Politically Speaking

On the latest episode of Politically Speaking on St. Louis on the Air, STLPR's Jason Rosenbaum talks with child welfare advocate Jessica Seitz about a startling new reporting detailing how Children's Division investigators missed warning signs of fentanyl use among parents before those parents' children died. Rosenbaum also talks to Congressman Mark Alford about his recent trip to Taiwan and Richard Von Glahn about a ballot item aimed at raising the state's minimum wage.

NPR National Political correspondent Sarah McCammon recently released The Exvangelicals: Loving, Living, and Leaving the White Evangelical Church. It is part memoir and part exploration into the role Evangelicals play in politics. In a conversation with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum, McCammon first talked about how her book connected with a wide audience — including people who didn’t grow up Evangelical like her.

On the latest episode of the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air, STLPR's Jason Rosenbaum talks to Missouri Independent's Jason Hancock about the ethics investigation into House Speaker Dean Plocher. Rosenbaum also spoke with Senate Minority Leader John Rizzo about Senate Democrats' expectations about the final weeks of session. And he also discussed a ballot item legalizing sports betting with Jack Cardetti of Winning for Missouri Education.

On the latest episode of Politically Speaking, Missouri state Sen. Brian Williams discusses the state budget process and the 2024 election cycle.
 
 Williams represents Missouri’s 14th District, which takes in several dozen municipalities in St. Louis County. Williams was first elected to his post in 2018 and reelected with no opposition in 2022.

Yes, political can be interesting and exciting. But in the latest episode of The Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air, STLPR's Jason Rosenbaum talks with Saint Louis University's Ken Warren about what's driving increased voter apathy. Rosenbaum also speaks with state Rep. Tony Lovasco of St. Charles County about his call for Gov. Mike Parson to commute Brian Dorsey's death sentence. And in an exclusive interview, fashion icon and philanthropist Karlie Kloss talks with Rosenbaum about her passion for abortion rights.

State Sen. Denny Hoskins of Warrensburg returns to Politically Speaking to talk about his campaign for secretary of state — and the prospects of being able to legalize sports betting in Missouri. Hoskins is one of eight GOP contenders seeking to succeed Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft.

Webster Groves native Karlie Kloss took the modeling world by storm in the 2010s before launching a highly successful effort to connect young women with computer coding and, more recently, helping relaunch Life Magazine.
 
 But on Monday, Kloss discussed another passion in an exclusive interview with St. Louis Public Radio: Her advocacy for abortion rights in Missouri and around the Midwest.
 
 “I'm one of four daughters. I grew up here in the Midwest. My father is a physician. The idea of reproductive care was never political in my house,” Kloss said. “It's devastating to me the reality of what is happening and how it has become so politicized. Because to me, this is a conversation that belongs between an individual and their physician and an individual and their loved ones. To me, politicians should not be involved.”

On the latest episode of Politically Speaking, Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden talked to St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Sarah Kellogg about his decision to depart from the secretary of state’s contest.
 
 The Columbia Republican had announced his statewide bid last year. He had the most campaign money out of any of the GOP competitors for the post and had experience winning tough elections.

On the latest episode of the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air, St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum discusses the Illinois primary results with STLPR's Will Bauer and Brian Munoz. Rosenbaum also chats with SLU's Steven Rogers and STLPR's Jo Mannies about the SLU/YouGov poll and what it could mean for the 2024 election cycle

Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer joins St. Louis Public Radio's Sarah Kellogg on the latest episode of Politically Speaking. The Platte County Republican is the sponsor of an omnibus bill dealing with public safety. Luetkemeyer breaks down his bill, as well as discusses other topics like sports betting, his bill last session creating a property tax freeze for seniors and how he's felt the 2024 Legislative Session has gone so far.

State Rep. Scott Cupps joins STLPR's Jason Rosenbaum and Sarah Kellogg to talk about his pathway from the agricultural business to the Missouri House. The Shell Knob Republican also talked about his explosive committee hearing with state Treasurer Vivek Malek, which featured bipartisan criticism of his decision to place unclaimed property decals on Torch's controversial gaming machines.

On the latest episode of The Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air, St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum talks with Senate Majority Leader Cindy O'Laughlin of Shelbina about the state of the Missouri Senate. Rosenbaum also discussed what to expect in the second half of the Missouri General Assembly's session with STLPR's Sarah Kellogg. And in the final segment of the show, St. Louis Alderwoman Alisha Sonnier talks about her bill to make it easier to open homeless shelters in the city.

