Republicans continue to operate the Missouri Legislature like their private business. Instead, lawmakers sent to Jefferson City should operate and conduct themselves on behalf of all Missourians. In the 2024 election, we have to hold Republicans accountable for their actions.
Just this week, we learned the already troubled House Speaker Dean Ploucher spent $60,000 renovating the Speaker’s Office. According to reports, he spent $29,000 on new furniture. This is how
State Representative Deb Lavender, of Manchester, told the Missouri Independent “The cost of the furniture in the speaker’s office ‘does seem excessive.’ She told the newspaper she would have preferred if the House budget committee was involved in a renovation of that size, instead of using the chamber’s core budget, because the process would have been more transparent.
Ploucher, who is already accused of ‘unlawful’ conduct in push for contract, drawing FBI scrutiny, according to this Missouri Independent article.
Republicans, who have been in power in Jefferson City for two decades continue to hold a majority in both the House and Senate. Democrats have to show up next fall to continue to break away at the Republican supermajority.
We need to do everything we can to make sure Republicans lose in 2024, or this could be our last fair election. That’s why we’re fired up to elect Democrats up and down the ballot in 2024.
In addition to Plocher’s false expense reports, the House ethics committee is also investigating allegations that he threatened the jobs of nonpartisan staff as part of his push to convince his colleagues to spend $800,000 to hire a private company to manage constituent information.
Three closed-door hearings have been held by the ethics committee so far, with the investigation likely to stretch into the new legislative session that starts Jan. 4.
Plocher, a Republican from Des Peres running for lieutenant governor, has flatly denied any wrongdoing and rejected all calls from his fellow Republicans to step down as speaker. He chalked up the false expense reports to a “checkbook error” and paid back the illegal reimbursements.
NEWS
Colorado court defended it | Opinion
Sen. Eric Schmitt doesn’t want you to believe the evidence of your own eyes. On Tuesday, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled that Donald Trump will not appear on the 2024 presidential primary election ballot in that state. The ruling found that the 14th Amendment to the Constitution — which mandates that no official who has “engaged in insurrection” against the United States can hold elected federal office in this country — applies to Trump. The reason is obvious: Trump inspired and incited the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol — the deadly culmination of his wretched and false efforts to overturn Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election. We all saw it.
Read full story at Kansas City Star
Bill Eigel, GOP candidate for Missouri governor wants to abolish education department, make gold legal tender
If Missouri Republican state Sen. Bill Eigel had it his way, Missourians would be able to pay their taxes and potentially shop for groceries with gold and silver.
He also wants to eliminate the state’s personal property tax and make it harder for citizen-led petitions to pass on the ballot. And he wants to abolish the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Eigel, first elected in 2016 from Weldon Spring, has filed a slew of bills to address these issues ahead of the legislative session and as he mounts a campaign for governor in 2024.
Read more at Kansas City Star
Congressman Emanuel Cleaver said, “Thrilled Kansas City will receive $458,358 from President Biden’s ‘ Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to train the next generation of environmental leaders & fill good-paying green jobs. Another example of what we can do when we focus on bipartisan solutions For The People.
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