Government, Politics & Issues

Politically Speaking: On Red-Light Cameras, Conversion Therapy And Missouri’s DC Delegation

St. Louis Public Radio | By Julie O'Donoghue,

Published December 13, 2019 at 4:52 PM CST

A judge has thrown out the city of St. Louis' ordinance that allows the use of red light cameras. — The city of St. Louis is considering bringing back red-light cameras.

In this week’s Politically Speaking news roundup, St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Julie O’Donoghue discuss St. Louis' proposal to bring back red-light cameras, the city’s ban on “conversion therapy” for minors and how Missouri’s delegation is handling President Trump’s impeachment.

St. Louis Public Radio’s Kae Petrin and the Kansas City Star’s D.C. correspondent, Bryan Lowry, join the podcast for some of these conversations.

Here’s a rundown of some of the details:

The city is looking at bringing back red-light cameras, which it contends would make the city safer. But Petrin says studies in other cities have shown that such measures don’t necessarily improve safety. Some people speculate that bringing the red-light cameras back might be more about finding another source of revenue for the city. The move has also produced a backlash in St. Louis County, where Councilman Tim Fitch, a Republican, recently proposed a ban on red-light cameras in reaction to the city’s discussion around implementing them again.
The city is also looking to ban “conversion therapy” programs that are often used to try to change LGBTQ identification. The programs have been debunked by psychological experts. One gay alderman also said these programs could be emotionally damaging to children who are forced to go through them.
We talk about what we are hearing — and what we aren’t hearing — from members of the Missouri delegation on impeachment. Also, we discuss what role Sen. Roy Blunt will take once the impeachment process moves to the upper chamber. Blunt, as chairman of the Senate Rules Committee, will likely be heavily involved, Lowry said.

In our final segment, the hosts look back on memorable political speeches they have witnessed. Rosenbaum focused on a speech given during the final Ferguson Commission meeting, and O’Donoghue talks about Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal’s speech in which he announced he was dropping out of the 2016 presidential race.

Outgoing Music: “A Change Is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke