Archive for June 2022

On a special edition of Politically Speaking, St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum is joined by Rachel Lippmann and Kavahn Mansouri to talk about indictments that brought down three elected officials in St. Louis.

Lewis Reed, Jeffrey Boyd and John Collins-Muhammad were all indicted last week on federal corruption charges. All three have resigned, which ushered Alderman Joe Vollmer temporarily into the Board of Aldermen presidency.

Here’s what was talked about during the show:

• What exactly Reed, Boyd and Collins-Muhammad were accused of doing.
• How Reed’s former colleagues are reacting to his resignation — as well as Vollmer’s ascension to the presidency.
• Why a well-connected former St. Louis County employee is also facing corruption charges and what that means for St. Louis County Executive Sam Page.
• Whether the resignation will prompt the Board of Aldermen to change its policies or the duties of individual members.

Follow Jason Rosenbaum on Twitter: @jrosenbaum 

Follow Rachel Lippmann on Twitter: @rlippmann 

Follow Kavahn Mansouri on Twitter: @KavahnMansouri

Businessman and St. Louis County resident Spencer Toder said he was driven to run for the U.S. Senate because he felt “there wasn’t a candidate in the race who was willing to do the hard work to get in front of people and make people’s lives better.”

“I decided it was the right time,” Toder said during a recent episode of Politically Speaking. “And after quite a bit of discussion, we decided that the best thing we could do to improve the quality of life for Missourians was for me to become the next U.S. Senator.”

Toder spent a number of years in the business world, including playing a part in helping the CORTEX district in St. Louis grow into an emerging tech hub.

He is one of 11 Democrats who are running to succeed U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, who is not seeking a third term. But only three candidates have either raised or given loaned themself significant amounts of money for the race — Trudy Busch Valentine, Lucas Kunce and Toder.

When asked what set him apart from the other major candidates, Toder replied that his campaign was based on “action.” He pointed to his effort to raise tens of thousands of dollars for Afghan refugees — and successfully signing up people to the state’s Medicaid program and the federal child tax credit.

“Everything we focus on in our campaign is about making the lives of Missourians better now rather than waiting until I’m in the U.S. Senate,” Toder said.

Kunce has gained attention through his impressive fundraising numbers, while Valentine, the daughter of former Anheuser Busch executive Gussie Busch, likely has the wherewithal to self fund her campaign. Toder has raised more than $430,000 for his campaign, a tally that includes his own money.

Toder said if “money was the only thing that mattered in politics, we’d be talking to President Bloomberg and Amy McGrath as our senator from Kentucky.”

Toder was referring to former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who spent hundreds of millions of dollars of his own money on his presidential bid, and McGrath, who raised millions of dollars in a fruitless campaign against Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

“And it’s important that we recognize that the most important thing: Are you electable and can you find a way to relate to voters and earn their trust?” Toder said. “So everything that I’ve focused on is earning trust.”

Supportive of Ukraine assistance 

Toder is a strong supporter of the United States providing support to Ukraine as it tries to fight back against an invasion from Russia.

He also said he would have voted for a $40 billion aid package that passed through Congress for, among other things, military and humanitarian relief.

“I think protection of democracy as a whole is a national security issue,” Toder said. “And Russia has been at war with America for 10 years, but we haven’t seen it in the same way — because it’s been largely technological and digital. And it’s incredibly important that not only do we have politicians and leaders in office who understand that level of technology, which I can promise you I do, but we’re also making sure that our allies have the resources necessary.”

While some on the left and the right have argued that spending time and money toward Ukraine’s defense is a distraction from domestic issues, Toder doesn’t find that contention particularly compelling.

“We need to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time,” Toder said. “And so if we can’t take on responsibility for managing issues like that, as well as the epidemic of gun violence and anything else that’s happened in the country, then we don’t deserve to lead.”

Backs restrictions on guns

After a gunman killed 19 students and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, Democrats such as Toder are pushing Republicans to back more stringent restrictions on guns.

Toder said it’s important to recognize when the 2nd Amendment was written, “it didn’t apply to assault rifles and it didn’t apply to weapons of war — it applied to a well regulated militia, which is not the people we’re talking about right now.”

