State Rep. Dan Shaul joined St. Louis Public Radio’s Julie O’Donoghue and Jason Rosenbaum on the latest edition of Politically Speaking.
The Imperial Republican represents the 113th District in the Missouri House. That takes in a portion of northern Jefferson County, particularly parts of Arnold, Imperial and Barnhart.
Here’s what Shaul talked about during the program:
- Shaul is the chairman of the Special Interim Committee on Gaming. That committee held hearings over the summer on the proliferation of gaming machines in truck stops and gas stations — and the expansion of sports betting.
- Shaul noted that the casinos and companies that create the gaming machines have very different perspectives about what the Legislature should do. The so-called “gray machines” don’t have to pay taxes that machines in casinos transmit to the state — resulting in tens of millions of dollars in lost revenue.
- He also delved into the complications of legalizing sports betting in Missouri, including who is in charge of making sure data about sports games are accurate.
- Shaul also discussed House Majority Leader Rob Vescovo’s statement that the GOP-controlled House won’t be pushing for gun control laws in 2020. Vescovo’s sentiments matter quite a bit since he controls what goes up for debate on the House floor.
Shaul was first elected to the Missouri House in 2014, a year when a slew of Republicans managed to win seats in Jefferson County. Since his first win, Shaul has won re-election by increasingly wider margins as Jefferson County gravitated more to the Republican Party.
In addition to his legislative duties, Shaul is the executive director of the Missouri Grocers Association. Before he started working in the grocery industry, Shaul served in the Air Force.
The podcast is sponsored by the St. Louis-based law firm of Capes Sokol.
Follow Julie O’Donoghue on Twitter: @jsodonoghue
Follow Jason Rosenbaum on Twitter: @jrosenbaum
Music: “Somebody I Used To Know (1988 Version)” by Goyte
