State Rep. LaKeySha Bosley is the latest guest on the Politically Speaking podcast. The St. Louis Democrat spoke with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum about her first year as a member of the Missouri House.
Bosley represents the 79th District, which takes in portions of north, central and south St. Louis. She was first elected to her seat in 2018.
Bosley comes from a prominent political family in St. Louis. Her father, mother and two brothers have all served in elected office. Her brother Freeman Bosley, Jr. was elected as St. Louis’ first African American mayor in the 1990s. Her father, Freeman Bosley, Sr., served on the Board of Aldermen for decades. Her brother Brandon Bosley is currently the alderman for St. Louis’ 3rd Ward. And her mother, Lucinda Frazier, is a longtime Democratic committeewoman.
When state Rep. Michael Butler decided against running for re-election to seek the recorder of deeds’ office, Bosley jumped into a crowded Democratic primary. She ended up winning her four-way primary by roughly 1,400 votes — a victory tantamount to election in the heavily Democratic district.
After she was sworn into office earlier this year, Bosley was appointed to the powerful House Budget Committee. She also was named the ranking Democratic member of the House Ways and Means Committee, which often handles tax-related legislation.
Here’s what Bosley had to say during the program:
- She talked about her advocacy for a constitutional amendment giving St. Louis and St. Louis County voters the final say over a merger. That came in the wake of the Better Together plan, which would have taken a merger plan to statewide voters.
- Even with the decision to withdraw their petition, Bosley said lawmakers should make sure that no group ever tries to place a merger proposal on the statewide ballot again. “You had all of these places that were going to vote on this issue that was specific to St. Louis and St. Louis County — and not even consider the final vote be the citizens of St. Louis City and St. Louis County,” she said. “To me, that’s just cocky.”
- Bosley also discussed legislation that would ban abortion after eight weeks — and bar the procedure completely if Roe v. Wade is overturned. She said she was “livid” that she didn’t get to speak, especially since she’s the only black woman to represent St. Louis in the House. She also noted the state’s last abortion clinic is in her district. She said the legislation sets women in Missouri back “to saying, ‘You are supposed to be seen and not heard and carry children and cook.’”
- Bosley also talked about the passage of legislation that overrode local ordinances regulating confined animal-feeding operations — and efforts to undo a new state legislative redistricting system known as Clean Missouri.
Follow Jason Rosenbaum on Twitter: @jrosenbaum
Follow LaKeySha Bosley on Twitter: @TeamBosleyMO79
Music: "Oh My God" by Ida Maria