After a long hiatus from electoral politics, former Missouri Sen. Kurt Schaefer is re-entering the fray with his entry into Missouri's 3rd Congressional District contest. The Columbia Republican talked with STLPR's Jason Rosenbaum earlier this week about why he decided to run — and provided his stances on a slew of foreign policy and domestic issues.

The latest episode of the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air features an extensive interview with St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones. Jones talked with St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum about crime prevention, regional homelessness policies, and how city policymakers shouldn't spend the St. Louis Rams settlement. Later in the program, Rosenbaum and STLPR's Will Bauer talk with IL Sen. Jil Tracy about Governor JB Pritzker's State of the State and budgetary address.

Missouri Congressman Eric Burlison, R-Battlefield, spoke to St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum on Saturday Feb. 17, 2024, at Missouri Republican Party Lincoln Days in Kansas City. Burlison talked about his support for former President Donald Trump's policies, his opposition to providing military aid to Ukraine, and why Republicans should embrace early voting strategies instead of constantly complaining about them.

The leader of Missouri’s agency responsible for investigating child abuse and neglect says its St. Louis office is making progress in eliminating a massive case backlog.
 
 Last year, St. Louis Public Radio reported on the troubles in the Children’s Division office in St. Louis, which serves the city and St. Louis County. A combination of high turnover and inability to hire people created a backlog of 6,124 cases of abuse or neglect allegations that remained open after 45 days. And the staff’s 16 investigators had an average caseload of 150 — when federal guidelines say it should be closer to 10 to 12.
 
 In a wide-ranging interview on Wednesday, Children’s Division Director Darrell Missey said that increased hiring should play a major role in eliminating overdue cases over the next few months. Missey said the agency is close to reaching its goal of having 60 investigators to look into abuse and neglect claims in St. Louis and St. Louis County.

Illinois U.S. Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, last faced a primary opponent in 2018 when the longtime lawmaker cruised to victory with nearly 84% of the vote.
 
 However, this year former GOP gubernatorial nominee and former state legislator, Darren Bailey, R-Xenia, is hoping to unseat Bost from the 12th Congressional District when voters go to the polls next month.
 
 “He says I'm a professional politician,” Bost said of Bailey on the Politically Speaking podcast. “Well, he's a professional candidate.”

On the latest episode of The Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air, St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum takes a closer look at two complex, but important civic events: The Democratic and Republican presidential contents in March and an effort to get voters to decide on the future of abortion access in the state. Rosenbaum also talked with St. Louis on the Air host Elaine Cha about her recent segments about the dearth of civic education in the state and the nation.

Darren Bailey, the former Republican Illinois gubernatorial candidate, is banking on his deeply conservative values and unwillingness to sacrifice them to propel him to victory against U.S. Rep. Mike Bost in the 12th District primary next month.
 
 “As a Republican — and as a conservative Republican — I cannot compromise my values,” Bailey said on the Politically Speaking podcast.

Democratic state Rep. Kathy Steinhoff is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where she spoke to St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Sarah Kellogg about education legislation.
 
 The freshman lawmaker was first elected to her post in 2022, representing a district that includes a portion of the city of Columbia.

The latest episode of The Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air is a first: It's the first ever episode of St. Louis on the Air to be recorded entirely in the Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City. St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum and Sarah Kellogg interviewed Gov. Mike Parson and Democratic state Rep. Ashley Aune. The duo also broke down Parson's final State of the State speech — and the recent legislative dysfunction.

Missouri Congressman Jason Smith is hoping to inch his colleagues toward future bipartisan collaboration with a bill that increases the child tax credit and provides incentives for business research and development and low-income housing.
 
 The Salem Republican joined forces with Oregon Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden to put forward the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act.
 
 While Smith noted in an interview with St. Louis Public Radio that neither side of the political spectrum is completely happy with the bill, the agreement could provide some guidance for federal lawmakers struggling to come up with legislation around immigration or aid to Ukraine or Israel.

State Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where the Arnold Republican spoke about her decision to run for Missouri’s 3rd Congressional District contest.
 
 U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer announced his retirement earlier this month. The district includes parts of Jefferson, St. Charles, Cole, Boone, Callaway and Warren counties.

U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer threw a bit of a curve to Missouri’s already crowded primary season when he announced he wouldn’t run for another term.
 
