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Sarah Huckabee Sanders podium problems persist, Biden campaign talks abortion in Wisconsin, KS Rep. Jake LaTurner leaving Congress and more
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Missouri’s House Speaker accused of absolute obstruction | Sarah Huckabee Sanders Podium Continues To Dominate | Michigan GOP can’t take a hint on right-to-work | While Trump’s In Court, women put his policies on trial in Wisconsin | Another GOP Congressman is headed for the door
The Heartland POD, Friday April 19, 2024: Flyover Friday
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1. Missouri House Speaker Plocher The Blocker
BY: JASON HANCOCK - APRIL 15, 2024 9:34 PM
On Monday of this week, bipartisan leaders of the House Ethics Committee alleged that Missouri House Speaker Dean Plocher obstructed an investigation of his official acts through pressure on potential witnesses and refusing to issue subpoenas.
Some potential witnesses allegedly refused to speak out of fear Plocher would use his power as speaker to retaliate against them. And Plocher refused to cooperate with the attorney hired to collect evidence for the committee.
A report laying out findings from the ethics committee’s months-long investigation that was released Monday night concluded the committee lacked direct evidence of ethical misconduct in Plocher’s advocacy for a six-figure software contract, in his firing of a former staffer, or in years of filing false expense reimbursement reports.
But Republican state Rep. Hannah Kelly of Mountain Grove, the committee’s chair, and Democratic state Rep. Robert Sauls of Independence, the vice chair, said the report demonstrates “absolute obstruction” that hindered the committee’s efforts to get to the truth.
Plocher, a candidate for secretary of state, declined to comment.
The report recommended a formal letter of disapproval for Plocher, that he hire an accounting professional to manage his expense reports moving forward, and that he refrain from retaliation against any legislator or House employee who cooperated with the committee.
The report also recommended further review by the House into allegations of threats made against legislative employees during the course of the investigation.
The report states Plocher’s actions “substantially impair public confidence in the General Assembly,”
Plocher’s troubles spilled out into the public in September, when he was accused of engaging in “unethical and perhaps unlawful conduct” as part of a months-long push outside the normal bidding process to get the House to award an $800,000 contract to a private company to manage constituent information.
As part of that contract push, Plocher allegedly threatened the jobs of nonpartisan staff who raised red flags.
A month later, The Missouri Independent reported Plocher had on numerous occasions over the last five years illegally sought taxpayer reimbursement from the legislature for airfare, hotels and other travel costs already paid for by his campaign.
As for the threats against nonpartisan staff, there was also no direct evidence implicating the speaker, though the report states that several employees testified under oath about threats and a “negative work environment.”
The attorney hired to collect evidence for the committee marveled at the overarching fear of retaliation among House staff, saying “I have not encountered more unwilling witnesses in any investigation in my career. The level of fear expressed by a number of the potential witnesses is a daunting factor in completing this investigation.”
2. Speak into the mic Mrs. Sanders, The People Paid Good Money For it
https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2024/04/17/podiumgate-audit-sarah-huckabee-sanders-arkansas
Alex Golden
The Arkansas Legislative Audit this week wrapped up its investigation into the purchase of a $19,000 podium by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders' administration.
The audit report reveals the governor's office may have broken state law in several instances, including:
- Applying the purchase to operating expenses when it didn't meet criteria.
- Not notifying the Department of Transformation and Shared Services, therefore preventing the purchase from being properly recorded.
- Not seeking an exemption from the state procurement director for disposal of state property.
- Shredding the delivery note
- Altering a public record. Auditors found three versions of an invoice, two of which contained a handwritten notation made after the record was entered into the Arkansas Administrative Statewide Information System.
- Transformation and Shared Services also may have violated state law by excluding multiple invoices paid for with the governor's office credit card.
Days before the release of the report, state Attorney General Tim Griffin said the governor is not subject to two state laws that if she were, could be problematic. The AG says the laws do not apply to the Governor of Arkansas.
3. Michigan GOP Is Gonna Try Again On Right To Work
BY: KEN COLEMAN, SUSAN J. DEMAS AND KYLE DAVIDSON - APRIL 17, 2024 5:18 PM
A day after state House Democrats won two special elections to regain a majority, Republicans on Wednesday announced a plan “to grow local economies”. Bringing back so-called Right to Work - a policy meant to reduce the power of labor unions - is one of the GOP’s top priorities.
Last year, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation repealing the 2012 Right to Work law that had been on the books since 2012. The controversial law allowed workers to get all union benefits without having to pay dues.
4. Women harmed by abortion restrictions campaign against Trump in Wisconsin
BY: BAYLOR SPEARS - APRIL 17, 2024 5:45 AM
Two women, who said their states’ abortion restrictions exacerbated their experience with medical difficulties during pregnancy, told their stories Tuesday while campaigning for President Joe Biden at a round table event in Madison.