“We’ve made it incredibly easy for people to access military grade weapons,” Toder said. “And they’re using it to literally kill our children. So we need to decide what our values are. Are our values that people should be able to have unfettered access to assault rifles — or that our children should be protected at schools?”

“To me, the answer’s easy,” he added.

Toder supports a “full ban on assault rifles and high capacity magazines,” adding that he would like to start a buyback program. He’s also supportive of so-called “red flag laws,” which set up a legal process to take away guns from people who are a danger to themselves or others.

“And you see what happens: Eighteen year olds are buying guns and going to shoot up schools the same day,” Toder said. “We can protect against that — and we know how. And we also know that the more guns on the street, the cheaper it is for people to buy guns second hand. So we need to limit the impact of that by making sure the only people who have access to guns are people who have taken classes to make sure they’re safely handling those guns.”

Supportive of abortion rights

Toder also expressed strong support of abortion rights, an issue that’s becoming more prominent with the possibility of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.

If that happens, Missouri would ban most abortions with the exception of medical emergencies. There is exception in the state’s so-called “trigger law” for people who become pregnant because of rape or incest.

Toder supports codifying Roe v. Wade in statute, which would make abortion legal in every state. He said the only way to do that is to do away with the filibuster, especially since that parliamentary maneuver prevents bills from passing without support from at least 60 senators.

“The right to choose is the right to choose,” Toder said. “And as a man, it is not my role to tell someone what they can or can’t do. And it really is about privacy to me.”

Closing racial gaps

Toder said that he would be “passionate” about expanding voting rights if he’s elected to the U.S. Senate. He said the current situation makes it less likely for Black candidates to obtain tangible political power in Congress.

“So when we get to the Senate and we check the box to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and the For the People Act, we’re going to make it more likely that Black people can get elected and they have their voice heard and they have full representation,” Toder said. “That’s something I’m deeply committed to.”

He also said that he wants to make overhauling the criminal justice system a major priority as a legislator, adding that “he’s seen discrimination firsthand that Black people in this state and this country are facing.” Toder pointed to higher rates of maternal mortality among Black people compared to white people — and how Black people have longer incarceration rates in prison.

“If you look at the number of Black people who can’t vote currently because of arrest records, it’s really unfair,” Toder said. “And we need to make sure that everyone has agency and the ability to have their voices heard. And that means that everybody should have the ability to vote.”

Follow Jason Rosenbaum on Twitter: @jrosenbaum

Follow Sarah Kellogg on Twitter: @sarahkkellogg

Follow Spencer Toder on Twitter: @SpencerToder 

Missouri Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz says he initially delayed declaring his candidacy for the state’s open U.S. Senate seat because he was waiting for a candidate who would offer what Missouri needed most in Washington.

When that candidate didn’t appear, he decided to run, he said Monday on Politically Speaking.

“I think that we have folks that are entered in this race that are looking for the next office. They’ve been running from one to the next,” Schatz said.

Schatz, R-Sullivan, is part of a crowded field vying to succeed Sen. Roy Blunt, who announced last year he would not seek reelection.

Republican candidates include Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, former Gov. Eric Greitens, U.S. Reps. Vicky Hartzler and Billy Long and attorney Mark McCloskey. Schatz is currently polling sixth.

Schatz has represented the 26th state Senate District, which includes Franklin County and part of St. Louis County, for the past eight years. During the past four, he has served as Senate president pro tem, whose responsibilities include appointing committee chairs and assigning bills to committees.

Schatz owns a telecommunications company, Schatz Underground.

With the primary Aug. 2, Republicans and Democrats now have less than two months to convince Missouri voters that they should be the candidate who moves forward to the general election in November.

Schatz talked about his candidacy as well as where he stands on national and international issues.

Ukraine aid

Schatz is in favor of continuing giving monetary and military support to Ukraine. He said providing some financial support and resources is necessary.

“I think we’re gonna have to stand in there and support them and make sure that we do it in a financially, fiscally responsible way, that the resources get to where they can be utilized in the best fashion,” Schatz said.

He also said though he didn’t feel it was a perfect piece of legislation, he would have probably supported the $40 billion package recently approved.

While Schatz’s support aligns with Blunt, it’s opposite of the position taken by Republican U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, who said the bill did not serve America’s interests.

