State Rep. Raychel Proudie is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where she talked with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum about her first year in the Missouri House.
Proudie represents the 73rd district, which takes in St. Louis County municipalities like Ferguson, Berkeley, Kinloch, St. Ann and Hazelwood.
Proudie is a Ferguson native who received her undergraduate degree in elementary education from Grambling State University and her master’s degree in mental-health counseling from Southern University and A&M College. She also is a doctoral candidate at Grambling State.
She spent some of her classroom-teaching career in Louisiana and also served as a school counselor at the Riverview Gardens School District. She earned teaching certifications in Missouri, Illinois, Louisiana and Texas.
After mulling a bid for the Ferguson-Florissant School Board, Proudie decided to run for the 73rd seat after the incumbent, Courtney Curtis, chose not to seek re-election. She defeated Lee Smith and Floyd Blackwell in the Democratic primary, which was tantamount to election.
Since being sworn in earlier this year, Proudie was appointed as vice chairwoman of the House Urban Issues Committee. She also serves on the House committees dealing with elementary and secondary education and higher education.
Here’s what Proudie had to say during the show:
- She introduced legislation this session that would provide an avenue for people who owe child support to keep their driver’s or occupational license. Gov. Mike Parson expressed enthusiasm about this idea last fall. She said it doesn’t make much sense to make it more difficult for someone to earn money that could eventually provide financial support for children. “It seems counterintuitive to take drivers’ licenses or professional licenses from individuals who are behind on child support and strips their means of making money to pay child support,” she added.
- Proudie also talked about legislation that would make it easier for charter schools to expand throughout the state. Among other things, it would allow a charter school to appeal to the Missouri Charter School Commission if a school board rejects a proposal to move into a district.
- Proudie was opposed to a constitutional amendment widely known as Clean Missouri, which made substantial changes to how state legislative districts are drawn. She believes the language in the measure won’t prevent a demographer from reducing the percentage of black residents in legislative districts.
Follow Jason Rosenbaum on Twitter: @jrosenbaum
Follow Raychel Proudie on Twitter: @rcproudie
Music: “Back That Thang Up” by Juvenile
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