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On Fridays St. Louis on the Air, Robb Cunningham, the Libertarian candidate for mayor of St. Louis, joined host Don Marsh to discuss his platform ahead of the general municipal election on April 4.

Cunningham makes his living as a saxophonist and considers himself a "rock n' roll Libertarian."

We spoke with Republican candidate Andrew Jones on March 27 and with Democratic candidate Lyda Krewson on March 22. In addition to our conversation with Cunningham on Friday, well also hear from the Green candidate for mayor and two independent candidates for mayor.

Robb Cunningham, the Libertarian candidate for mayor of St. Louis, joined St. Louis on the Air host Don Marsh to discuss his platform.

On what "rock n' roll Libertarian" means:

"The rock n' roll part is that I'm willing to work and compromise. I'm not the smartest Libertarian, I'm not the richest Libertarian, I'm not the most politically-educated Libertarian. I consider myself a 'rock n' roll politician' in that I want to get things done and I want to get things done well. The Libertarian message and Libertarian philosophy works. That's the bottom line."

On his platform:

"My lead issue is racial trust. The fact white people are afraid of black people and black people are afraid of white people is just a generalization but unfortunately it is mostly true. The word racism means something different to black people than white people. ... We're going to have a conversation, we're going to get people together, we're going to make it big. We're going to have everyone in St. Louis invited to come in, black people and white people, talking about serious issues: racism, reparations issues, all these things that get people divided and get people heated up. It won't cost that much. We'll bring them into City Hall."

On poverty and violent crime:

"The whole idea of poverty is that we have to bring in jobs. Jobs don't come to St. Louis because of violent crime. Until we get violent crime together, we're not going to be able to talk about the jobs situation. This is one of my more controversial issues: I want to work with the gangs. The gangs aren't all bad. These aren't the guys making armed robberies in the Central West End to get $10 off somebody, but these guys know who these guys are, though. And these guys have more respect for these gangs than they do for the police or the government. If we can bring in the jobs after we bring down violent crime, bring down the murder rate, bringing the gangs to be involved and then we take the slack off possible drug sales. Get violence centered on and get off the drugs.

"We're not going to be chasing down or asking people to snitch about drug sales. If they can have drug sales from where we can bring down the murder rate, that causes murder. Whenever we start trying to get drug sales and getting people to snitch, that's where murders are coming from."

If you want to find out more about Cunningham's platform for mayor, you can find information here:https://www.facebook.com/RobbLibertarian/

St. Louis on the Airbrings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. St. Louis on the Air hostDon Marshand producersMary Edwards,Alex HeuerandKelly Moffittgive you the information you need to make informed decisions and stay in touch with our diverse and vibrant St. Louis region.

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Q&A with Robb Cunningham, the Libertarian candidate for mayor of St. Louis - St. Louis Public Radio

Libertarian Stevan Porter is launching a bid to unseat five-term Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-11th District.

Porter, a 48-year-old Herndon resident, announced March 23 that he plans to vie for the Libertarian nomination to challenge Connolly in the 2018 midterm elections. Connollys district covers most of Fairfax County, Fairfax City and some sections of eastern Prince William County.

The current two-party system has polarized our country to the point that meaningful progress is virtually impossible, Porter said in a statement. I will work respectfully with everyone for the good of all of us rather than simply doing what is expedient to keep my party in power.

Connolly ran unopposed in 2016, but Porter is now the second person with plans to challenge him next year Woodbridge resident Jeff Dove announced in Feburary that hed be seeking the Republican nomination.

In a release, Porter says he decided to run because he believes in smaller, more localized government; promoting individual liberty; and defending the equality of all people.

He also believes the nations $20 trillion debt represents one of the greatest threats facing our country today, and he worries that neither of the major parties has taken the necessary steps to reduce it.

Although their spending priorities vary, both Republicans and Democrats continue to embrace big government and deficit-enabled spending, Porter said. We will not be able to reverse our financial course overnight, but we must begin by taking a careful look at where we can responsibly reduce the scope and associated costs of federal programs. The current approaches of raising the debt limit or blindly slashing budgets through sequestration are not viable solutions.

Porter will have an uphill battle in defeating Connolly, however. The Democrat hasnt faced a competitive race since 2010, winning in 2014 by roughly 17 points and scoring a 25-point victory in 2012.

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Libertarian Stevan Porter running in 11th District congressional race - Inside NoVA

DAVID EGGERT, Associated Press Published 3:10 p.m. ET April 2, 2017 | Updated 3 hours ago

A House committee took up legislation Thursday to curb the cost of local government retiree health care.(Photo: Kathleen Gray/Detroit Free Press)

LANSING Republicans who control the Legislature are starting to put their stamp on Gov. Rick Snyder's budget blueprint, trimming his proposed spending increases to make room for a potential tax cut.

A House plan that began winning preliminary approval in recent days would spend between $200 million and $300 million less. The Senate is setting aside roughly $500 million in "uncommitted" funds a move the chamber's budget chief said is designed to provide flexibility to later reduce taxes, pay down debt, spend more or add to savings.

