Politically Speaking

St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger joins Politically Speaking to talk about Better Together’s proposal to merge St. Louis and St. Louis County.

If statewide voters approve the plan next year, Stenger will become the unified government’s first “metro mayor.”  That office was designed to be powerful: A mayor in the new government can make key appointments, use a line item veto, and help appoint whoever is in charge of drawing districts for a 33-person council.

Stenger and St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson are backing the Better Together plan, which was formally unveiled late last month.  It comes as Stenger has lost some of his power as county executive after voters approved a charter amendment giving the St. Louis County Council more authority over financial matters.

Among other things, Stenger believes the reorganized government will allow for greater efficiency — and better services for roughly 1.3 million people. He’s also enthusiastic about having one police department and one municipal court serve the region, as opposed to dozens of smaller ones.

Alderwoman Megan Green, D-15th Ward, has done a lot of campaigning over the last 29 months.

Between October 2014 and April 2017, Green ran in three elections to secure a full term representing the ward, which covers parts of the Tower Grove South and Tower Grove East neighborhoods. Pretty soon after that last election, she set her sights on higher office. In the race for president, her main opponents are incumbent Lewis Reed and State Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis. (You can find Reed’s episode of Politically Speaking here, and Nasheed’s episode here.)

“I’m running for president of the Board of Aldermen basically because I feel like the status quo in our city is not working, and our city in order to move forward desperately needs some different leadership at the top of the board,” Green said.

State Rep. Raychel Proudie is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where she talked with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum about her first year in the Missouri House.

Proudie represents the 73rd House District, which takes in St. Louis County municipalities like Ferguson, Berkeley, Kinloch, St. Ann and Hazelwood.

Proudie is a Ferguson native who received her undergraduate degree in elementary education from Grambling State University and her master’s degree in mental health counseling from Southern University and A&M College. She also is a doctoral candidate at Grambling State.

Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden is the latest guest on Politically Speaking. The Columbia Republican talked with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum about the lay of the land for the 2019 legislative session.

Rowden was first elected to the Senate in 2016, winning one of the most expensive legislative races in history against Democratic Rep. Stephen Webber. He represents Boone and Cooper Counties in the Missouri Senate.

After the 2018 election cycle, Rowden was elected by his fellow Republicans as majority leader. He’s responsible for deciding which bills are brought up for debate — making him one of the more powerful lawmakers in the General Assembly.

State Sen. Jamilah Nasheed is latest guest on Politically Speaking.

The St. Louis Democrat is running against three other candidates in the March 5 contest for Board of Aldermen president. Episodes with incumbent Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed and Alderwoman Megan Green will be posted throughout the month of February.

St. Louis Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed is the latest guest on the Politically Speaking podcast. He joined St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Rachel Lippmann to talk about his re-election bid.

Reed is squaring off against three other Democratic candidates in the March 5 primary, including Sen. Jamilah Nasheed and Alderwoman Megan Green, D-15th Ward. Both Nasheed and Green have recorded Politically Speaking episodes that will air later this month.

A native of Joliet, Illinois, Reed first appeared on the local political scene in the 1990s when he was elected alderman for the 6th Ward, which includes the Midtown and Lafayette Square neighborhoods.

In 2007, he successfully challenged Board of Aldermen President Jim Shrewsbury. As board president, Reed joined the powerful Board of Estimate and Apportionment that makes most of the city’s financial decisions. He also appoints aldermanic committees and presides over meetings.

St. Louis Recorder of Deeds Michael Butler is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where he joined St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum to talk about his first few weeks on the job.

Butler was elected to the citywide office in November 2018 after defeating longtime incumbent Sharon Carpenter in a Democratic primary. His office is responsible for issuing birth and death certificates, as well as filing real estate deeds.

Before jumping into the recorder of deeds race last year, Butler served for three terms in the Missouri House. He was a member of the House Budget Committee and captured a leadership position as the Democratic Caucus Chairman.

State Rep. Dottie Bailey joins St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum to talk about her first few days as a member of the Missouri House.

The Eureka Republican represents parts of St. Louis and Franklin counties, including municipalities such as Wildwood, Pacific and Eureka.

A native of Belleville, Illinois, Bailey’s professional history is in the banking industry as an accounts manager and loan buyer. She’s been active in local politics for some time, becoming a part of the St. Louis area Tea Party movement.

House Minority Leader Crystal Quade joined St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum as the latest guest on Politically Speaking.

The Springfield Democrat was elected as minority leader late last year, succeeding former Rep. Gail McCann Beatty of Kansas City. Quade was first elected to the House in 2016 to represent part of Springfield.

After the 2018 election cycle, Quade is the only Democrat to represent a district that’s south of Interstate 70. She’s noted that her district is relatively competitive, as much of the terrain was represented by a GOP lawmaker from 2010 to 2012.

House Speaker Elijah Haahr is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where he talked with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum about what to expect during the 2019 legislative session.

The Springfield Republican was elected as House speaker on Wednesday. His caucus will have a chance to accomplish a lot, since the GOP holds commanding supermajorities in both of the General Assembly’s legislative chambers.

An attorney, Haahr was first elected to his post in 2012 to represent a part of Springfield in the Missouri House. He quickly rose up the ranks, eventually being selected to chair the House General Laws Committee and being elected as House speaker pro tem.