Politically Speaking

U.S. Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, of Illinois’ 12th District, recently returned to Washington, D.C. after a trip to the U.S.-Mexico border, where the border patrol is struggling with an uptick in agent suicide, he said.

Many of those agents are veterans. As chairman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, Bost said that’s concerning.

More broadly, figuring out how to make the system at the border better is a tough subject, Bost said.

When an 84-year-old white man shot 16-year-old African-American Ralph Yarl in Kansas City earlier this month, people around the state and country were outraged. And now, Andrew Lester is facing felony charges.

St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum talked with Saint Louis University Law School professor Anders Walker about how Missouri’s castle doctrine and stand your ground laws likely won’t help Lester.

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft joined St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Sarah Kellogg on the latest episode of Politically Speaking to talk about a host of issues confronting his office and the state.

That includes Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s rules restricting gender-affirming care for minors and adults.

On the latest episode of Politically Speaking, Democratic U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski, whose 13th District includes a portion of the Metro East, reflects on her first 100 days in office.

On the latest episode of Politically Speaking, state Rep. Maggie Nurrenbern talks to St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Sarah Kellogg about the state budgetary process — and how Missouri lawmakers should approach education policy.

Nurrenbern represents Missouri’s 15th House District, which takes in a portion of Clay County. She was first elected in 2020 and then re-elected last year. The former teacher serves on the House Budget Committee and the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee.

Rep. Lane Roberts joins Politically Speaking for the first-time. The Joplin Republican speaks to St. Louis Public Radio's Sarah Kellogg and Jason Rosenbaum to talk about his legislation that Republicans say will reduce crime in Missouri. Included in the bill is language allowing for the governor to appoint a special prosecutor to handle violent crime cases in jurisdictions that exceed a specified murder case rate.

On the latest episode of Politically Speaking, outgoing 14th Ward Alderwoman Carol Howard discusses raising aldermanic pay, what it might take to lift a residency requirement for city employees, and how the digital age changed everything about being an alderperson.

On the latest episode of the Politically Speaking podcast, Annie Rice, the outgoing alderwoman of the 8th Ward, talks about setting up a charter commission, her political legacy, and what it was like to serve on the board.

Former Congressman Russ Carnahan was elected as Missouri Democratic Party chairman over the weekend. And the St. Louis Democrat talked with St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum about the challenges and opportunities for a party that's been in an electoral slump since 2012.

Republican-led states all over the country are passing bill restricting transgender rights, particularly the ability for minors to access health care procedures like puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and gender reassignment surgeries. But Missouri may actually pass a less restrictive version of that idea, thanks to the fact that the Missouri Senate has a tradition of a strong filibuster. St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum talks with Democratic Sen. Greg Razer of Kansas City about how the filibuster can reshape the debate over bills affecting transgender people.