"No decisions have been made specifically on any of that, but that'll be the negotiations as we get closer to (finalizing) the budget," said Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Dave Hildenbrand, a Lowell Republican.

A biannual revenue-estimating meeting in May will shape how lawmakers proceed. But it is clear GOP leaders are not giving up on tax relief despite the defeat of an income tax cut in the House earlier this year. Snyder and a dozen House Republicans opposed the plan.

"We want to keep that on the table," said House Speaker Tom Leonard, who called it his top priority. "If that means we need to trim part of the budget to ensure that happens, I'm willing to do that."

He said Snyder proposed a $205 million boost in ongoing spending for the fiscal year that will start in October. Reducing the 4.25 percent income tax to 4.15 percent a less aggressive cut than lowering it to 3.9 percent as proposed in the failed House bill would cut revenue by $190 million in the first budget year, he said.

"I believe we can afford tax relief," Leonard said.

Democrats outnumbered in the Capitol are expressing concern with the GOP's approach.

Rep. Fred Durhal III of Detroit, the ranking Democrat on the House budget committee, said Snyder's proposal is "a pretty decent budget" and cutting it back "creates difficulty."

The House and Senate plans would largely spend the same amount as Snyder on K-12 education, though there are differences over per-student funding levels and issues such as paying for private school kids to take some classes at public schools.

Michigan's 15 public universities would see a smaller bump in state aid than under Snyder's plan, but not a cut as some higher education officials had feared. Funding for four schools the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Michigan State, Wayne State and Western Michigan would remain below levels from seven years ago, however.

Environmental cleanup spending would be cut, prompting Democratic Rep. Jon Hoadley of Kalamazoo to say he was "appalled" because it would underfund initiatives to keep toxic vapors out of homes and remediate polluted sites.

The House is proposing to add a quarter of the $20 million Snyder wants for a statewide infrastructure fund and to trim economic development spending. Unlike Snyder, it also plans a boost in statutory revenue sharing to local governments.

To Democrats' chagrin, House Republicans propose saving general funds by shifting $50 million from the $174 million Unemployment Insurance Contingent Fund. It has penalties and interest from employers who are delinquent paying into the jobless benefits system and from people who collect too much in benefits.

Michigan recently settled a lawsuit after at least 20,000 people receiving benefits were wrongly flagged for fraud by an automated computer system. The state is facing other suits that seek financial damages.

Durhal said the proposed transfer is "very concerning" because wrongly accused claimants should be paid back. Republicans say the state will meet its obligations, including if a judge later rules for the plaintiffs.

Upon their return from a two-week break, legislators will resume advancing the budget bills with the crucial mid-May look at tax revenue collections on the horizon.

The House blueprint includes Snyder's planned $266 million deposit into savings, which would bring the account to more than $1 billion. The Senate, where Republicans also have talked about a tax cut, for now is not committing to the deposit.

"I think the larger question this year is what we do with this uncommitted amount," Hildenbrand said. "It's a good position to be in, I would argue. But it won't be easy to get agreement because people are in different places when it comes to what to do with that uncommitted amount." ___ Snyder's budget proposal: http://bit.ly/2mWmPZX

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Republicans' initial budget blueprints make room for tax cut - Lansing State Journal

To put it bluntly, 38 percent is not the kind of number that scares a wayward congressman if the chief executive says "follow me or else" essentially

That lack of a powerful, popular leader only heightens the GOP's other problem: The deep differences running through it.

The GOP won in 241 districts in November (there are 237 now after cabinet appointments) and the party needs 216 votes to have a majority. That means they can afford to lose 21 votes. Now consider some of the differences in the House districts that the GOP won.

Trump's feud with his party last week centered on the Freedom Caucus, a group of 32 conservative House members that the president and

So even if Trump is popular in those places, the House members are likely more popular. That doesn't mean they'd be completely safe from Trump's promise to "fight," but it at least suggests they feel pretty comfortable standing up to the president.

In 23 House districts held by Republicans, Hillary Clinton was actually the winning presidential candidate. In another five districts, she lost to Trump by less than 2 points. The representatives in those 28 districts may find it very easy to go against the president they might even see opposing Trump as being in their best interest with the president whose approval rating is mired in the high 30s.

Related:

And at the other end of the spectrum, 42 of those House GOP districts gave Trump 66 percent or more of their vote that's 20 points better than Trump did nationally. Those places are likely going to be pro-Trump even as his numbers slip.

Or look at the House GOP split through the frame of policy. Cuts to

In 24 GOP-won House districts, 20 percent or more of the population gets insurance through Medicaid. But in another 27 House districts, less than 10 percent of the population gets insurance through the program.

It only stands to reason that voters in those districts might have very different ideas about the role the government should play in health care and, perhaps, the role of government aid in a broader sense.

Add it all up and you have a very complicated, diverse coalition without a strong force to hold them together.

Last week, in the wake of the GOP's failure to pass a bill repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, some party leaders said that Republicans needed to re-learn how to govern.

"We've been an opposition party for ten years," House Speaker Paul Ryan said in an interview. "We've got to become a proposition, governing party."