 The St. Elizabeth Republican hasn’t been shy about expressing his disdain about high-profile infighting within his party, culminating in Kevin McCarthy’s ouster as speaker and a marathon melodrama to pick his replacement. But Luetkemeyer stressed his decision to retire after 16 years is based on a legitimate desire to stop working.
 
 “I’m going to be 72 years old in May. And so people ask me about my health … is that the reason I'm retiring? I say: ‘No, my health is good. That's why I'm retiring,’” Luetkemeyer said in a wide-ranging interview.

U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt has more experience as a Missouri state senator than a U.S. senator, but after his first year in Washington, he says he’s seen a big difference with how Congress handles government funding.
 
 During a wide-ranging interview Friday on The Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air, the Missouri Republican discussed the latest budget standoff. If Congress doesn’t act in the next week, there could be a government shutdown. Schmitt said he doesn’t like how his colleagues don’t vote on multiple bills funding the federal government, which is the standard for Missouri.

On the latest episode of Politically Speaking, St. Louis County Councilwoman Kelli Dunaway expounds on her decision to not run for another term this year.
 
 The Chesterfield Democrat represents the council’s 2nd District, which includes municipalities like St. Ann, Maryland Heights, Creve Coeur, Bridgeton and Hazelwood. She was first elected to her post in a 2019 special election and won a full four-year term in 2020.

The Independence Democrat joins St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum to talk about helping the state's child abuse investigators — and whether the 2024 session deserves its low expectations.

The St. Louis Board of Aldermen went through a major political and structural transformation in 2023. On “The Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air,” St. Louis Board of Aldermen President Megan Green talked about some of the highlights of the past year and what to expect from her aldermanic colleagues in 2024. This interview was recorded on Dec. 18, 2021.

Missouri’s attorney general is intervening in a highly-publicized legal fight between billionaire Elon Musk and a left-leaning media watchdog group documenting antisemitic content on his social media platform.
 
 Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced last week he’s initiating an investigation against Media Matters for America, a Washington, D.C.-based group that writes articles critical of conservative media outlets and personalities. Media Matters also showcased some of the alleged deficiencies of Musk’s stewardship of X, the new name for Twitter, including how extremist accounts were thriving on X.

State Rep. Keri Ingle, D-Lee's Summit, joins STLPR's Sarah Kellogg and Jason Rosenbaum on the latest episode of Politically Speaking. Ingle provided her thoughts about what to expect for the legislature's 2024 session — and Democratic prospects for next year's election cycle.

St. Louis Public Radio's senior environmental reporter Kate Grumke talks with U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley about the next steps now that a proposal compensating St. Louis area residents who became sickened due to radioactive waste exposure isn't in a critical national defense bill.

State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick returns to Politically Speaking to talk with St. Louis Public Radio’s Sarah Kellogg and Jason Rosenbaum about his first year in office.
 
 Fitzpatrick became state auditor earlier in January after winning election to the post over Democrat Alan Green. He previously served as state treasurer and also was House Budget Committee chairman when he was a member of the Missouri House.

State Rep. Ian Mackey is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where he talked about his concerns around the upcoming legislative session and the 2024 elections.
 
 Mackey represents Missouri’s 99th House District, which takes in St. Louis County cities like Clayton, Ladue and Olivette. He was first elected to the Missouri House in 2018, and won reelection in 2020 and 2022.

As he prepares to accept the Stan Musial Lifetime Achievement Award for Sportsmanship on Saturday at the Musial Awards, former U.S. Sen. Bill Bradley said his family and teachers in Crystal City taught him “discipline, selflessness, courage, imagination and responsibility.”
 
 “And the more you succeed, the more fuel that provides to the fire — and the harder you work,” Bradley said on The Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air. “And so, some people say that's the origin of my workaholism. But it's also the origin of the way you make your way through life.”

St. Louis Alderwoman Daniela Velázquez is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where she joined St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Rachel Lippmann to discuss her first few months in office.
 
 Velázquez represents the city’s 6th Ward, which takes in Compton Heights, Compton Hill, Shaw, Tower Grove South and portions of Dutchtown. She was first elected to her post in 2023, and became the first Latina ever to serve on the Board of Aldermen.

Missouri House Rep. Adam Schwadron, is the latest guest on Politically Speaking. The St. Charles Republican is running to be Missouri's next Secretary of State. He joins St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum to speak on his candidacy and offer his thoughts on the upcoming session.

