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Covering state lawmakers, bills, and policy emerging from Jefferson City.

Politically Speaking: Rep. Raychel Proudie Takes Her Educator Experience To Jefferson City

State Representative Raychel Proudie, D-Ferguson
Carolina Hidalgo | St. Louis Public Radio
State Representative Raychel Proudie, D-Ferguson

State Rep. Raychel Proudie is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where she talked with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum about her first year in the Missouri House.

Proudie represents the 73rd district, which takes in St. Louis County municipalities like Ferguson, Berkeley, Kinloch, St. Ann and Hazelwood.

Proudie is a Ferguson native who received her undergraduate degree in elementary education from Grambling State University and her master’s degree in mental-health counseling from Southern University and A&M College. She also is a doctoral candidate at Grambling State.

She spent some of her classroom-teaching career in Louisiana and also served as a school counselor at the Riverview Gardens School District. She earned teaching certifications in Missouri, Illinois, Louisiana and Texas.

After mulling a bid for the Ferguson-Florissant School Board, Proudie decided to run for the 73rd seat after the incumbent, Courtney Curtis, chose not to seek re-election. She defeated Lee Smith and Floyd Blackwell in the Democratic primary, which was tantamount to election.

Since being sworn in earlier this year, Proudie was appointed as vice chairwoman of the House Urban Issues Committee. She also serves on the House committees dealing with elementary and secondary education and higher education.

Here’s what Proudie had to say during the show:

  • She introduced legislation this session that would provide an avenue for people who owe child support to keep their driver’s or occupational license. Gov. Mike Parsonexpressed enthusiasm about this idea last fall.She said it doesn’t make much sense to make it more difficult for someone to earn money that could eventually provide financial support for children. “It seems counterintuitive to take drivers’ licenses or professional licenses from individuals who are behind on child support and strips their means of making money to pay child support,” she added.
  • Proudie also talked about legislation that would make it easier forcharter schools to expand throughout the state.Among other things, it would allow a charter school to appeal to the Missouri Charter School Commission if a school board rejects a proposal to move into a district.
  • Proudie was opposed to a constitutional amendment widely known as Clean Missouri, which made substantial changes to how state legislative districts are drawn. She believes the language in the measure won’t prevent a demographer from reducing the percentage of black residents in legislative districts.


Follow Jason Rosenbaum on Twitter:@jrosenbaum

Follow Raychel Proudie on Twitter:@rcproudie

Music: “Back That Thang Up” by Juvenile

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Copyright 2019 St. Louis Public Radio

Since entering the world of professional journalism in 2006, Jason Rosenbaum dove head first into the world of politics, policy and even rock and roll music. A graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism, Rosenbaum spent more than four years in the Missouri State Capitol writing for the Columbia Daily Tribune, Missouri Lawyers Media and the St. Louis Beacon. Since moving to St. Louis in 2010, Rosenbaum's work appeared in Missouri Lawyers Media, the St. Louis Business Journal and the Riverfront Times' music section. He also served on staff at the St. Louis Beacon as a politics reporter. Rosenbaum lives in Richmond Heights with with his wife Lauren and their two sons.