On the latest edition of Politically Speaking, St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies welcome back Sen. Scott Sifton to the program.
The Affton Democrat (who is now tied with state Treasurer Eric Schmitt for most appearances on the show with five) represents parts of south and central St. Louis County in the Missouri Senate.
Sifton is an attorney and former member of the Affton School Board. After an unsuccessful bid for the Missouri House in 2002, Sifton won an open seat in 2010 in a year that wasn’t kind to Missouri Democrats. Two years later, Sifton narrowly defeated incumbent Sen. Jim Lembke in one of the most competitive legislative races in the state. He won re-election in 2016 over Republican Randy Jotte.
Since joining the state Senate in 2013, Sifton has at times been a strong voice against the GOP majority. He’s participated in filibusters against major pieces of legislation. He’s also been able to get some proposals across the finish line, either through standalone bills or amendments.
Sifton, who is term-limited, nearly ran for attorney general in 2016, but chose to run for his successful re-election instead. That decision likely puts him in the mix to run for something in 2020, though he emphasized on the show that he’s focusing on helping Democrats in 2018.
Here’s what Sifton had to say during the show:
- Sifton believes that uncertainty over Gov. Eric Greitens’ future is prompting the Missouri Senate to hold off controversial legislation. In fact, the most contentious legislative battle this year was over utility legislation — which Sifton contends showcased philosophical, as opposed to partisan, divides.
- He predicts the Republican-controlled Senate has enough votes this session to require donors to politically-active nonprofits to identify themselves."I think you're going to see a concerted effort to get a dark money disclosure bill on the governor's desk this year,” he said. “And look, if he vetoes it, that's on him. We'll see what happens in September with the override vote."
- Sifton sponsored legislation increasing criminal penalties for heroin dealers. He said there’s been an uptick in overdoses throughout his district. “I get that there’s demand for it, we need to cut off the supply. It’s illegal for a reason,” he said. “And I’m sorry, heroin dealers are basically murderers. Once somebody becomes a heroin addict, the odds that it will kill them are very strong.”
- He said “it’s absolutely atrocious that any governor would leave the ethics commission without a quorum for a nanosecond.” Greitens hasn’t submitted nominees to the Missouri Ethics Commission, which can hit campaigns with penalties for campaign finance violations.
Follow Jason Rosenbaum on Twitter: @jrosenbaum
Follow Jo Mannies on Twitter: @jmannies
Follow Scott Sifton on Twitter: @scottsifton
Music: “Bring Night” by Sia
