Archive for November 2021

Sen. Holly Rehder joins St. Louis Public Radio’s Sarah Kellogg and Jason Rosenbaum to preview the 2022 Missouri legislative session and to provide insight on how she got a long-sought prescription drug monitoring program passed.

Rehder is a Scott County Republican who was elected to represent the 27th District in 2020. The district includes Bollinger, Wayne, Cape Girardeau, Scott, Perry and Madison counties.

Here’s what Rehder talked about on the show:

• Rehder, the new chairwoman of a committee examining child abuse and neglect, discussed a recent committee hearing about how the Department of Social Services lost track of foster children. 
• Rehder was one of six senators who signed a letter asking Gov. Mike Parson for a special session to ban private-sector COVID-19 vaccine mandates. She explained how a number of people in her district are demanding state legislative action because of fears that the requirement could lead to job loss.
• She said workers who are fired because they won’t get the vaccine should be eligible for state unemployment benefits.

Rehder grew up in poverty and has openly talked about her family depending on welfare and her daughter’s struggle with drug addiction. Rehder earned a bachelor’s degree from Southeast Missouri State University. She’s worked in the cable industry since she was 19.

The legislator was elected to the first of four terms in the Missouri House in 2012. She narrowly won the contest for the Senate last year, defeating state Rep. Kathy Swan by less than 200 votes. She is one of the first people in recent memory to represent a Cape Girardeau-based Senate seat without being a resident of that city.

Follow Jason Rosenbaum on Twitter: @jrosenbaum

Follow Sarah Kellogg on Twitter: @sarahkkellogg

Follow Holly Rehder on Twitter: @hrehder

The latest episode of Politically Speaking features St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Kate Grumke talking with three school board members from St. Louis County districts about how they’ve navigated the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rosenbaum and Grumke talked with Katie Kaufmann of Maplewood Richmond Heights, Kristy Davis of Parkway and Miranda Jones of Jennings. All three serve on boards that had to make difficult decisions during the past 20 months, including when to bring students back for in-person learning and whether to institute mask mandates.

Here’s what Kaufmann, Davis and Jones talked about during the show:

• A previous episode of Politically Speaking with state Rep. Doug Richey, R-Clay County, who contends school boards need to alter how they handle comments from the public.
• Whether they knew what they were signing up for when they ran for school board posts, including dealing with an increasingly hostile meeting environment.
• Their districts’ experiences with virtual learning and when their districts chose to resume in-person school. 
• Whether districts are entering a different phase of the pandemic, now that vaccines are becoming available for younger children.

Follow Jason on Twitter: @jrosenbaum

Follow Kate Grumke on Twitter: @KGrumke

On this episode of Politically Speaking, Don Kauerauf, director of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, talks with St. Louis Public Radio’s Sarah Kellogg and Sarah Fentem about the coronavirus pandemic, as well as other public health topics.

Kauerauf began work in September, after being chosen for the job by Gov. Mike Parson in July. He succeeded Robert Knodell, who served on an interim basis after the resignation of Randall Williams.

Here’s what Kauerauf spoke about on the show:

• Missouri’s current COVID-19 vaccination rate and how the state plans to reach out to Missourians who have yet to get the shot. 
• Whether COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy could lead to apprehension for other known or future vaccinations.  
• What the future of the pandemic looks like and if the approach to combating the virus will change as more people become vaccinated. He also talked about whether ending the pandemic is even possible. 
• The politicization of public health, including the erosion of trust of health officials, along with what can be done to restore that relationship. 
• His strategy for working with Missouri lawmakers to accomplish his goals and what he hopes to achieve beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Kauerauf was the assistant health director for the Illinois Department of Public Health from 2016 to 2018.

Follow Sarah Kellogg on Twitter: @sarahkkellogg

Follow Sarah Fentem on Twitter: @petitsmudge

On the latest episode of Politically Speaking, Republican state Rep. Michael O’Donnell joins St. Louis Public Radio’s Sarah Kellogg and Jason Rosenbaum to discuss the upcoming Missouri General Assembly session.

O’Donnell represents Missouri’s 95th House District, which takes in a portion of south St. Louis County — primarily the Oakville area. He was first elected in 2018 and reelected last year.

Here’s what O’Donnell talked about on the program:

• Whether Republicans should try for a congressional map that makes U.S. Rep. Ann Wagner’s St. Louis County-based district more Republican. 
• Proposals that would resuscitate Missouri’s government-issued photo identification requirement to vote. He also provided his opinion on whether there should be runoffs for statewide and congressional elections.
• Whether there are opportunities for bipartisanship in next year’s session, when numerous legislators will be running for reelection or higher-profile offices like state Senate or congressional seats.
• A recent town hall meeting he conducted on car theft in St. Louis County, which featured Prosecutor Wesley Bell.

O’Donnell has worked for many years in the securities industry. He joined the Navy after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, inspired to serve after one of his friends was killed in the World Trade Center.

After state Rep. Marsha Haefner, R-St. Louis County, left the Missouri House due to term limits, O’Donnell narrowly defeated Joe Patterson in the GOP primary. When Haefner ran in 2010, the district was considered fairly competitive, but it’s become more Republican-leaning in the past decade.

Follow Jason Rosenbaum on Twitter: @jrosenbaum

Follow Sarah Kellogg on Twitter: @sarahkkellogg

Follow Michael O’Donnell on Twitter: @michaelod_mo

For years, Black people have been working on the ground and behind the scenes to create a better world for the next generation. We have seen a number of great activists over the years who challenged the status quo and promoted a more equitable society. I sat down with Ben Jealous, President of People for the American Way, a progressive advocacy organization created to fight extremism and restore democracy. In this episode we hear from Ben about the changing landscape of activism work, his excitement for events to engage with communities, and the legacy he wants to leave behind.