That may be true, but considering the fragmented nature of the party and the politically weak power at the top, it will not be easy.

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Analysis: Trump's Low Poll Numbers Limit Influence Over Unruly Republicans - NBCNews.com

Rep. IleanaRos-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) has voted against repealing eight Obama-era regulations, more than any other Republican in the House.

Ros-Lehtinen hails from a district that Hillary ClintonHillary Rodham ClintonGingrich: All 'real evidence' of Russian influence points to Dems Some Republicans defect on repealing Obama rules Don't look now: Hillary's back MORE won by nearly 20 points last year, and recently came out strongly against the GOPs plan to repeal and replace ObamaCare.

But she isnt alone in defecting on some of the regulatory votes.

Thirty-nine Republicans have crossed the aisle on at least one vote this year to overturn regulations under the Congressional Review Act (CRA), according to an analysis by The Hill.

Second to Ros-Lehtinen, Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.) and Chris Smith (N.J.) have each voted to protect five Obama-era regulations. Meanwhile, four Senate Republicans have also crossed party lines on at least one of the votes.

Many of the Republicans who have defected on the votes come from swing states or liberal-leaning states.

The obscure Congressional Review Act has empowered Republicans to scrap nearly a dozen regulations from late in Obamas term. The resolutions cannot be filibustered in the Senate, allowing the GOP to overcome Democratic opposition.

The spotlight turned to the regulatory resolutions on Thursdaywhen Vice President Pence was forced to cast the deciding vote on repealing an Obama regulation that banned states from defunding abortion providers.

Pence broke a 50-50 tie on the resolution after two Republicans Lisa MurkowskiLisa MurkowskiSome Republicans defect on repealing Obama rules Let's just scrap the filibuster and keep it simple Conservatives fear EPA chief going soft on climate science MORE (Alaska) and Susan CollinsSusan CollinsSome Republicans defect on repealing Obama rules Let's just scrap the filibuster and keep it simple Democrats debate Supreme Court gamble MORE (Maine) voted with Democrats. In the House, two Republicans voted against the resolution.

The lawmakers

The Hill counted at least 72 Republican votes against overturning Obama-era rules this year, with several Republicans voting multiple times to keep regulations in place.

The defections show that, despite the broad consensus in the GOP about the importance of scaling back federal regulations, there are some regulations that Republican lawmakers are willing to break with their party to support.

Similarly, a handful of Democrats have broken with their party to vote with Republicans to repeal various regulations from the Obama administration, according to a separate analysis by The Hill.

Among Republicans, Reps. David Reichert (Wash.) and Frank LoBiondo (N.J.) have each voted to keep four Obama rules.

Five other GOP lawmakers Reps. John Faso (N.Y.), Mark Sanford (S.C.), Pete King (N.Y.), Daniel Donovan (N.Y.), Walter Jones (N.C.) have voted to protect at least three regulations.

And four Republican members Reps. Carlos Curbelo (Fla.), Elise Stefanik (N.Y.), Patrick Meehan (Pa.), and Jaime Herrera BeutlerJaime Herrera BeutlerSome Republicans defect on repealing Obama rules Centrists balk at GOP ObamaCare bill The Hill's Whip List: 36 GOP no votes on ObamaCare repeal plan MORE (Wash.) each voted against two CRAs scrapping Obama rules.

In the Senate, Collins voted to keep two regulations, one aimed at protecting streams and another aimed at protecting funding for abortion providers.

Three other GOP senators Murkowski, Rob PortmanRob PortmanSome Republicans defect on repealing Obama rules McCaskill investigating opioid producers Overnight Finance: Senators spar over Wall Street at SEC pick's hearing | New CBO score for ObamaCare bill | Agency signs off on Trump DC hotel lease MORE (Ohio), and Bob CorkerBob CorkerSome Republicans defect on repealing Obama rules Trump signals deeper US involvement in Yemen Senate revives long-stalled ISIS war authorization debate MORE (Tenn.) have voted to protect one Obama-era regulation.

Twenty-one House Republicans have voted against one of the regulatory resolutions.

The resolutions

On four separate occasions, the number of Republicans voting to protect Obama-era regulations has reached double digits.

Fifteen House Republicans the most defections for any CRA so far voted against overturning an Internet privacy rule that had blocked telecom companies from selling the online search histories of customers without their consent. The repeal of that rule has sparked a backlash this week.

Eleven Republicans, meanwhile, crossed party lines to vote against repealing emissions limits on oil and gas companies operating on public lands. The House passed the CRA in February, but the Senate has yet to take it up, with several Senate Republicans reportedly opposed.

Other CRAs that have seen significant Republican defections include a rule to protect bears in Alaskas national wildlife refuges; a rule requiring companies to post records online of workplace injuries and illnesses; and a rule creating disclosure requirements for oil companies operating in foreign countries.

Congressional Republicans also repealed the Obama administrations so-called blacklisting rule, which forced federal contractors to report workplace safety violations and wage theft when applying to do business with the government.

Only one Republican voted against overturning that rule: Ros-Lehtinen.

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Some Republicans defect on repealing Obama rules - The Hill