Statehouse Blend Missouri

By KCUR Studios

What's Statehouse Blend Missouri about?

Statehouse Blend Missouri is an insider look at Missouri politics and government. Each week, host Brian Ellison welcomes Missouri legislators, advocates, experts and analysts to the podcast to talk policy and politics and to offer a glimpse into the workings of the General Assembly. We also round up the latest news from Jefferson City.

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Statehouse Blend Missouri episodes:

01.08.2020
Guns, Gambling And The Gas Tax: Previewing The 2020 Missouri Legislative Session
The 2020 session of the Missouri General Assembly, which convenes Wednesday, promises the usual array of legislative wrangling and partisan bickering — all with an election looming in November. In this episode of Statehouse Blend Missouri, we bring you a...
05.21.2019
The 2019 Missouri Legislative Session Recap: GOP Wins Big On Abortion, Economic Development
In this very special episode of KCUR’s Statehouse Blend Missouri podcast, we joined forces with St. Louis Public Radio’s Politically Speaking podcast to round up the 2019 session of the Missouri General Assembly.
04.17.2019
Missouri Auditor Nicole Galloway Discusses The State Budget, Putnam County Hospitals
Missouri Auditor Nicole Galloway ’s been busy, looking into Clay County’s finances, the attorney general’s office and raising questions about the state’s tax revenues and budget issues. She sat down with KCUR's Samuel King on April 15 (Tax Day) to...
04.04.2019
Missouri Rep. Robert Sauls On Changing Criminal Justice Laws
Before getting into the Missouri House, Democrat Robert Sauls was a prosecutor, a public defender and a military lawyer. Perhaps it's no surprise, then, that he has focused on criminal justice reform in his first term, cosponsoring bills that seek...
03.06.2019
Freshman State Rep. Ashley Bland Manlove On The Budget, LGBTQ Issues
Missouri state Rep. Ashley Bland Manlove is the granddaughter and niece of state lawmakers, but she’s already making her own mark two months into her first term.
02.07.2019
Will Sports Betting Be Missouri's Answer To Shrinking Revenue?
Missouri's budget director announced this week that revenues are down 7 percent compared to last year. While that may change as more people file their taxes, lawmakers are looking for new ways to bring in money while faced with tax...
01.24.2019
Missouri Sen. Dan Hegeman On The 2019 State Budget, Transportation Funding
Missouri Republicans have a firm grip on the state legislature, but among the party’s leadership roles, only one is filled by someone near Kansas City.
01.09.2019
Statehouse Blend Missouri: Rep. DaRon McGee On The 2019 Legislative Session
The Missouri General Assembly convenes this week and Republicans are still in charge, with supermajorities largely unaffected by the 2018 election. They’re united with Gov. Mike Parson, who's a decidedly less controversial leader than predecessor Eric Greitens, who resigned in...
10.29.2018
An End to Gerrymandering? Missouri's 2018 Ballot Questions
Midterm elections are just around the corner, but much of Missouri's ballot is covered with pot — and redistricting, ethics rules, a gas tax and a minimum wage increase. Ballot questions join the U.S. Senate race as the big-ticket items...
10.05.2018
'Dark Money' Pours Into Missouri
The influence of money in today's politics is undeniable, in Missouri and everywhere else. We explore campaign contributions, PACs, "dark money" groups and more, not only in big races like the U.S. Senate race between Claire McCaskill and Josh Hawley,...
08.24.2018
A Wild Political Year Races Toward November
The final slog to the November elections is underway, and Missouri's already wild political year holds the possibility of getting wilder yet. As Democrat Jason Kander pivots from the state and national stage to a Kansas City mayoral run, we...
05.22.2018
Session Scorecard: GOP Agenda Wins
As the 2018 legislative session careened to an end, we took stock of what legislation passed, what didn't pass, and what was allowed to quietly pass away. It turns out that with all eyes on the accusations against Gov. Eric...
05.14.2018
Battle For A Senate Seat In A Swing District
Missouri Reps. Lauren Arthur and Kevin Corlew are fighting over an exceedingly rare prize in Missouri politics: an open Senate seat in a district that doesn't have a clear partisan leaning. Whether voters choose the Democratic Arthur or the Republican...
05.08.2018
The Second Greitens Report
Another week, another raft of bad news for Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens. A new report details his use of a charity donor list for campaign fund-raising and the possibility he lied about it to the state ethics commission. We get...
04.30.2018
How A Governor’s Scandals May Shift The U.S. Senate
Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley seems headed for the Republican nomination to challenge incumbent U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill this fall. But Hawley's path has been made rougher by his complicated relationship with Gov. Eric Greitens—fellow Republican, fellow first-time-officeholder—and subject of...
04.24.2018
The Search For Common Ground On Guns
As students rally nationwide for more gun regulation, Missouri legislators are considering — and advancing — several bills to make firearms more legal, for more people, in more places. What underlies the enduring, and seemingly intractable, divide on gun laws...
04.12.2018
The Greitens Report
On Wednesday, a Missouri House committee released an explosive report about an affair Gov. Eric Greitens has admitted having with his former hairdresser in 2015. Many lawmakers have called the details of that report "disturbing" and Greitens’ future as governor...
04.09.2018
Missouri's Constant Abortion Debate
In some states, abortion is on the agenda just about every year. Missouri is one of those states, and it is one where efforts to regulate or restrict abortion are often successful. Last week, the House passed a bill banning...
04.02.2018
How To Spend 28 Billion Dollars
The Missouri House has approved its budget for the 2018 fiscal year, and the ball is now in the Senate's court. It's no small thing getting all the numbers to add up to pay for transportation, K-12 and higher education,...
03.26.2018
Midterm Evaluation: Everything's Coming Up Greitens
As the Missouri General Assembly takes a spring break, we take a look at the term so far and what's left to be done. But like everyone else, we have a hard time talking about anything but the indictment and...
03.12.2018
How 429 Pages Could Change Your Tax Bill
Ever since Congress passed major changes to U.S. tax policy, Missouri leaders have been mulling their own changes to the state tax code that might leave your tax bill looking very different next year. We talk with House Speaker Pro...
03.05.2018
Uncharted Territory
Missouri's last impeachment proceeding was in 1994, and it's never happened with a governor. That could change this year as a House committee begins an investigation of Gov. Eric Greitens following his indictment on a felony invasion of privacy charge....
02.26.2018
The Rough Road to Funding Missouri's Highways And Bridges
In these politically divided times, one topic with bipartisan agreement in this year's Missouri legislative session is the need for investing more in transportation and infrastructure. But debate persists on how much investment, and where the money should come from....
02.23.2018
Lawmakers Call On Greitens To Resign
On Thursday, a St. Louis grand jury indicted Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens on a felony charge of invasion of privacy. The Republican is accused of taking a nude photograph of a woman—with whom he has acknowledged having an affair—without her...
02.12.2018
Flipped
This week on Statehouse Blend Missouri , we meet the eastern Missouri district that supported Donald Trump with 61% of the vote in 2016, but in a special election last week elected a Democrat to the Missouri House for the...
01.28.2018
Quite A First Month On The Job: Kansas City's Newest Missouri State Representative
Last November, Rep. Barbara Anne Washington became the newest legislator to represent Kansas City in the Missouri General Assembly. An attorney and former journalist, she has long been engaged with politics, but nothing could have prepared her for the onslaught...
01.22.2018
Ryan Silvey, Now Out of Missouri Senate, Decries Political Scene 'Like A Reality Show'
Just days into the 2018 legislative session, after 13 years of service in the General Assembly, Kansas City Republican Senator Ryan Silvey was out of the statehouse and beginning a six-year term on the Missouri Public Service Commission. Silvey had...
01.15.2018
So What Now? Missouri Lawmakers Chart A Path Forward
Missouri government is still reeling after a week that saw the State of the State address overshadowed by a report by KMOV in St. Louis that Governor Eric Greitens, a Republican, had an affair with an unnamed woman, as revealed...
01.08.2018
Loyal Opposition: Democrats Name Ethics, Education As Top Priorities
It's a Republican season in the Missouri General Assembly. The GOP controls the House and Senate with veto-proof majorities, and Republican Governor Eric Greitens is working hard to advance a conservative agenda. But Democrats press on, seeking to influence legislation...
12.30.2017
Looking Back, Looking Ahead: Missouri's Governor Redefines Normal
The year 2017 saw the transformation of a relatively unknown outsider into a globe-trotting governor who might just be the most interesting man in Missouri. Division abounded in Jefferson City; sometimes even among the various Republicans who dominate the House,...
12.02.2017
Accessible? Affordable? Missouri's Health Care Challenges
Over the past decade, few issues have occupied as prominent and contentious a spot on the national stage—and in Missouri—as health care. It's not just about politics: Debates in the General Assembly, actions by past and present governors and oversight...
10.26.2017
Candidate Forum: Cierpiot, Shields, Turk Face Off in Missouri Senate District 8
There are only a few legislative races this November, but one of the most dynamic—and expensive—is taking place in eastern Jackson County. The Majority Floor Leader of the Missouri House Mike Cierpiot was considered a likely choice to succeed fellow...
09.17.2017
Making Money Appear: After Veto, What's Next For Disabled Care In Missouri?
Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens vetoed six bills passed by the Missouri General Assembly this year, and this week the legislators had their annual chance to override those vetoes and get their way anyway. In the end, the number of vetoes...
08.28.2017
What Happened To Funding For Senior And Disabled Missourians?
Why are thousands of Missourians losing state funding for nursing home or in-home health care this week? On this episode, we discuss how that funding was salvaged—and then lost again. And one legislator shares her ideas for how to get...
07.23.2017
Missouri's Abortion Debate And The Special Session
The Missouri Senate is scheduled to debate a bill this week that would add new regulations for clinics providing abortions. Its supporters, including Gov. Eric Greitens, say these will protect the health and safety of Missouri women, but abortion rights...
07.03.2017
Extra Shot: Greitens Cuts Higher Education Funding, Tax Credits For Seniors
Governor Eric Greitens had a busy afternoon last Friday, June 30. He signed a major change to employment law, making it much harder for a fired employee to prove a discrimination case. He vetoed a bipartisan compromise that would have...
06.19.2017
A Not-So-Extraordinary Session
Back in February, St. Louis passed a law that some say placed too many restrictions on anti-abortion crisis pregnancy centers. In April, a federal judge struck down many of Missouri's restrictive regulations on abortion clinics. And last week, Gov. Eric...
06.04.2017
Exit Interview: Kansas City Rep. Randy Dunn
One Missouri lawmaker who won't be back for any special sessions this summer is Kansas City's Randy Dunn; the representative resigned last week to begin a new job in Omaha. Dunn was a triple minority in the Missouri General Assembly:...
05.27.2017
Are Communities Of Color Being Heard In Missouri's Capitol?
At the end of the 2017 legislative session, we took the podcast on the road to ask an important question: are Kansas City's communities of color being heard in Jefferson City? This podcast was recorded live at the Metropolitan Missionary...
05.21.2017
Kansas City: Winner Or Loser In This Year's Legislative Session?
Kansas City is the largest city in Missouri. But sometimes, it feels like its interests aren't at the forefront of the discussion in Jefferson City. Two former Missouri legislators turned Kansas City council members talk about how the city's priorities...
05.13.2017
The Session Grinds To Its Bitter End ... For Now
The 2017 Missouri regular legislative session ended Friday with a lot of tension and a few results. On this week's episode, a team of reporters explore the session's most significant outcomes and biggest political stories. They ask what business went...
05.07.2017
Does Missouri Government Need A Reset?
This year's legislative session has seen its fair share of political infighting and personal squabbles among legislators. Gov . Eric Greitens has tangled with more than one legislator, and a non-profit established to support his agenda even published a senator's...
04.30.2017
Fully Funding Missouri Schools ... Finally
As the Missouri General Assembly heads into the last two weeks of the 2017 legislative session, there’s a lot left on the agenda, and little of it is without controversy: a prescription drug monitoring program, REAL ID, abortion restrictions and...
04.14.2017
The Senator And The Shingle-Maker: Allegations Of Pay-For-Play
Did Missouri Senate President Pro Tem Ron Richard sponsor a bill to help a Joplin business avoid a costly lawsuit in exchange for hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign donations? In back -to- back interviews on Statehouse Blend Missouri...
04.10.2017
Building A Budget, One Debate At A Time
As a House-approved $27.8 billion state budget heads to the Senate, we sit down with Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chair Ryan Silvey to talk about who wins and who loses in this proposal and the process for crafting a budget....
04.01.2017
Statehouse Blend Missouri LIVE! In Liberty
Rep. Mark Ellebracht, D-Liberty , and Rep. T.J. Berry, R-Kearney , joined Statehouse Blend Missouri for a live taping in a neighborhood that straddles their two districts. They talked about campaign finance reform, the prospect for Real ID legislation and...
03.26.2017
Unfinished Business: The General Assembly At Mid-Session
What has happened in the Missouri General Assembly this legislative session, what does it mean and what might happen before the end of session? Missouri political reporters Bryan Lowry and Jason Rosenbaum hash out the mid-session winners and losers in...
03.13.2017
Dark Money In The Capital
A New Missouri Inc., a recently founded nonprofit with ties to Republican Gov. Eric Greitens, has Sen. John Rizzo, D-Kansas City , worried about financial transparency and wondering how Democrats can keep up. Subscribe to Statehouse Blend Missouri, and stay...
03.06.2017
Asking For Transparency
Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens has been traveling around the country conducting state business and freshman Rep. Greg Razer, D-Kansas City , wants to know who's paying for those trips. Subscribe to Statehouse Blend Missouri, and stay up to date with...
02.25.2017
Show Me: The Money
Syria, Iran, Sudan—Missouri’s State Treasurer Eric Schmitt doesn’t want any of your tax dollars going to these countries. He joins us this week to talk about his plan to keep investment dollars out of the hands of state sponsors of...

What's Statehouse Blend Missouri about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Statehouse Blend Missouri episodes:

Guns, Gambling And The Gas Tax: Previewing The 2020 Missouri Legislative Session

The 2019 Missouri Legislative Session Recap: GOP Wins Big On Abortion, Economic Development

Missouri Auditor Nicole Galloway Discusses The State Budget, Putnam County Hospitals

Missouri Rep. Robert Sauls On Changing Criminal Justice Laws

Freshman State Rep. Ashley Bland Manlove On The Budget, LGBTQ Issues

Will Sports Betting Be Missouri's Answer To Shrinking Revenue?

Missouri Sen. Dan Hegeman On The 2019 State Budget, Transportation Funding

Statehouse Blend Missouri: Rep. DaRon McGee On The 2019 Legislative Session

An End to Gerrymandering? Missouri's 2018 Ballot Questions

'Dark Money' Pours Into Missouri

A Wild Political Year Races Toward November

Session Scorecard: GOP Agenda Wins

Battle For A Senate Seat In A Swing District

The Second Greitens Report

How A Governor’s Scandals May Shift The U.S. Senate

The Search For Common Ground On Guns

The Greitens Report

Missouri's Constant Abortion Debate

How To Spend 28 Billion Dollars

Midterm Evaluation: Everything's Coming Up Greitens

How 429 Pages Could Change Your Tax Bill

Uncharted Territory

The Rough Road to Funding Missouri's Highways And Bridges

Lawmakers Call On Greitens To Resign

Flipped

Quite A First Month On The Job: Kansas City's Newest Missouri State Representative

Ryan Silvey, Now Out of Missouri Senate, Decries Political Scene 'Like A Reality Show'

So What Now? Missouri Lawmakers Chart A Path Forward

Loyal Opposition: Democrats Name Ethics, Education As Top Priorities

Looking Back, Looking Ahead: Missouri's Governor Redefines Normal

Accessible? Affordable? Missouri's Health Care Challenges

Candidate Forum: Cierpiot, Shields, Turk Face Off in Missouri Senate District 8

Making Money Appear: After Veto, What's Next For Disabled Care In Missouri?

What Happened To Funding For Senior And Disabled Missourians?

Missouri's Abortion Debate And The Special Session

Extra Shot: Greitens Cuts Higher Education Funding, Tax Credits For Seniors

A Not-So-Extraordinary Session

Exit Interview: Kansas City Rep. Randy Dunn

Are Communities Of Color Being Heard In Missouri's Capitol?

Kansas City: Winner Or Loser In This Year's Legislative Session?

The Session Grinds To Its Bitter End ... For Now

Does Missouri Government Need A Reset?

Fully Funding Missouri Schools ... Finally

The Senator And The Shingle-Maker: Allegations Of Pay-For-Play

Building A Budget, One Debate At A Time

Statehouse Blend Missouri LIVE! In Liberty

Unfinished Business: The General Assembly At Mid-Session

Dark Money In The Capital

Asking For Transparency

Show Me: The Money