Talking Politics from KBIA News brings you a weekly look at politics in Missouri. Formerly known as Political Pulse, this program presents stories from the political arena. Hosted by Sara Wittmeyer.

Want to subscribe to a podcast of Talking Politics? Paste this link into your aggregator. More about KBIA podcasts here.

Spring 2008

04/15/08 The Pew Center recently graded all the nation's state governments. This week in Talking Politics, we'll tell you how Missouri ranked...

And, in this week's "Mr. Smith Talks to Washington," it's the Beatles and politics. Terry Smith examines the connection between the two.

04/08/08 It's election day today and area voters are making decisions about the Columbia city council and board of education. There's also a proposed tax levy for the school district to be reckoned with. And voters in Jefferson City are deciding whether or not to repeal a prohibition on casino and riverboat gambling.

Our reporters started the day out in the rain and at the polls talking with voters, poll workers and volunteers.

We also caught up with county clerks across mid-Missouri to find out how they were preparing for the big day today, and what their expectations are.

04/01/08 Columbia voters will see two sewer bond issues on the April 8th ballot. One proposal is for the city of Columbia and the other is for Boone County. The county and the city are asking for the bonds to improve their systems to meet new federally mandated requirements. KBIA's Martin Winkler tells us what these two proposals could mean for Columbia and Boone County residents.

In this week's "Mr. Smith Talks to Washington," commentator Terry Smith examines the country's two party system... and explains why third parties are generally weak.

03/25/08 There are five candidates running for three seats on the seven member Columbia School Board. Each of the candidates participated recently in an election forum. KBIA's Akiko Oda reports.

And in this week's "Mr. Smith Talks to Washington," Missouri as a bellwether state.

03/18/08 Columbia is divided into six council wards. In less than a month, voters in two of those wards will elect someone to represent their area. An incumbent candidate is running unopposed in the fifth ward, but in the first ward three opponents are challenging the incumbent. We'll introduce you to those running for a seat on city council.

And, in this week's "Mr. Smith Talks to Washington," Commentator Terry Smith looks at whether surrogates sling more mud than the candidates.

03/11/08 Columbia voters will see three issues on the April ballot. Two of them deal with sewer projects...and the other question is about a tax increase for the Columbia School District. KBIA's Akiko Oda has more...

Each year Missouri students travel to the State Capitol for a real life lesson in lobbying. It's called Student Advocacy Day. KBIA's Michael Moreau attended the event in Jefferson City and has this report...

Republicans are uniting behind Senator John McCain and his bid for the White House. Democrats, on the other hand, seem more divided than ever. In this week's "Mister Smith Talks to Washington," Columbia College Professor and Dean Terry Smith asks what will happen if neither Hillary Clinton nor Barack Obama have a majority by the start of the Democratic National Convention.

03/04/08 Missouri politicians may face tougher restrictions as they try to raise money for their campaigns...

...Perhaps good news for drivers, lawmakers are considering legislation that would place additional restrictions on the amount of money communities can collect from speed traps.

Then finally in this week's "Mr. Smith Talks to Washington," - it's rare that a politician make the move from Capitol Hill to the White House but now it seems likely that'll happen in the near future. Terry Smith has more in his weekly commentary.

02/26/08 Missouri Democrats are planning to caucus this week to choose delegates for the state convention.

A group of young people travel to the capitol to urge lawmakers to support a moratorium on executions…

Finally, in this week's "Mr. Smith Talks to Washington," Terry Smith examines the Clinton family...

02/19/08 After nearly a half century in power, Cuban president Fidel Castro is resigning. A local analyst explains what it means for the island, the United States, and Cuban refugees living in America.

Plus, a foreign policy expert comes to Columbia to talk about why he thinks the United States needs to focus on improving relations with Iran rather than making threats or considering a confrontation.

We'll also hear a new commentary from Terry Smith.

02/12/08 In this week's edition of Talking Politics we do a recap of Super Tuesday. Missouri is often looked at as a state that can help predict how the rest of the country will vote. But this year, Missouri's presidential primary was not clear cut. We look at the tight race between Democrats Barrack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

Then KBIA's Amy DiFrancesco checks in with the Missouri GOP. Austin Coates finds out how Mitt Romney's decision to suspend his campaign translates among voters who supported him.

And finally in "Mr. Smith Talks to Washington," analyst and commentator Terry Smith explains the new buzz word, "superdelegates."