Politically Speaking

On this edition of Politically Speaking, Director of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Donald Kauerauf speaks with St. Louis Public Radio's Sarah Kellogg and Sarah Fentem. He began the job in September. The two Sarahs talk with Kauerauf about the COVID-19 pandemic, including the strides Missouri still needs to make to further combat the virus as well as his goals for public health beyond the coronavirus.

In this episode of Politically Speaking, Rep. Michael O'Donnell, who represents part of south St. Louis County, talks with St. Louis Public Radio's Sarah Kellogg and Jason Rosenbaum about the upcoming 2022 legislative session, including its larger than normal to-do list. O'Donnell also speaks on a bipartisan town hall he participated in centered on south St. Louis County.

Congresswoman Cori Bush talks with St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum about why she voted against a federal infrastructure bill — and what the future holds for a broader spending plan known as the Build Back Better proposal.

State Rep. Doug Richey, a Republican from Clay County, discusses his role as chairman of a committee determining where federal stimulus funds go — and how he's leading a committee of representatives and senators who study education policy.

In this "bonus" episode, Farrakhan Segog talks to St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum about his work on a commission tasked with drawing Missouri Senate districts. Shegog was interviewed for a larger story on the state legislative redistricting process, which has historically deadlocked. Shegog, though, is optimistic.

During this episode of Politically Speaking, Rep. Robert Sauls joins St. Louis Public Radio's Sarah Kellogg and Jason Rosenbaum to talk about the newly established Missouri Latino Caucus, of which he is one of two House representatives who are members. Sauls also gave his thoughts on the 2022 session, including why redistricting is going to be major focus. Sauls is a Democrat, representing the 21st district, located in Jackson County.

On the latest edition of Politically Speaking, Rep. Ashley Aune speaks to St. Louis Public Radio's Sarah Kellogg about recently revealed security risks on a state-run website that left thousands of school employees' social security numbers vulnerable and why this incident proves Missouri needs to further prioritize the security of its online infrastructure. Aune is Democrat, representing the 14th District, located north of Kansas City.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure talks with St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum about what Medicaid expansion could mean for the state's people and budget. This interview was conduct on October 4, 2021.

The Joplin Republican talks about a committee that could produce proposals affecting Planned Parenthood in Missouri. He also talked with St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum and Sarah Kellogg about acrimony in the Missouri Senate.

Continuing St. Louis Public Radio political correspondent Jason Rosenbaum's partnership with Left Bank Books, Rosenbaum talks with journalist Eric Michael Garcia about his new book "We're Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation." The two discuss how the politics of autism have changed, how the vaccine panic of the 1990s and 2000s sowed the seeds of COVID-19 vaccine misinformation — and how pop superstar Sia screwed up royally with how she portrayed nonverbal autistic people.

The Richmond Heights Democrat talks with St. Louis Public Radio's Sarah Kellogg and Jason Rosenbaum about some of the potential conflicts ahead for the 2022 legislative session.

The Missouri Senate spent over four hours of its veto session debating a procedural tradition over who exactly gets to motion to override a veto. St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum and Sarah Kellogg spoke with both Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden and Sen. Bob Onder on their thoughts about the issue and if the disagreement will carry over into the 2022 general session.

State Reps. Keri Ingle and Rudy Veit are the latest guests on Politically Speaking. They talked with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Sarah Kellogg about a recently-enacted law that provides oversight for unlicensed residential youth homes.
 
 Ingle is a Lee’s Summit Democrat and Veit is a Wardsville Republican.

St. Louis Public Radio's Sarah Kellogg and Eric Schmid interview both St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum and NPR Illinois' Hannah Meisel about how Missouri and Illinois are taking different approaches to redistricting. While Illinois has already created and amended their state legislative map, Missouri has yet to begin the bulk of the process. Meisel, Schmid and Rosenbaum then answer listener questions on redistricting.

St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum interviewed St. Louis native Carl Power, the author of the new book Home, Land, Security. It was part of an ongoing partnership that Rosenbaum has had with Left Bank Books to interview authors of fascinating books. Power's book details the concept of deradicalization by traveling around to world to talk to people affected personally by terrorism and white supremacy.

St. Louis Public Radio statehouse reporter Sarah Kellogg makes her Politically Speaking debut by breaking down how Missouri has received a ton of money over the past year or so from the federal government. Some of which came from the CARES Act, which was passed in 2020 to combat COVID-19. Other funds are coming from the American Rescue Plan, which lawmakers approved earlier this year. State Budget director Dan Haug and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Dan Hegeman serve as guest for the podcast.

