Chris McDaniel

Democratic Governor Jay Nixon hasn’t stopped advocating for Missouri to accept the federal government’s money for Medicaid expansion, in spite of state Republican lawmakers leaving it out of their proposed budget.

Nixon lobbied in St. Charles Wednesday for the state to accept $900 million to expand the program to over a quarter of a million low income adults.

Nixon has appealed throughout the state. What makes Nixon’s stop in St. Charles unique is that the area is typically conservative turf.

Updated at 2:00 p.m. with quotes from State Reps. Mike Leara (R) and Stacey Newman (D).

Lawmakers proposing gun control legislation could end up in prison under a bill introduced by a Missouri House Republican.

Rep. Mike Leara, of St. Louis County, said Tuesday that he has no illusions that his bill actually will pass and become law.

At a St. Louis community health center Friday, Republican Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri touted his plans to improve mental health services in the United States.

Blunt has introduced the “Excellence in Mental Health Act,” legislation that would, among other things, increase federal funding for community mental health centers.

Blunt says this is what he will focus on in  his response to recent mass shooting tragedies -- instead of restrictions on guns which he says are unlikely to pass.

Updated 10:03 with the Kwame Building Group's response.

In a late afternoon press conference Thursday, Board of Alderman President and mayoral candidate Lewis Reed accused incumbent Mayor Francis Slay of engaging in a "pay-to-play" system where businesses seeking construction contracts have to first make a donation to the mayor's campaign. The mayor's staff insisted that there are too many safeguards for this to even be possible.

Happy Valentine's Day from the Politically Speaking podcasters!

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.

On this week's episode: we talk about the mayoral forum and (some) of the muck in the race, the official Republican nominee in the 8th Congressional district, and Missouri legislative action with voter I.D. and the 2nd Injury Fund.

Follow Chris McDaniel on Twitter: @csmcdaniel