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On the latest episode of Politically Speaking, state Rep. Melanie Stinnett discusses her entry into the Missouri General Assembly.

The Springfield Republican represents Missouri’s 133rd District, which takes in portions of Greene County. She was elected in 2022 to succeed Curtis Trent, who vacated the seat to run for the state Senate.

Here’s what Stinnett talked about on the program:

• Handling legislation that expanded Medicaid benefits for postpartum mothers. While the legislation had bipartisan support, it needed to get past lawmakers who wanted to add language prohibiting the benefit for people who received abortions.
• A bill she sponsored that expands the Ticket to Work program, which assists in providing health care benefits to people with disabilities.
• Her expectations for the 2024 session, including whether lawmakers will revisit plans to make amending the constitution more difficult.
• Whether a proliferation of Republican primary contests could harm the party’s chances at winning in the general election next year.

Stinnett is a speech pathologist who made her first bid for political office last year. The race to succeed Trent was a competitive one, with Stinnett emerging victorious by a little more than 400 votes.

While Springfield has historically leaned Republican, Democrats have found more success there in recent years — most notably in winning three seats in the House.

In addition to serving on a House committee overhauling health care, Stinnett is also a member of a committee that deals with professional licensing and registration.

With the addition of Sen. Andrew Koenig, R-Manchester, there are now three Republicans running to be Missouri’s treasurer.

The candidates include House Budget Chair Cody Smith, R-Carthage, as well as current Treasurer Vivek Malek.

Koenig believes one way he would be different from Malek would be his desire to work closely with the legislature. He cited his experience in navigating bills through the occasionally contentious Missouri Senate as something that makes him stand out.

“Anybody can filibuster in the Senate, and I have proven to build consensus,” Koenig said.

Koenig was the latest guest on “Politically Speaking.” In addition to his bid for treasurer, here’s what else he talked about on the show.

• How he manages to negotiate with senators and achieve compromises on bills within the Senate.
• The work he wants to do toward Empowerment Saving Accounts if elected treasurer.
• How his advocacy regarding tax cuts related to how he would run the treasurer’s office.
• His thoughts on Gov. Mike Parson vetoing millions of dollars from the state budget. Unlike some of his colleagues, Koenig is not upset over the vetoes.
• Why he believes state lawmakers should again attempt to make it harder to amend Missouri’s constitution.
• His support of the continued legal delays over a proposed constitutional amendment seeking to enshrine abortion rights.
• Whether he thinks much will get done in the legislative session next year.

Koenig was first elected to the Missouri House in 2008 and served four terms before winning election to the Senate in 2016.

Due to term limits, Koenig can no longer run for a position in either the House or Senate.

During a hearing of the House Children and Families Committee in October 2021, lawmakers slammed leaders of the Missouri Department of Social Services over their handling of missing foster children in the state.

A report found the department’s Children’s Division repeatedly failed to report absent kids and did little to prevent them from going missing again.

A few months after that hearing, Jefferson County Judge Darrell Missey took over as director of the division.

Rep. Hannah Kelly, R-Mountain Grove, served on the Children and Families Committee during that hearing and now serves as chair. She says while she appreciates the work Missey has done, problems remain in the Children’s Division.

On what the state can do to address those problems, Kelly sees the benefits of collaboration between the government and private entities.

“I’m saying let the state focus on the hotline, let the state focus on the investigations, let the state focus on the overall mechanism of how we implement the best outcome for these kids in crisis,” Kelly said. “But let people in the private sector have more freedom to work out the answers that are brought to the table.”

Kelly spoke on the topic on the latest episode of “Politically Speaking.” Here’s what else she talked about on the show:

• The hundreds of millions of dollars that Gov. Mike Parson vetoed from the state budget. Kelly says she believes there will be efforts to overturn some of those vetoes, though she isn’t sure of their success.
• Her support of making it harder to amend Missouri’s constitution. Kelly says she will do everything she can to encourage that conversation next session.
• Whether Missouri Republicans will try to pass further restrictions affecting transgender people in the state.
• The upcoming 2024 election cycle. Kelly is supporting Rep. Cody Smith for state treasurer.

Kelly was first elected to the House in 2016. She is about to begin her final year because of term limits. Outside of the legislature, she owns a real estate company with her sister.

State Rep. Michael Burton is the latest guest on “Politically Speaking,” where he spoke about his impressions of the 2023 legislative session.

Burton is a Lakeshire Democrat who represents the state’s 92nd District. He was first elected in 2020 and reelected in 2022. His district, which takes in a slice of south St. Louis County, is split relatively evenly between Republicans and Democrats.

Here’s what Burton discussed on the show:

• His unusual entry into electoral politics, which includes being inspired to run for the St. Louis County Council after listening to an episode of “Politically Speaking” featuring then-County Councilman Pat Dolan.
• A measure Gov. Mike Parson signed into law that could penalize people for texting while driving. Burton said the proposal doesn’t go far enough, since it only allows someone to receive a ticket if they commit another traffic offense while texting and driving.
• As a member of the House Transportation Accountability Committee, Burton talked about how some Republicans want to curb the power of the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission, which makes key decisions on which road projects get funded.
• His expectation that Republicans will try again in 2024 to put a proposal before voters making the state constitution more difficult to amend. 

Burton is a south St. Louis County native who was an actor before he got into politics. He first came into the public eye at council meetings, when he led a successful campaign to prevent the Tower Tee Golf Course in Affton from being converted into residential housing. Tower Tee is still open.

Burton ultimately decided to run against Dolan for County Council in 2018. But he dropped out of the race and endorsed eventual winner Lisa Clancy. He won the 92nd District House seat after Doug Beck vacated it to run for the state Senate.

Burton also serves on House committees dealing with conservation efforts and rural development.

Though the 2024 legislative session is more than five months away, the already ongoing election cycle is expected to make its mark on what and how much legislation will make it through both chambers next year.

Rep. Ashley Aune, D-Kansas City, says there is no doubt that the 2024 election will get in the way of policymaking next session.

Aune said she expects social issues to again rise to the top of debates next year and overshadow serious policy discussion.

The upcoming legislative session is only one of the topics Aune spoke about on the latest episode of Politically Speaking. She also discussed:

• Her reaction to Gov. Mike Parson vetoing around $555 million in the state’s budget for the fiscal year that began this July. Aune says she was disappointed in a lot of these vetoes but isn’t sure if lawmakers will try to override any of them in September.
• Parson’s veto of an omnibus bill carrying many criminal law provisions. Aune says she hopes the legislature is able to go back and pass again some of that legislation, including a provision that criminalizes celebratory gunfire.
• Whether Republican lawmakers will try again at passing a proposed ballot initiative that would make it harder to amend Missouri’s constitution.
• The 2024 Missouri governor’s race. Aune says she was thrilled to see House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, announce her candidacy for governor.
• Her decision to run for House minority leader since Quade is term-limited out of the House and the position after next year. 

Aune represents the 14th District, which includes part of the Kansas City Northland area.

She was first elected to the House in 2020 and currently serves as the Minority Whip for House Democrats. Aune has a bachelor’s degree in communication studies and owns a marketing agency in Kansas City.