On the latest episode of Politically Speaking, state Rep. Donna Baringer returns to talk with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum about congressional and state legislative redistricting — and some election-related items that could be up for discussion in 2022. Baringer is a St. Louis Democrat who represents the 82nd District, which takes in a number of southwestern wards in the city.

On the latest edition of Politically Speaking, Mike Jones returns to the podcast to talk with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum about the state of St. Louis and St. Louis County politics — and how redistricting may play a role in reshaping both environments. Jones is a man of many titles, but most recently was a member of the state Board of Education. He’s also served as a St. Louis alderman, a corporate executive, the head of the St. Louis housing authority and an adviser to a St. Louis mayor and a St. Louis County executive. He retired from public life recently but is still a sought-after analyst of regional politics.

The Kansas City Democrat talks with St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum about the COVID-19 pandemic, Medicaid expansion and congressional redistricting. He also discussed whether the Missouri legislature needs to change how it structures its session.

St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum interviewed Missouri's governor in his office in Jefferson City. The two talked about the COVID-19 pandemic, Medicaid expansion, the 2021 legislation session and Missouri's 200th birthday.

State Sen. Lincoln Hough, R-Springfield, joined St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Sarah Fentem to talk about how the COVID-19 outbreak is affecting southwest Missouri — and what political leaders can do to convince people to get vaccinated. Hough represents the 30th District. He was elected to his post in 2018 after spending time as a Greene County commissioner and a member of the Missouri House. He is the vice chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which makes key decisions about the state budget.

St. Louis County Council Chairwoman Rita Days is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where the Bel-Nor Democrat talked with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum about how the council wants to spend the latest round of federal relief money — and whether more COVID-19 related restrictions are on the horizon.

State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where he talked with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum about a ballot item that could bolster his office’s ability to invest the state’s money. Fitzpatrick is a Republican who was easily elected to a full four-year term last year. He was appointed to his post in 2019 after spending about six years in the Missouri House, including a lengthy stint as House Budget Committee chairman.

State Rep. David Tyson Smith talks with St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum about how he received a crash course in the legislative process. The Columbia Democrat also discussed the recently completed FRA special session — and some of his key priorities in future sessions.

The Shelbina Republican talks with STLPR's Jason Rosenbaum and Jonathan Ahl about how the Missouri Senate's women changed the course of a special session around a critical tax that funds Medicaid.

Rep. Phil Christofanelli of St. Charles County talks with St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum about the passage of Empowerment Savings Accounts, new law surrounding HIV, and special sessions on the FRA and redistricting. This show was recorded on June 24, 2021 while the FRA special session was still going on in the Missouri Senate.

With more than a year to go before Republicans head to the polls to choose their nominee for the U.S. Senate, St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum talks with The Kansas City Star's Jeanne Kuang and Jonathan Shorman about the current status of the field — and what dynamics could influence the outcome.

State Rep. Tracy McCreery of Olivette joins St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies on the special sessions over the federal reimbursement allowance and congressional redistricting. Note: This podcast was recorded before Gov. Mike Parson put down a deadline at noon on June 22, 2021, to come up with a FRA special session deal.

On this unusual episode of Politically Speaking, former state Rep. Stephen Webber steps in as host to talk with St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum about what's changed in Missouri politics and journalism over the past 15 years. Rosenbaum and Webber have had a professional relationship since 2005 — when Rosenbaum interviewed Webber when he was signing a book about his experiences in Iraq. Webber served as a state representative from 2009 to 2017 and then as Missouri Democratic Party chairman after the 2016 election cycle. He's currently the political director of the Missouri AFL-CIO

House Majority Leader Dean Plocher talks with St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum for a discussion about the twists and turns of the 2021 legislative session. Plocher's appearance on the definitive show about Missouri politics marks the 500th episode that's focused on interviewing a guest. That's an admittedly arbitrary milestone, since the show went over 500 episodes one or two years ago if you include "roundup" or "chat" shows.

The Steelville Republican talks about why Missourians should vote on a gas tax hike — and what could happen during multiple special sessions this year.

The latest episode of Politically Speaking takes a bit of a break from Missouri political happenings and instead looks at what's going on in Illinois with redistricting. STLPR's Eric Schmid and NPR Illinois' Hannah Meisel explain what's going into Illinois Democrats' thinking — and whether it chafes with national Democratic rhetoric on redistricting.

In an extensive interview with St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum, the former Democratic senator from Missouri talks about her role at MSNBC, the state of the media, social media, the Jan. 6 insurrection and the way forward for Missouri Democrats. McCaskill recorded the interview at a Kirkwood St. Louis Bread Company, and the conversation came about after Rosenbaum lost a bet with her over Joe Biden's performance in St. Louis County.

