Politically Speaking

House Minority Leader Crystal Quade joined St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum as the latest guest on Politically Speaking. 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. 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.

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. 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. 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.

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. 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. 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.

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. And what better way to do that than a list of the five biggest stories of 2018? 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. 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.

Senate President Pro Tem-elect Dave Schatz joins Politically Speaking to talk about issues that may arise during the 2019 legislative session. 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. 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. 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.