Politically Speaking

U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer threw a bit of a curve to Missouri’s already crowded primary season when he announced he wouldn’t run for another term. The St. Elizabeth Republican hasn’t been shy about expressing his disdain about high-profile infighting within his party, culminating in Kevin McCarthy’s ouster as speaker and a marathon melodrama to pick his replacement. But Luetkemeyer stressed his decision to retire after 16 years is based on a legitimate desire to stop working. “I’m going to be 72 years old in May. And so people ask me about my health … is that the reason I'm retiring? I say: ‘No, my health is good. That's why I'm retiring,’” Luetkemeyer said in a wide-ranging interview.

U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt has more experience as a Missouri state senator than a U.S. senator, but after his first year in Washington, he says he’s seen a big difference with how Congress handles government funding. During a wide-ranging interview Friday on The Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air, the Missouri Republican discussed the latest budget standoff. If Congress doesn’t act in the next week, there could be a government shutdown. Schmitt said he doesn’t like how his colleagues don’t vote on multiple bills funding the federal government, which is the standard for Missouri.

On the latest episode of Politically Speaking, St. Louis County Councilwoman Kelli Dunaway expounds on her decision to not run for another term this year. The Chesterfield Democrat represents the council’s 2nd District, which includes municipalities like St. Ann, Maryland Heights, Creve Coeur, Bridgeton and Hazelwood. She was first elected to her post in a 2019 special election and won a full four-year term in 2020.

The Independence Democrat joins St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum to talk about helping the state's child abuse investigators — and whether the 2024 session deserves its low expectations.

The St. Louis Board of Aldermen went through a major political and structural transformation in 2023. On “The Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air,” St. Louis Board of Aldermen President Megan Green talked about some of the highlights of the past year and what to expect from her aldermanic colleagues in 2024. This interview was recorded on Dec. 18, 2021.

Missouri’s attorney general is intervening in a highly-publicized legal fight between billionaire Elon Musk and a left-leaning media watchdog group documenting antisemitic content on his social media platform. Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced last week he’s initiating an investigation against Media Matters for America, a Washington, D.C.-based group that writes articles critical of conservative media outlets and personalities. Media Matters also showcased some of the alleged deficiencies of Musk’s stewardship of X, the new name for Twitter, including how extremist accounts were thriving on X.

State Rep. Keri Ingle, D-Lee's Summit, joins STLPR's Sarah Kellogg and Jason Rosenbaum on the latest episode of Politically Speaking. Ingle provided her thoughts about what to expect for the legislature's 2024 session — and Democratic prospects for next year's election cycle.

St. Louis Public Radio's senior environmental reporter Kate Grumke talks with U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley about the next steps now that a proposal compensating St. Louis area residents who became sickened due to radioactive waste exposure isn't in a critical national defense bill.

State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick returns to Politically Speaking to talk with St. Louis Public Radio’s Sarah Kellogg and Jason Rosenbaum about his first year in office. Fitzpatrick became state auditor earlier in January after winning election to the post over Democrat Alan Green. He previously served as state treasurer and also was House Budget Committee chairman when he was a member of the Missouri House.

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.

As he prepares to accept the Stan Musial Lifetime Achievement Award for Sportsmanship on Saturday at the Musial Awards, former U.S. Sen. Bill Bradley said his family and teachers in Crystal City taught him “discipline, selflessness, courage, imagination and responsibility.” “And the more you succeed, the more fuel that provides to the fire — and the harder you work,” Bradley said on The Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air. “And so, some people say that's the origin of my workaholism. But it's also the origin of the way you make your way through life.”

St. Louis Alderwoman Daniela Velázquez is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where she joined St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Rachel Lippmann to discuss her first few months in office. Velázquez 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 to her post in 2023, and became the first Latina ever to serve on the Board of Aldermen.

Missouri House Rep. Adam Schwadron, is the latest guest on Politically Speaking. The St. Charles Republican is running to be Missouri's next Secretary of State. He joins St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum to speak on his candidacy and offer his thoughts on the upcoming session.

Missouri House Majority Leader Jon Patterson is slated to become speaker in 2025 — and he’s receiving more attention this week after current House Speaker Dean Plocher became embroiled in a controversy over his expense reimbursements. In the debut episode of the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air, STLPR Political Correspondent Jason Rosenbaum talks with Plocher. STLPR statehouse and politics reporter Sarah Kellogg for analysis, and we open up the mailbag to answer listener questions about local government and politics.

State Rep. Ken Waller is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where the Herculaneum Republican talked about his first year in the Missouri House. Waller is a longtime county official who was elected to Missouri’s 114th District last year. The district includes Pevely, Herculaneum and Festus.

State Rep. Mike Haffner is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where the Pleasant Hill Republican talked about efforts to curtail some foreign-based companies from owning Missouri agricultural land.

State Rep. Mark Matthiesen, R-O'Fallon, talks with STLPR's Jason Rosenbaum and Sarah Kellogg about his journey back to the Missouri House, compensating people who have become sickened due to nuclear waste exposure, and how to tackle rising personal property tax bills effectively.

Rep. Peter Merideth joins St. Louis Public Radio's Sarah Kellogg and Jason Rosenbaum to discuss why the Missouri Legislature has yet to pass legislation on gun control in the almost year since the shooting at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School. Additionally, the St. Louis Democrat shares his opinions on this year's budget, the current examining of earnings and personal property taxes by a House committee and Republicans' effort to make it harder to amend Missouri's constitution.

State Sen. Tracy McCreery is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where the St. Louis County Democrat spoke with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Sarah Kellogg about her first year in office. McCreery represents Missouri’s 24th District, which includes cities such as Kirkwood, Sunset Hills, Valley Park and Creve Coeur. Before getting elected to her post in 2022, McCreery served two stints in the Missouri House: The first was for roughly a year in 2012. The second was from 2015 to 2023.

State Rep. Jim Murphy, R-St. Louis County, joins STLPR's Sarah Kellogg and Jason Rosenbaum to talk about veto session, a committee examining the earnings tax, and what to expect during the 2024 legislative session.