Author: Mark Holguin

State Rep. Ian Mackey is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where he talked about his concerns around the upcoming legislative session and the 2024 elections.

Mackey represents Missouri’s 99th House District, which takes in St. Louis County cities like Clayton, Ladue and Olivette. He was first elected to the Missouri House in 2018 and won reelection in 2020 and 2022.

Here’s what Mackey discussed on the show:

• His expectations for the 2024 session, particularly whether his GOP colleagues would try to push restrictions on adult transgender people having hormone therapy or gender transition surgery. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey issued emergency rules on that subject earlier this year but withdrew them before they went into effect.
• Why he’s not calling for GOP House Speaker Dean Plocher to step down from his post. Plocher has been under fire after the Missouri Independent reported he received House reimbursements for travel expenses that had been paid for by his campaign.
• His support of House Minority Leader Crystal Quade’s gubernatorial bid and why he’s not worried that she’s now facing Springfield businessman Mike Hamra in a Democratic primary.
• Whether a looming primary between U.S. Rep. Cori Bush and St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell will fragment the Democratic coalition that other candidates may need to rely on next year.

Mackey has a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from Westminster College and a law degree from Suffolk University in Boston.

He serves on House committees dealing with crime prevention, K-12 education and the judiciary.

St. Louis Alderwoman Daniela Velazquez is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where she discussed her first few months in office.

Velazquez represents the city’s 6th Ward, which takes in Compton Heights, Compton Hill, Shaw, Tower Grove South and portions of Dutchtown. She was first elected in April, becoming the first Latina to serve on the board.

Here’s what Velazquez talked about on the program:

• While St. Louis has roughly $250 million to spend from a settlement over the departure of the St. Louis Rams, Velazquez said it would be prudent to hold off on spending the money — especially when the city still needs to expend American Rescue Plan Act funds.
• Some of the big issues that have come before the board since she was sworn in, including regulating short-term rental properties and raising water rates for the first time in nearly a decade.
• How her colleagues are trying to provide more oversight over the corrections department and whether there’s momentum to boost pay for corrections officers.
• Velazquez is the sponsor of legislation that would fine people who file serial numbers off guns. While that’s already against federal law, Velazquez said it would show that city policymakers are trying to take tangible steps to reduce gun violence.

Velazquez spent her professional career as a journalist and communications professional. Before running for office, she worked at FleishmanHillard and the ACLU of Missouri and was a staffer for the Ferguson Commission.
She ran against former St. Louis Alderwoman and former Recorder of Deeds Jennifer Florida. Velazquez won by over 1,000 votes and will serve on the board through 2027.

For Missouri Republicans, making it harder to amend the state’s constitution will remain a priority for the upcoming session.

Rep. Adam Schwadron, R-St. Charles, agrees with his party that public policy does not belong in Missouri’s constitution. However, he also believes there need to be greater protections for statutory changes that are passed by Missouri voters.

Currently, proposed changes to Missouri’s statutes require signatures from 5% of voters in six of the state’s congressional districts to get on the ballot and then a simple majority to win.

However, statute changes mean that lawmakers can edit or undo those efforts during session. Schwadron cited a 2010 statute change that imposed greater restrictions for puppy mills as an example.

“They had the statutory change on puppy mills, and then the legislature the very next year, wiped all of that away,” Schwadron said. “And so people said, ‘Why should we bother doing the 5% signatures, when we’re already out there? Let’s do the 8% and let’s amend it to the constitution.”

Schwadron has proposed legislation that would make it harder for lawmakers to change voter-approved statutes.

“What I am calling for is, it would take three-quarters of the legislature, so far beyond any supermajority than any party holds right now, or possibly will hold,” Schwadron said. “So, it would take 75% of the House and 75% of the Senate to override any changes made by the people.”

Schwadron, who is running to become Missouri’s next secretary of state, is the latest guest on Politically Speaking. Here’s what else Schwadron talked about on the show:

• His bid for secretary of state, including what he wants to accomplish in the position.
• Whether the state should shift to counting ballots by hand instead of using machines.
• Missouri’s current two-week, no-excuse absentee voting period and if it should be expanded.
• If Republican lawmakers should push for any initiative petition changes to be on the August ballot in 2024 instead of November.
• The upcoming session, including whether having many lawmakers running for different positions will affect productivity.

Schwadron was first elected to the Missouri House of Representatives in 2020. He represents the 105th District, which includes the city of St. Charles.

Schwadron received his bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.