Missouri Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz, R-Sullivan, joins Politically Speaking to talk about proposed changes to Clean Missouri’s redistricting plan and other debates in the 2020 legislative session.
Schatz is helping to push legislation that would return Missouri’s political district drawing system to something closer to the state’s previous format. The new system, which relies on a nonpartisan demographer, was approved by voters in 2018. If the Missouri General Assembly reworked redistricting, voters would also have to approve the changes later this year.
Schatz said he is supporting an overhaul of Clean Missouri because he doesn’t think a nonpartisan — and unelected — demographer should be empowered to draw the state Legislature’s political boundaries. He also doesn’t believe districts should be drawn to emphasize competitiveness.
For previous reporting on this topic, go here.
Questionable gambling machines
Schatz wants to remove slot-like machines from gas stations and convenience stores across the state. He has sponsored legislation to punish businesses who have these types of machines, which have popped up across the state. He believes the machines are illegal.
For previous reporting on this topic, go here.
Removing St. Louis’ residency requirement
Schatz is sponsoring one of the bills that would remove the requirement for St. Louis police to live within the city. While Mayor Lyda Krewson supports the proposal, the Board of Aldermen is opposed to it.
The House has considered expanding the ban on residency requirements to localities statewide, meaning it would affect Kansas City as well as St. Louis. Schatz was less enthusiastic about that suggestion. He said he hadn’t heard an outcry from rank-and-file officers in Kansas City that wanted the residency requirement dropped.
For more reporting on this topic, go here.
Medicaid expansion
Schatz is opposed to Medicaid expansion, which will likely go before Missouri voters through a ballot initiative later this year. He said it would cost too much money — funding that he said would likely have to come from the state education budget.
For more information on this topic, go here.
Whether Auditor Nicole Galloway should be audited
Schatz has sponsored legislation that would require an audit of Auditor Nicole Galloway’s office sometime in 2020.
The Republican leader said there have been some discrepancies regarding audits that Galloway has conducted of offices run by Republicans, including U.S. Sen. John Hawley. Galloway, a Democrat, is running for governor. Hawley has accused her office of bias in conducting an audit of Hawley’s time running the attorney general’s office. Not much is known about the substance of the audit because it hasn’t yet been released to the public.
For more information on this story, go here.
Closing Music: “Imma Chief” by K. Dean
Follow Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz on Twitter: @DaveSchatz26
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