On the argument that the United States should focus more on domestic issues as opposed to Ukraine, Schatz says it needs to be a balance, but what is happening in Ukraine is impacting areas beyond its borders.

“We have to take that into account strategically, all of the resources that are being produced outside of the United States,” Schatz said.

The U.S. economy, including inflation

Schatz said the United States first needs to get its finances in order.

One thing he thinks has caused high inflation is the Biden administration’s current energy policies, such as canceling work on the Keystone pipeline.

“We can work our way and migrate towards greener energy and opportunities, but again, shutting the pipeline down, doing some of the things that have led to these historic high gas prices has led a lot to the inflation that we’re seeing right now,” Schatz said.

Abortion rights

Missouri is one of several states with a law that would make abortion illegal in the state if the U.S. Supreme Court strikes down Roe v. Wade, a decision that could be announced any time now.

Schatz was president of the Missouri Senate when lawmakers passed that legislation, and he believes they “got it right” in 2019 and would take that same position as a U.S. senator.

The law’s ban applies to cases of rape or incest.

“It’s unfortunate that these situations occur. But choosing to end someone’s life is not an acceptable process,” Schatz said.

Gun control

With calls for gun control front and center after recent mass shootings, Schatz said that any conversation centered around prohibiting someone from having access to a gun would require a close look.

Schatz said the person, not the gun, is the issue, but he also stated that a mental illness should not impede someone from obtaining a firearm.

“I’m not sure what is the appropriate measure, when we talk about people with mental health issues, but I would be fearful that it would be used as a tool, potentially, to harm individuals,” Schatz said.

He defended the state’s Second Amendment Preservation Act, which bars state law enforcement from upholding federal gun laws that aren’t already in Missouri law. He said it was the right approach to making sure the federal government doesn’t encroach on Missourians’ right to defend themselves.

Schatz also did not support the idea of a red flag law, calling a measure that would provide a judicial path to remove firearms from someone considered a danger to others a slippery slope.

Transportation policy

Schatz touted his work on transportation within Missouri and hopes to continue that on a larger scale if elected to the Senate.

He says that from working firsthand with Blunt, he knows how important it is to have someone in Washington advocating for transportation funding.

“Infrastructure is one of the core functions that the federal government should be engaged in,” Schatz said.

He defended the passage of a gas tax increase that the state legislature approved last year, saying he could not have left the Missouri Senate in good faith without funding the state’s transportation needs.

Race relations and the police

He said there has been a breakdown in relationships with law enforcement and spoke on the need for the necessary training and resources for police officers, so they have “quality people doing the job.”

But he also said the issue of race relations and law enforcement is more suited to state or local governments, as opposed to the federal government.

“At the end of the day, it comes down to the local neighborhood, the local municipality, and how they ultimately interact with their constituents and their folks,” Schatz said.

Follow Jason Rosenbaum on Twitter: @jrosenbaum

Follow Sarah Kellogg on Twitter: @sarahkkellogg

Follow Dave Schatz on Twitter: @DaveSchatzMO

With Missouri’s Aug. 2 primary about two months away, one of the largest unanswered questions is who will be running for Missouri’s open U.S. Senate seat in November.

But in addition to that race and others for office in Washington, D.C., plenty of candidates are vying for positions in the Missouri legislature.

On this episode of Politically Speaking, Drew Dampf, executive director of the Missouri Senate Campaign Committee, which works to elect Republicans, joins the show to talk about the upcoming elections and how they shape up for the GOP.

Here’s what Dampf talked about on the show:

• The role of the committee.
• The new Missouri Senate district map, which a panel of appellate judges passed this year after a citizens commission failed to reach an agreement.
• The odds for Republican success with this new map. While some new districts, such as the 19th District in Boone County could be a Democratic pickup, others, like the 24th District in St. Louis County, could be more competitive for Republicans than previously thought.
• His thoughts on the upcoming primaries, especially in open Senate districts where there are multiple Republicans vying for the same seat.

In addition to serving on the committee, Dampf serves as chief of staff for state Sen. Dan Hegeman, R-Cosby.

Follow Sarah Kellogg on Twitter: @sarahkkellogg

Follow Jason Rosenbaum on Twitter: @jrosenbaum

Follow Drew Dampf on Twitter: @drewdampf