Missouri House Majority Leader Jon Patterson is slated to become speaker in 2025 — and he’s receiving more attention this week after current House Speaker Dean Plocher became embroiled in a controversy over his expense reimbursements. In the debut episode of the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air, STLPR Political Correspondent Jason Rosenbaum talks with Plocher. STLPR statehouse and politics reporter Sarah Kellogg for analysis, and we open up the mailbag to answer listener questions about local government and politics.

State Rep. Ken Waller is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where the Herculaneum Republican talked about his first year in the Missouri House.
 
 Waller is a longtime county official who was elected to Missouri’s 114th District last year. The district includes Pevely, Herculaneum and Festus.

State Rep. Mike Haffner is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where the Pleasant Hill Republican talked about efforts to curtail some foreign-based companies from owning Missouri agricultural land.

State Rep. Mark Matthiesen, R-O'Fallon, talks with STLPR's Jason Rosenbaum and Sarah Kellogg about his journey back to the Missouri House, compensating people who have become sickened due to nuclear waste exposure, and how to tackle rising personal property tax bills effectively.

Rep. Peter Merideth joins St. Louis Public Radio's Sarah Kellogg and Jason Rosenbaum to discuss why the Missouri Legislature has yet to pass legislation on gun control in the almost year since the shooting at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School. Additionally, the St. Louis Democrat shares his opinions on this year's budget, the current examining of earnings and personal property taxes by a House committee and Republicans' effort to make it harder to amend Missouri's constitution.

State Sen. Tracy McCreery is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where the St. Louis County Democrat spoke with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Sarah Kellogg about her first year in office.
 
 McCreery represents Missouri’s 24th District, which includes cities such as Kirkwood, Sunset Hills, Valley Park and Creve Coeur. Before getting elected to her post in 2022, McCreery served two stints in the Missouri House: The first was for roughly a year in 2012. The second was from 2015 to 2023.

State Rep. Jim Murphy, R-St. Louis County, joins STLPR's Sarah Kellogg and Jason Rosenbaum to talk about veto session, a committee examining the earnings tax, and what to expect during the 2024 legislative session.

State Sen. Bill Eigel talks with STLPR's Jason Rosenbaum and Sarah Kellogg about his bid for governor — as well as how he'd approach a host of issues as Missouri's chief executive. The Weldon Spring Republican also discussed fallout from veto session.

St. Louis Alderman Rasheen Aldridge joins STLPR's Rachel Lippmann and Jason Rosenbaum to talk about his transition into aldermanic life. The 14th Ward Democrat previously served as a state representative for the 78th District House seat — and now has more opportunities to make a policy impact after departing from a chamber where Democrats are in the superminority.

Rep. Paula Brown makes her appearance as a guest on Politically Speaking for the first time. The Hazelwood Democrat joins St. Louis Public Radio's Sarah Kellogg and Jason Rosenbaum to discuss topics like the upcoming veto session, what education issues she expects to return in the upcoming session as well as the 2024 election.

Sen. Karla Eslinger makes her debut on Politically Speaking. The Wasola Republican joins St. Louis Public Radio's Sarah Kellogg and Jason Rosenbaum to discuss the upcoming veto session. Eslinger also spoke on education, foreign acquisition of farmland as well as the 2024 session and election.

The latest episode of Politically Speaking features state Rep. Doug Clemens talking with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Sarah Kellogg on the public policy response to radioactive waste contamination.
 
 Clemens represents Missouri’s 72nd House District, which takes in portions of northwest St. Louis County. He was first elected to his post in 2018.

On the latest episode of Politically Speaking, state Rep. Melanie Stinnett discusses her entry into the Missouri General Assembly.
 
 The Springfield Republican represents Missouri’s 133rd District, which takes in portions of Greene County. She was elected in 2022 to succeed Curtis Trent, who vacated the seat to run for the state Senate.

Earlier this summer, a consortium of media agencies dropped a bombshell report: The federal government spent decades downplaying or ignoring the risks of radioactive waste in the St. Louis area. And while the issue has been prominent in places like north St. Louis County and St. Charles County for quite some time, the spotlight on the documents revealed in the media reports — and the work of activists who have sought to bring attention to it — sparked fresh calls for governmental action.
 
 U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley has been particularly outspoken on the issue. He managed to get an amendment attached to a critical national defense bill that could compensate people in St. Louis who became sick. Hawley spoke with STLPR's Jason Rosenbaum about the unusual legislative trajectory of his proposal — and whether it can survive tough legislative headwidns.