Archive for July 2021

State Sen. Lincoln Hough joined St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Sarah Fentem on the latest episode of Politically Speaking, to talk about how the COVID-19 outbreak is affecting southwest Missouri — and what political leaders can do to persuade people to get vaccinated.

Hough, R-Springfield, represents the 30th District. He was elected 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.

Here’s what Hough talked about on the program:

• How the Delta variant is affecting southwest Missouri, in particular how it is taxing the region’s hospital systems.
• Whether incentives, including a recently unveiled lottery, will spur hesitant people to get vaccinated — or whether they may become convinced if they see their friends and loved ones stricken with the virus.
• With St. Louis and St. Louis County bringing back mask mandates, whether other government jurisdictions should require face coverings in public places.
• The impact of a Missouri Supreme Court ruling that found that a 2020 constitutional amendment expanding Medicaid was valid — and that the state needed to start signing people up to the health care program.
• Where Missouri budget writers may direct roughly $2.8 billion from a federal coronavirus relief bill known as the American Rescue Plan. Hough said some of the funding could go toward expanding broadband in rural areas and overhauling Missouri’s IT system.

Hough is a cattle rancher who was first elected to the Missouri House in 2012. He served two terms before successfully seeking a seat on the Greene County Commission in 2016.

Hough decided to run for the Missouri Senate in 2018, taking on former state Rep. Charlie Norr, D-Springfield. While Springfield is a historic Republican stronghold, it’s become more favorable to Democrats in recent years. Ultimately, Hough defeated Norr by about 4,000 votes in a highly competitive contest.

Hough will be up for reelection next year.

Follow Jason Rosenbaum on Twitter: @jrosenbaum

Follow Sarah Fentem on Twitter: @Petit_Smudge

Follow Lincoln Hough on Twitter: @LincolnHough

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.

Days represents the 1st District, which takes in a slew of municipalities in central and north St. Louis County. She won a special election in 2019 to succeed Hazel Erby, who recently died after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.

Here’s what Days talked about during the program:

• The spread of the Delta variant, and whether the council could approve restrictions on businesses. New state legislation gave the county council more power to curb County Executive Sam Page’s ability to use indefinite restrictions to combat COVID-19.
• Where the county council would like to spend roughly $193 million in federal relief money from what’s known as the American Rescue Plan. The council will likely have much more say in where the ARP funds go than it did on funds from the CARES Act.
• Why the council decided to go forward with subpoenas related to Page’s work as an anesthesiologist. She also talked about what the council is seeking to accomplish, especially since St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell has said he won’t get involved.
• The legacies of Erby and former state Rep. Betty Thompson, two Black political figures who died recently. Both Erby and Thompson played major roles in shaping St. Louis County politics.

Days is a Lincoln University graduate who joined the Missouri House in a 1993 special election. That was a period of time when Democrats controlled both chambers of the General Assembly, which gave Days opportunity to pass numerous bills and rise to a leadership position within her caucus.

In 2002, Days became the first Black person ever elected to the state Senate from St. Louis County. She served as a senator until term limits forced her to retire from the legislature in 2010. After working for then-St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley, Days served as Democratic director for the St. Louis County Board of Elections from 2011 to 2015. Before running for the county council in 2019, Days worked for the Missouri Housing Development Commission, which issues tax credits aimed at cultivating housing for low-income people.

Days said she is running for a full four-year term in 2022. The district is heavily Democratic, so if she wins the primary she will be favored to continue serving on the council.

Follow Jason Rosenbaum on Twitter: @jrosenbaum

Follow Rita Days on Twitter: @ritadays1

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.

Here’s what Fitzpatrick discussed during the show:

• Why Missouri is doing well financially. He said the state received more revenue than expected and has ample money in the bank — even before it receives funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. Missouri is slated to get around $2.8 billion under the legislation.
• A proposed constitutional amendment that would allow his office to invest in municipal bonds as well as other securities. He said this proposal stems from his office receiving a huge amount of cash over the past couple of years without having much leeway in how to invest it.
• Some of the key changes made for the low-income housing tax credit that could save the state money. Fitzpatrick is a member of the Missouri Housing Development Commission, which oversees the program.

Fitzpatrick served three full terms in the Missouri House, including two years as chairman of the powerful Budget Committee. Gov. Mike Parson appointed him treasurer in early 2019 after Eric Schmitt was picked to be attorney general.

Fitzpatrick is a native of Shell Knob, a community about 40 miles from Branson. He started a dock-repair business while he was in high school, a company that grew dramatically while he was in college.

His name has been floated as a potential candidate for state auditor and the U.S. Senate. Fitzpatrick said he’ll make a decision on whether he’s running for anything in 2022 in the coming days. He can run for another office next year and remain state treasurer if his campaign is unsuccessful.

Follow Jason Rosenbaum on Twitter: @jrosenbaum

Follow Scott Fitzpatrick: @MOTreasurer

The Missouri House’s newest member, state Rep. David Tyson Smith, is the latest guest on Politically Speaking. The Columbia Democrat talked with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum about his legislative debut.

Smith represents the 45th District, which takes in a large chunk of Columbia — including most of the University of Missouri campus. He won a special election to succeed Kip Kendrick, who resigned to become Sen. Greg Razer’s chief of staff.

Here’s what Smith talked about on the program:

• Why he decided to run for the seat, and what it means to be the first Black person to represent Columbia in the House.
• His goals for the next few years, assuming he gets reelected to the solidly Democratic seat. They include overhauling the state’s criminal justice system and expanding affordable housing throughout the state.
• His take on some of the hot-button issues that transpired after he was sworn into office, including the GOP-controlled legislature’s decision not to fund Medicaid expansion. The Missouri Supreme Court will be taking up that case next week.
• A preview of the upcoming special session on congressional redistricting, including whether Democrats can influence a process in which Republicans have all the leverage.

Smith is a Columbia native who graduated from the University of Missouri there. He received his law degree from Tulane University, then stayed in Louisiana for five years to work on litigation against tobacco companies.

He came back to Columbia about 20 years ago and eventually started the Smith and Parnell law firm, which specializes in personal injury, criminal defense, and family and divorce cases.

When Kendrick announced his resignation soon after being elected to his final term, Smith was one of several Democrats who sought the nomination. Democratic committee members ended up choosing Smith over two other candidates, and he easily won a special election against a Libertarian candidate.

Follow Jason Rosenbaum on Twitter: @jrosenbaum

Follow David Tyson Smith on Twitter: @dts4mo

Jia and Lauren sit down in the studio for the first time since March 2020 to discuss reporting during the pandemic and how life has been for the past year. As they discuss personal trials and tribulations the We Live Here team is also excited about the new listener survey. Whether you are a long time listener, contributor, or community member we want your input. What do you enjoy, what can we do better, and what does We Live Here mean to you? Check out our new listener survey by visiting our website at welivehere.show/survey or check us out on social @weliveherestl on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.