Politics

Scott Sifton, a former Democratic Missouri state senator, announced plans Monday to run for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Republican Roy Blunt.

The environmental lawyer, who lives in south St. Louis County, made the announcement Monday in a video released on social media.

“Missouri needs a senator who promotes truth, not conspiracy theories. And equality, not hate. A senator who trusts science instead of denying it,” Sifton said during his minute-and-a-half video, hitting on talking points of those critical of former President Donald Trump and his allies.

Right around the time he was sworn in as speaker of the Missouri House, Rod Jetton invited a number of former occupants of the office to dinner.

While speaking to former Democratic Speakers Kenneth Rothman and Bob Griffin, Jetton, a Republican, said he expected success since he was serving with GOP Gov. Matt Blunt.

“And they looked at me and said, ‘Um, no it won’t be,’” Jetton said. “You're gonna have a lot of problems with the governor in your own party. It's always bad.”

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson believes House Republican leaders’ decision against allowing a joint legislative session to convene last week amid a statehouse COVID-19 outbreak was a “purposeful and disgusting scheme to embarrass me,” he said in a three-page letter to lawmakers dated Jan. 29.

Parson was scheduled to deliver his annual State of the State address last Wednesday in the House chambers, with the Senate, statewide officials, his cabinet and other guests in attendance.

Some Missouri state lawmakers received the initial doses of COVID vaccine Wednesday at an event that was intended for employees from Missouri’s Department of Public Safety and Department of Transportation.

Ahead of Gov. Mike Parson’s State of the State speech, Democratic and Republican members of the House and Senate were seen entering and leaving the Capitol Plaza Hotel Wednesday afternoon where doses of Pfizer’s vaccine were being administered.

Updated at 7:05 p.m. Jan. 27 with comments from lawmakers

Gov. Mike Parson used his first State of the State address since being overwhelmingly elected to a four-year term to double down on his top priorities of his first years in office — improving job training and state transportation.

He also touched on expanding Medicaid under the auspices of the Affordable Care Act, the result of a constitutional amendment that Missouri voters approved last year.