Segment 1, beginning at 5:07: State legislators are starting the new session the same way the 2020 session ended — with a pandemic raging throughout the state.
COVID-19 means some testimony will be delivered virtually and access to the Statehouse will be limited. But lawmakers will still be considering issues from abortion to legalizing sports betting and medical marijuana.
- House Speaker Ron Ryckman, R-78 Kansas
- Brad Cooper, editor-in-chief of the Sunflower State Journal
Segment 2, beginning at 32:39: The political future of Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley.
Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley had a tough week. His top donor bailed on him, his former mentor Sen. Jack Danforth denounced him, his publisher cancelled his book and demands for his resignation are coming from politicians and the public alike. Can Hawley survive to realize his ambition to run for president in 2024?