Chris McDaniel

In a new report Wednesday, Missouri received a lackluster grade on its infrastructure. Citing “pressing issues,” the American Society of Civil Engineers graded Missouri as a C- overall.

Missouri’s Speaker of the House, Republican Tim Jones of Eureka, said it proves several goals of the just-ended legislative session were worth focusing on.

In our first Politically Speaking before a live audience, Jo Mannies and Jason Rosenbaum of the St. Louis Beacon join St. Louis Public Radio's Marshall Griffin and Chris McDaniel to discuss everything Missouri legislature related.

In part one of our show, we discuss our key takeaways from the 2013 session, and what we predict will be contentious issues come September's veto-session.

And in part two, we open it up to audience questions, discussing everything from education committee reassignments to energy to ethics changes.

Nice restaurants in Jefferson City should be sad to see the Missouri Legislative session end. They’ve received tens of thousands of dollars worth of business from lobbyists courting Missouri’s legislators over dinners and drinks.

Who were the legislators taken out for expensive meals? Well, in many cases, we don’t really know.

Democratic Governor Jay Nixon took part in a groundbreaking ceremony in Chesterfield Monday, where Reinsurance Group of America announced it is bringing 300 new jobs the area.

Republicans in the Missouri General Assembly passed a bill this year that would cut income taxes – aimed at attracting more businesses and competing with nearby states like Kansas.

Nixon will now have to decide whether to sign or veto the bill. But he told reporters afterward that drastic changes like the tax cut are bad for business.

Note: Next week, we will be having a live recording of the podcast to wrap-up the legislative session, and to take questions from listeners. If you're interested in attending, you can find more information about the event here.

Every week, St. Louis Public Radio’s Chris McDaniel joins the St. Louis Beacon’s Jo Mannies and Jason Rosenbaum to talk about the week’s politics.