitens, who promised during his State of the State speech to push through an ambitious tax cut plan.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On the latest edition of the Politically Speaking podcast, St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum, Jo Mannies and Rachel Lippmann break down all of the developments in the legal and political saga of Gov. Eric Greitens.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This week’s episode zeroes in on St. Louis Circuit Judge Rex Burlison’s decision to have a jury, rather than himself, decide whether Greitens is guilty of felony invasion of privacy.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On the latest edition of Politically Speaking, St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies welcome back Sen. Scott Sifton to the program.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Affton Democrat (who is now tied with state Treasurer Eric Schmitt for most appearances on the show with five) represents parts of south and central St. Louis County in the Missouri Senate.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On the latest edition of the Politically Speaking podcast, St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum, Jo Mannies and Rachel Lippmann round up this week’s legal and political news surrounding Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This week’s episode zeroes in on how Greitens’ political plight is weighing on other political figures — including Attorney General Josh Hawley.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On the latest edition of Politically Speaking, St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies welcome Republican U.S. Senate candidate Tony Monetti to the program.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Monetti is one of 20 people that have signed up to run for the seat that U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill currently holds. Ten Republicans, including Attorney General Josh Hawley, have filed thus far.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On the latest edition of the Politically Speaking podcast, St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum, Jo Mannies and Rachel Lippmann round up this week’s legal and political news surrounding Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This week’s episodes focuses on how the governor’s allies and adversaries are trying to alter public opinion in the run up to his felony invasion of privacy trial on May 14.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On the latest edition of the Politically Speaking podcast, St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies welcome Republican U.S. Senate candidate</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Austin Petersen to the program.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Petersen is one of nine Republicans vying for the U.S. Senate in Missouri</span><strong>,</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">a field that includes Attorney General Josh Hawley. The winner of that GOP primary will almost certainly square off against U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, a Democrat seeking a third term in office.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As Gov. Eric Greitens’ legal and political future continues to dominate the headlines, Politically Speaking is launching a standalone show detailing the developments in the Missouri chief executive’s saga.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">St. Louis Public Radio’s political reporters will discuss</span> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">what’s going on in court, the Missouri General Assembly and the electoral arena with the governor’s case. We’ll</span> <a href= "https://modules.wearehearken.com/kwmu/embed/715/share?utm_content=buffer84cfc&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">also answer your questions</span></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">about the situation.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This week, St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum, Jo Mannies and Rachel Lippmann are taking a look at:</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">How prominent attorneys are joining up with Greitens’ legal team — and Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner’s office.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Why some lawmakers are not happy that a House Committee looking into the Greitens indictment are keeping the meetings closed to the public.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Whether Greitens’ legal woes will affect the 2018 election cycle — especially when it comes to a nationally-watched U.S. Senate contest.</span></li> </ul>

<p>On the latest edition of the Politically Speaking podcast, St. Louis Public Radio's Jo Mannies and Marshall Griffin welcome back Sen. Jill Schupp to the program.</p> <p>The Creve Coeur Democrat represents the 24th Senatorial District, which takes in portions of St. Louis County. She was elected to her post in 2014 and will be up for re-election later this fall.</p> <p>This show was recorded on February 28, 2018, a few days after Gov. Eric Greitens was indicted on felony invasion of privacy charges.</p>

<p>On the latest edition of the Politically Speaking podcast, St. Louis Public Radio's Jo Mannies welcomes back Congresswoman Ann Wagner to the program.</p> <p>The Ballwin Republican represents Missouri's Second Congressional District, which takes in parts of St. Louis, St. Charles and Jefferson Counties. She recently filed for another term for the seat.</p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On the latest edition of the Politically Speaking podcast, St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies are pleased to welcome Sen. Dan Hegeman to the program for the first time.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Cosby Republican represents most of northwest Missouri in the Missouri Senate. The 12th Senatorial District has the largest geographic area of any House or Senate seat.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On the latest edition of the Politically Speaking podcast, St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum, Jo Mannies and Rachel Lippmann welcome Alderwoman-elect Annie Rice to the show.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Rice defeated 8th Ward Democratic Committeeman Paul Fehler on Tuesday to represent the 8th Ward in the St. Louis Board of Aldermen. The 8th Ward takes in the Shaw, Southwest Garden, Tower Grove South and Tower Grove East neighborhoods.</span></p>

<p>On the latest edition of Politically Speaking, St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason <span data-scaytid="1" data-scayt_word= "Rosenbaum">Rosenbaum</span> and Jo <span data-scaytid= "2" data-scayt_word="Mannies">Mannies</span> welcome Greg Razer to the program for the first time.</p> <p>Razer, a Democrat, represents a portion of Kansas City in the Missouri House. He was first elected to his post in 2016, winning a primary and general election with no opposition.</p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On the latest edition of the Politically Speaking podcast, St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies welcome back St. Louis County Councilwoman Colleen Wasinger to the program.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Huntleigh Republican represents the council’s 3rd District, which includes municipalities such as Kirkwood, Manchester, Fenton, Sunset Hills, Frontenac and Valley Park. Wasinger has represented her district since 2007.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On the latest edition of the Politically Speaking podcast, St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies welcome back St. Louis County Councilman Mark Harder to the program.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Ballwin Republican represents the council’s 7th District. It takes in a number of large municipalities in St. Louis County, including Chesterfield, Wildwood, Ellisville and Ballwin.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On the latest edition of the Politically Speaking podcast, St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies welcome House Minority Leader Gail McCann Beatty to the program.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Kansas City Democrat has been the leader of Missouri House Democrats since 2017. She’s often the public face for a 46-member caucus that</span> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">regularly faces an uphill battle to outflank the Republican supermajority on key issues.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Most of the attention in Jefferson City these days is over the uncertainty around Gov. Eric Greitens. He addressed reporters last Monday for the first time since admitting to an extramarital affair before he became governor. Greitens has denied allegations he blackmailed a woman into keeping the infidelity secret and repeatedly said he won’t resign from office.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On the latest edition of the Politically Speaking podcast, St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies welcome state Rep. Marsha Haefner to the program.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Haefner</span> <a href= "http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/republican-lawmakers-ramp-pressure-greitens-step-aside#stream/0"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">made news last week</span></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">when she and state Rep. Kathie Conway, R-St. Charles, became the first Republican House members to call for Gov. Eric Greitens to resign. Greitens admitted earlier this month that he had an extramarital affair before he was governor, but denied allegations he took a photo of a woman to keep the infidelity a secret. He reiterated to the</span> <a href= "http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/state-and-regional/greitens-no-blackmail-no-violence-in-affair/article_5535c2a7-af72-561e-ac89-b3bb5c7a1ae6.html#tncms-source=johncombest.com"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Associated Press this weekend</span></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">that he will not be stepping down.</span></p>

<p>On the latest episode of Politically Speaking, St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies are pleased to welcome state Rep. Crystal Quade to the show for the first time.</p> <p>The freshman legislator is the only Democrat to represent a House district in southern Missouri. She is a member of the powerful House Budget Committee, which makes big decisions about the state's financial future.</p>