Archive for June 2021

State Rep. Phil Christofanelli is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where the St. Peters Republican talked with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum about the passage of Empowerment Scholarship Accounts and two special sessions sending the Missouri General Assembly into overtime.

Christofanelli represents the 105th District, which takes in portions of St. Charles County. He was the sponsor of the Empowerment Scholarship Accounts bill, in which someone can make a contribution to an approved nonprofit education assistance organization and receive a tax credit of up to 50 percent of their state tax liability. That bill was one of the most significant, and controversial, of the 2021 session.

Here’s what Christofanelli talked about during the program:

• Why his ESA bill managed to make it to Gov. Mike Parson’s desk this year, especially when prior versions consistently failed to find support even in overwhelming Republican legislatures. He responded to criticism of the program, including how the legislation largely exempts rural areas of the state.
• The implementation of legislation allowing HIV prevention medication to be dispensed by pharmacists without a prescription. Parson signed that legislation into law earlier this month.
• A special session to renew a critical tax that helps fund Missouri’s Medicaid program, as well as an upcoming session on congressional redistricting.

A graduate of Washington University, Christofanelli was elected as a Republican committeeman when he was 21. He later served on the Missouri Republican Party state executive committee. Before being elected to the House in 2016, Christofanelli was press secretary for U.S. Rep. Dan Benishek, R-Michigan.

Christofanelli recently completed work on his law degree at Washington University while serving in the House.

Follow Jason Rosenbaum on Twitter: @jrosenbaum

Follow Phil Christofanelli on Twitter: @phlchristo

Throughout this season, we’ve shared stories of those living in unhealthy environments, how those environments came to be, and what we can do to create a better environment for the future. But in order to complete this series on the environment, we had to discuss land, the people who originated from that land and the movements to restore and give back to Indigenous people. In this episode, we hear from a PhD student working on a research project to combat Indigenous people’s invisibility in the St. Louis region and a Director providing a space for students to learn about American Indian history and culture.

On the latest episode of Politically Speaking, St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum discusses the GOP primary for U.S. Senate with the Kansas City Star’s Jeanne Kuang and Jonathan Shorman.

Shorman and Kuang recently wrote an article breaking down the current four-person GOP primary to succeed Sen. Roy Blunt. The article noted that former Gov. Eric Greitens skipped the Missouri Republican Party Lincoln Days event and that the other contenders are trying to emerge as the alternative before the August 2022 primary.

Topics discussed on the show include:

• How Greitens is trying to tap into the GOP electorate by continuing to fight the 2020 presidential election results.
• The potential for Attorney General Eric Schmitt, U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler or attorney Mark McCloskey to emerge out of the GOP field.
• Whether a big GOP primary helps Greitens gain a plurality of voters or if the former governor is so damaged by scandal that brought down his administration that it motivates other people to get into the race.
• Any potential role U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley could play in affecting the primary, especially since he and Greitens have long been at odds.
• The possibility of former President Donald Trump endorsing one of the candidates.

The Democratic primary also was discussed, including the possibility of former Gov. Jay Nixon getting into the contest.

Follow Jason Rosenbaum on Twitter: @jrosenbaum

Follow Jeanne Kuang on Twitter: @jeannekuang

Follow Jonathan Shorman on Twitter: @jonshorman

On the latest episode of Politically Speaking, St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies reunite to talk to state Rep. Tracy McCreery about special sessions involving a critical tax that funds Medicaid and congressional redistricting.

The Olivette Democrat has represented the 88th District since the beginning of 2015. Her district includes portions of Creve Coeur, Olivette and Ladue. Term limits will prevent McCreery from running for the House again, but she recently announced that she’s running for the state Senate.

Here’s what McCreery discussed on the show:

• The standoff among Republican legislators over the renewal of what’s known as the Federal Reimbursement Allowance. That’s a tax that places like hospitals pay to help fund the state’s Medicaid program.
• Proposals to prohibit Medicaid from paying for certain forms of contraception and from reimbursing non-abortion services at Planned Parenthood.
• Whether public pressure could push Missouri Republicans to create a congressional map with more competitive districts. Democrats will have little leverage to affect the special session for congressional redistricting, which will likely take place in the fall.
• Her reasons for running for the 24th District seat held by Sen. Jill Schupp. That district used to be intensely competitive but is now seen as Democratic leaning and may be even more out of reach for Republicans after state legislative redistricting.

After a stint in the pharmaceutical industry, McCreery served as state Sen. Joan Bray’s district aide for the University City Democrat’s eight-year tenure.

When then-state Rep. Jake Zimmerman successfully ran for St. Louis County assessor in 2011, McCreery won a special election as an independent against both a Democratic and Republican candidate. Roughly a year later, she lost a Democratic primary to Sue Meredith for a St. Louis County-based seat that became open due to redistricting.

After her loss, McCreery spent the next couple of years working for PROMO – the state’s top advocacy organization for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues. McCreery won election to the 88th District seat in 2014 and has won reelection comfortably ever since.

Follow Jason Rosenbaum on Twitter: @jrosenbaum

Follow Jo Mannies on Twitter: @jmannies

Follow Tracy McCreery on Twitter: @TracyMcCreery

The latest episode of Politically Speaking flips the script, so to speak.

That’s because former Rep. Stephen Webber is guest hosting so that regular host Jason Rosenbaum can talk about the changes to Missouri politics and media — and what the future holds for both.

The show also touches on some of the major themes in Missouri politics that both witnessed throughout the past few years, such as:

• The collapse of the Missouri Democratic Party in rural Missouri, including places like northeast Missouri where the party had historically strong electoral performances.
• How Missouri politics and elections have centered less around discourse over issues and are more focused around personalities.
• Which stories have remained relevant or faded into the background.
• How the lack of institutional memory in Missouri political journalism affects how issues or people are perceived by the general public.

Webber represented a Boone County-based House seat from 2009 to 2017. After losing a state Senate contest, he became the chairman of the Missouri Democratic Party and served in that position until after the 2018 election cycle. He currently is the political director for the Missouri AFL-CIO.

Follow Stephen Webber on Twitter: @s_webber

Follow Jason Rosenbaum on Twitter: @jrosenbaum