Missouri's secretary of state explains why he wants a special session for election-related issues — including a requirement for a government-issued photo identification to vote.

St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum, Jonathan Ahl and Rachel Lippmann provide their takeaways of the 2021 legislative session, which was saw dramatic success and a lot of frustrations among lawmakers.

State Sen. Lauren Arthur returns to Politically Speaking to talk with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum about the final week of the 2021 legislative session.
 
 Arthur is a Democrat who represents a portion of Clay County. She won a special election in 2018, bringing a traditionally Republican seat into the Democratic column. Arthur won election to a full term in 2020, and will get to serve through the end of 2024 when term limits will prevent her from running again.

Sen. Paul Wieland returns to Politically Speaking to talk with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum about some of the big policy fights of the 2021 legislative session. Wieland represents Missouri’s 22nd Senatorial District, which takes in a portion of Jefferson County. He was first elected to his post in 2014 after serving in the Missouri House and re-elected in 2018. Wieland is one of the few Missouri lawmakers who served in the General Assembly when Democrats controlled the legislature, as he represented a Jefferson County-based House district in the 1990s.

Aviva Okeson-Haberman died earlier this week after being shot in her Kansas City apartment. Her death has left a tremendous void amongst her family and friends, as well as people who worked with her. St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum pays tribute to Aviva, who embodied the spirit of collaboration, tenacity and kindness that all of us should strive for in our lives. If you want to donate to a fund in Aviva's name that will go to help aspiring journalists, please click here: https://kcurwebdonate.umkc.edu/alleg/WebModule/Donate.aspx?P=AOHEN&PAGETYPE=PLG&CHECK=labM9KtPxqPiQl%2byqVkEd4HJipnY8PNT

U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois, joined Politically Speaking, talking with St. Louis Public Radio’s Eric Schmid, Jia Lian Yang and Lauren Brown about her environmental justice legislation.
 
 Duckworth was first elected to the Senate in 2016, defeating incumbent Republican Mark Kirk in a landslide. Before becoming a senator, Duckworth served in the House for four years representing a suburban Chicago district. She’s up for re-election in 2022.

Jason Rosenbaum collaborates with We Live Here Host Jia Lian Yang and Lauren Brown to interview Congresswoman Cori Bush about some of her environmental legislation.

Lyda Krewson spent four eventful years as mayor of St. Louis. St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum and Rachel Lippmann sort out the Democratic chief executive's ups and downs in office.

State Rep. Ashley Bland Manlove is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where the Kansas City Democrat talked with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum about election-related bills being considered in the Missouri General Assembly and other pressing issues to come in the last month of session. Bland Manlove is the chairwoman of the Missouri Legislative Black Caucus. She was first elected to the Missouri House in 2018, easily winning a Democratic primary to succeed House Minority Leader Gail McCann Beatty. She was re-elected in 2020 without serious opposition.

State Rep, Dan Shaul, R-Imperial, talks extensively about election administration and redistricting policy with St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum.

On this episode of Politically Speaking, St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum and Rachel Lippmann break down Tishaura Jones' historic win as the first Black woman to become St. Louis' mayor.

Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz returns to Politically Speaking to talk with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Jaclyn Driscoll about a host of issues the Missouri General Assembly could take up in the second half of the 2021 session.

On the latest episode of Politically Speaking, House Budget Chairman Cody Smith talks with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Jaclyn Driscoll about this year’s budget process — which has drawn more attention than usual because of the battle over expanding Medicaid. Smith represents Missouri’s 163rd District, which takes in parts of Jasper County. The Cartharge Republican has served as chairman of the powerful Budget Committee since the 2019 legislative session.

The Vice President of the United States talks with St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum about the mass vaccination site in St. Louis — and why Missouri should expand Medicaid.

On the latest episode of Politically Speaking, St. Louis Collector of Revenue Gregory F.X. Daly talks with St. Louis Public Radio’s Rachel Lippmann, Corrine Ruff and Jason Rosenbaum about the campaign to preserve the city’s earnings tax. Daly, who was first elected collector of revenue in 2006, has provided $50,000 from his campaign bank account to help keep the earnings tax. Every five years, St. Louis voters have to decide on whether to renew the 1% tax on income for people who either live or work in the city.

The Kansas City Democrat talks about her thought on the 2021 session, including a bid to remove the residency requirement for the Kansas City Police Department.

U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt talked about his decision to not seek re-election with St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum.