Statehouse Blend Missouri

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 Corlew in a June 5 special election could speak volumes about the mood of the electorate at a turbulent time. Host Brian Ellison moderated a candidate forum on May 10, co-sponsored by KCUR and the League of Women Voters. This episode provides

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 up to speed with Bryan Lowry of the Kansas City Star. And even as legislators call a special session to consider impeachment, they march on with the state budget and other bills unrelated to gubernatorial scandals. House Democratic Caucus Secretary Rep. DaRon McGee of

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 his investigations. In this episode, host Brian Ellison takes an early look at the 2018 race. He talks with KCUR's Erica Hunzinger about Hawley's history and present entanglement with the

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 in Missouri? Host Brian Ellison welcomed Rep. T.J. Berry, a Kearney Republican, and Rep. Jon Carpenter, a Gladstone Democrat, and an audience of 75 for a live taping of the podcast April 19 in Kansas City.

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 may be in jeopardy. In this episode, host Brian Ellison and KCUR editor Erica Hunzinger unpack the report's details. We also hear from two lawmakers, Republican Rep. Kevin Corlew and House Democratic Floor Leader Gail McCann Beatty, who

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 abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Host Brian Ellison talks with the bill's sponsor, Rep. Donna Lichtenegger , and KCUR's health editor, Dan Margolies , to put the legislation in the broader context of Missouri abortion law and the numerous court challenges it continues

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, social services ... and everything else. But how does that work, especially when lawmakers don't share the vision of the governor, whose proposal is their starting place and who ultimately has to implement whatever priorities they set? Host Brian Ellison talks about the process

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 investigations of Governor Eric Greitens. Joining host Brian Ellison with analysis and predictions are KCUR's Erica Hunzinger, the Kansas City Star's Bryan Lowry and Missourinet's Alisa Nelson. Subscribe to Statehouse Blend Missouri, and stay up to date with the latest news from the Missouri

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 Tem Elijah Haahr , a Republican representative from Springfield, about how his 429-page plan can call itself "revenue-neutral." Subscribe to Statehouse Blend Missouri, and stay up to date with the latest news from the Missouri General Assembly: iTunes , Google Play ,

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. Host Brian Ellison talks with a member of that committee, Rep. Gina Mitten of St. Louis. The Assistant Minority Floor Leader and ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, Mitten describes the uncertainty of creating a process for an

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. In this episode of Statehouse Blend Missouri, host Brian Ellison speaks with two Kansas City — Kevin Corlew, a Republican, and Democrat Greg Razer — who both served on the 21st Century Missouri Transportation System Task Force. The

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 consent and transmitting it in a way it could be accessed by computer. Two lawmakers, one Republican and one Democrat, tell us why Greitens will have difficulty governing now and why they think he should resign. Guests: Rep. Kevin Corlew, R-Kansas City; Chair,

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 first time since 2008. We also meet the Democrat they elected, Rep.-Elect Mike Revis, a 27-year-old first-time candidate from Fenton, Mo. And we talk with political science professor Patrick Miller about how much we should read into special election results like these.

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 of legislating, which she says is a full-time job, not to mention the political turmoil of her first month in office. In her first visit to Statehouse Blend Missouri , Washington talks about proposed cuts to higher education funding, the

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 frequently clashed with Governor Eric Greitens, and in this Statehouse Blend Missouri "exit interview," Silvey acknowledges that the governor may have nominated him partly to eliminate a "thorn in the side."