Their visit is one of four stops they are making this week in Wisconsin — a battleground state that could play a decisive role in the 2024 presidential election. Democrats are focusing on abortion as an issue that could help drive voters to the polls.
Amanda Zurawski of Houston, Texas said she underwent “grueling” fertility treatments for a year and a half. She and her husband, Josh were “over the moon” when she finally became pregnant. While her first trimester was pretty easy, she said she suffered from “catastrophic complications” at 18 weeks. She said she needed an abortion, but her state’s abortion ban made it illegal.
“My doctor would have been at risk of losing her license, hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of fines and even jail time, so I was told to just wait until I got so sick that my life was considered in danger, which is one of the rare exceptions in Texas,”. She waited three days before she developed sepsis — a potentially fatal condition resulting from infection — and doctors finally provided her care, stabilizing her and ending her pregnancy with the baby she named Willow. She was in the intensive care unit for several days afterwards.
Zurawski said she realized in her “dark and lonely hospital room” that she was “actually lucky because I lived and I knew others might not be so lucky.”
“What I went through was nothing short of barbaric and it did not need to happen,” said Zurawski, who was a lead plaintiff in a lawsuit against Texas due to its abortion ban. “It was completely avoidable. It was completely preventable, and it happened because of Donald Trump.”
Kaitlyn Joshua of Louisiana, said that she and her husband, Landon, were thrilled to learn that she was pregnant. They already had one daughter, who was 3, and it made sense for them to add to their family.
Early in her pregnancy, Joshua said she started experiencing cramping and spotting, and at 11 weeks, she experienced major blood loss and pain. She sought care at a Baton Rouge emergency room, where she was told she was experiencing a miscarriage, but was provided no support.
She said, “We’re simply asking for the most basic level of internal health care but because of Donald Trump’s laws, we are being denied basic care.” (Baylor Spears | Wisconsin Examiner)
“Because of the state’s abortion ban, the health care team was afraid. They instead sent me home, sent home on prayers. I remember the young lady said ‘We’ll be praying for you and you’re just gonna have to handle this at home.’”
Joshua went to a second hospital where she was also told to wait. She said it took her almost a month to complete the miscarriage on her own.
Women across Louisiana and across the country are having similar experiences.
“Because of abortion bans, physicians simply cannot do their job and practice medicine based on their training expertise. We’re simply asking for the most basic level of internal health care, but because of Donald Trump, we are being denied basic care.”
Former President Donald Trump has said in recent weeks that abortion policy should be left to the states. He has also said that he would support a 16-week nationwide ban.
The U.S. has been left with a patchwork of abortion laws with many states having implemented bans due to the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade.
Abortion services were halted completely in Wisconsin until recently, due to an 1849 law that many thought was in force on the reversal of Roe.
Rep. Lisa Subeck (D-Madison) said, “We didn’t have abortions available in Wisconsin for a year. Due to a court decision, right now they’re available, but we know how fragile it is, we know that that can change at any time. We also know that if Donald Trump is elected, that will almost certainly change.”
5. KS Congressman Jake LaTurner turns toward home.
Andrew Solender
https://www.axios.com/2024/04/18/jake-laturner-retire-house-gop-kansas
A 36-year-old House Republican who has served in Congress just three years said Thursday he will not seek reelection in November.
Rep. Jake LaTurner's (R-Kan.) retirement is a stark addition to a trend of House Republicans sprinting for the exits after a year filled with infighting and discord.
Two House Republicans told Axios they expect more retirement announcements in the coming weeks.
LaTurner, who was first elected in 2020, said "the current dysfunction on Capitol Hill is distressing." LaTurner makes nearly 20 House Republicans who have left or are planning to leave Congress without immediate plans to run for another office. Another five are seeking higher office.
Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wisc.), a 40-year-old onetime GOP rising star, is planning to resign in the middle of his term to take a job in the private sector.
Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.), the 48-year-old chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee who reached the zenith of his political career last year as the House speaker pro tempore, is also retiring.
The retirements come as a growing number of right-wing hardliners are threatening to join an effort to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).
Johnson is moving ahead with plans to hold a vote on a foreign aid package that includes aid to Ukraine, which Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) has said would trigger a vote to remove him. The three-week speaker vacancy last year spurred a wave of retirements, particularly within the GOP.
LaTurner has $676,000 cash on hand and no Republicans were running against him; this sets up a likely wild primary and maybe even a flip opportunity for Democrats.
SOURCES: Michigan Advance, Wisconsin Examiner, Axios, Politico, The Missouri Independent,Pro.STateaffairs.com, Kansas reflector,
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