Segment 1: Former DESE commissioner says, "the decison to bring me back needed to be about doing what's best for the children in the state of Missouri."
Margie Vandeven served as the commissioner of education from 2015 until then-Gov. Eric Greitens manuevered to have her removed in December 2017. An interim commissioner was put in place, but Greitens resigned later because of an unrelated scandal. So when the state Board of Education began its search this year for a permanent commissioner, Vandeven was nominated and ultimately selected to return to her previous post. Today, she revealed why she wanted to come back, and what her priorities are for the more than 900,000 students served by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
- Margie Vandeven, commissioner for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, beginning Jan. 2, 2019
Segment 2, beginning at 27:14: How voter-approved changes to the Jackson County charter will affect the county legislature's work.
Jackson County voters agreed to move oversight of the COMBAT anti-drug program and the county detention center out of the hands of the county executive, and gave the legislature more control of the county counselor. At the same time, they refused four other changes, including those for term limits, pay raises and other restrictions on the county executive. A current legislator and a future one spoke to what this will mean for conducting the county business in 2019 and beyond.
- Tony Miller, Jackson County legislator, 3rd District at-large
- Jalen Anderson, Jackson County legislator-elect, 1st District at-large
