Missouri’s Senate minority leader sees both the campaign ambitions of legislators and the task of redistricting as factors that will shape how the 2022 session goes.
On the latest edition of Politically Speaking, Senate Minority Leader John Rizzo spoke with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Sarah Kellogg on how the once-a-decade task of redistricting and the 2022 election are likely to overshadow the upcoming legislative session.
Rizzo is a Democrat whose district includes Independence, Sugar Creek and parts of Kansas City. Voters reelected him to serve in the Senate in 2020.
Here’s what Rizzo talked about on the show:
- His expectations for the upcoming legislative session. Rizzo believes the 2022 election will create a desire for candidates to garner media attention and create attention-grabbing legislation.
- Opportunities for bipartisan cooperation. One area where Rizzo sees a possibility to work across the aisle is in developing a “Parents’ Bill of Rights,” which is legislation he has already filed for the upcoming session.
- The budget for the coming year, including how to spend billions of dollars from the federal government in COVID-19 relief and infrastructure funding, and whether he thinks Medicaid expansion will be a point of contention in the Senate.
- Missouri’s mitigation strategies against COVID-19 and how a lack of a statewide mandate affects the state’s ability to fight the pandemic.
Rizzo was first elected to represent District 11 in the Senate in 2016. Prior to his work in the Senate, he served in the House from 2010 until 2016. Outside of his duties as a lawmaker, Rizzo is a marketing consultant.
Follow Jason Rosenbaum on Twitter: @jrosenbaum
Follow Sarah Kellogg on Twitter: @sarahkkellogg
Follow Sen. John Rizzo on Twitter: @JohnJRizzo
