Niemeyer says Mrvan won’t debate

Posted on by Brian A. Howey

Congress

U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan has declined to debate Republican challenger Randy Niemeyer, the latter’s campaign said. 

In early July, Niemeyer invited Mrvan to three debates. Later that month, Niemeyer worked with local media outlets and organizations to arrange the debates. When the League of Women Voters, in partnership with Lakeshore Public Media, offered to host a debate in late September or October, Niemeyer accepted.

However, Mrvan’s team said he was unavailable either month, according to Niemeyer’s campaign.

In a campaign statement, Niemeyer urged Mrvan to “stop dodging the voters and answer for his radical, hyperpartisan left-wing record,” adding, “Frank Mrvan is hiding from his record and refusing to debate. He’s been an enabler of the disastrous Biden-Harris agenda, which has led to skyrocketing inflation, open borders that allow a massive influx of crime and drugs into our communities, the destruction of energy jobs and soaring energy costs. If he’s so proud of his record, why is he hiding from the voters he was elected to represent? The voters deserve answers. They deserve a representative who is willing to face them, answer their questions, and defend their actions.”

Mrvan’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Williams to head ISTA

The Indiana State Teachers Association announced Nate Williams will join the union as its next executive director Sept. 9. Williams has extensive experience in union leadership and education, recently serving as deputy director of the Community Schools and Extended Learning Bureau at the New Mexico Public Education Department. Williams also has a foundation in the labor movement, having been a UniServ director in Ohio and California and a director of Collective Bargaining & Research for the Maine Education Association. 

“I’m eager to join ISTA and collaborate with its passionate staff and members,” Williams said in a statement. “Together, we have a unique opportunity to drive the Association forward, making a lasting and meaningful impact on our profession and the future of public education in Indiana.”

Brian A. Howey is senior writer and columnist for Howey Politics Indiana/State Affairs. Find Howey on Facebook and X @hwypol.

McCormick calls for $60,000 minimum Indiana teacher salary

Posted on by Jarred Meeks

Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jennifer McCormick wants all Indiana teachers to make at least $60,000 a year.

“It’s time that we make sure that we’re treating teachers the way we need them to be treated — like the professionals they are,” McCormick said during a Thursday news conference.

McCormick, the final state superintendent of public instruction, included the policy proposal in her education plan, which was released Thursday.

In addition to upping teachers’ salaries, McCormick’s plan features familiar Democratic policy proposals, such as expanding affordable child care and establishing universal pre-K education. Her plan also calls for increasing local education leaders’ autonomy, bolstering guardrails for the state’s school voucher program and boosting higher education and workforce development funding.

Indiana does not have a statewide teacher salary schedule. Often, school corporations negotiate educators’ pay with teachers unions through the collective bargaining process. Otherwise, school corporations unilaterally determine their teachers’ compensation. However, school corporations that can’t ensure a $40,000 minimum annual teacher salary are required by state law to explain why they fall short of the threshold.

Continue reading “McCormick calls for $60,000 minimum Indiana teacher salary”

Kansas Daily News Wire August 30, 2024

Posted on by State Affairs

Welcome to the Kansas Daily News Wire, your daily roundup of top state and political stories from newsrooms across Kansas. — Hawver’s Capitol Report/State Affairs

STATE

Commerce department denies former official’s claims of improper pandemic aid: The Kansas Department of Commerce on Thursday denied the claims of a now-deceased former official who said he had steered pandemic aid at the behest of Lt. Gov. David Toland. (Richardson, State Affairs)

Is Kansas Commerce Department doing required reports under APEX megaproject law?: Two years after the passage of the megaproject economic development law, it is unclear whether state officials have been complying with the law’s requirement on producing reports. (Topeka Capital-Journal)

Glitching: State agencies falter on software implementation projects: State agencies lagging behind schedule and over budget on projects was an emerging theme during this week’s Joint Committee on Information Technology meeting. (Resnick, State Affairs)

National Dems highlight 10 races to break up GOP supermajority: Kansas Democrats are looking to gain at least three Senate seats and two House seats to break a GOP supermajority in the Legislature, and the national party has identified a potential path for that goal. (Richardson, State Affairs)

Kansas food experts outline problems of waste and access at inaugural summit: Food experts in Kansas say food waste is a growing problem in the state and solutions to food insecurity may lie within local connections. (Kansas Reflector)

LOCAL

Overland Park names its new police chief, the first woman to lead the department: Overland Park has named Doreen Jokerst, leader of the University of Colorado Boulder Police Department, as its next police chief. She will be the first woman to run the department. (The Kansas City Star)

110,000 Kansans lost Medicaid during ‘unwinding’ process: More than 110,000 Kansans have lost healthcare coverage during the post-pandemic Medicaid ‘unwinding’ process, according to new state data. (KSNT)

One dead in officer-involved shooting in Coffeyville, KBI leading investigation: One person is dead following an officer-involved shooting in Coffeyville on Thursday. (KAKE)

Pooch Plunge to invite Lawrence pups to go for a splash: It’s that time of year again — all the good doggos are invited to go for a swim before the pool at the Lawrence Outdoor Aquatic Center is drained for the year. (The Lawrence Times)

‘Down to earth’ Keanu Reeves makes secret stop at JoCo bookstore to sign latest book: Somewhere out there, a Keanu Reeves fan in Kansas City will cry themself to sleep tonight knowing they missed an excellent chance to meet him on Wednesday.  (The Kansas City Star)

Howey Daily Wire Aug. 30, 2024

Posted on by Howey Politics Indiana

Good morning!

Indiana lawmakers questioned whether additional resources would speed up the state’s newly implemented Medicaid waiver waitlists, State Affairs reports. Enjoy the long weekend! More news below. — Howey Politics Indiana/State Affairs

Lawmakers ask if more resources would accelerate Medicaid waiver waitlist process: Expenditures under the waiver were $2.23 billion in fiscal year 2024, up from $1.07 billion in fiscal year 2023, with enrollment climbing in recent years. (Meeks, State Affairs)

Howey: Lugar monument will pay homage to one of Indiana’s most influential politicians — State Affairs‘ Brian Howey reflects on the remarkable career of the late Sen. Richard Lugar, who will be honored Sept. 3 with a memorial statue in Indianapolis. 

STATE

Crouch discusses mental health solutions in Munster: Speaking at a mental health roundtable discussion at Munster Town Hall, Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch noted that in 2023 Indiana was ranked 41st in addressing mental health, but one year later the state ranked 24th. (Euvino, NWI Times)

Secretary of state calls for veterans to serve as poll workers: Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales announced he is encouraging Hoosier veterans to serve as poll workers in the Nov. 5 election. (Howey Politics Indiana/State Affairs)

GM to delay New Carlisle EV battery plant production by a year: General Motors and Samsung SDI agreed to run the factory jointly but said production would be delayed by a year to 2027. The $3.5 billion plant will make nickel-rich prismatic batteries that store more energy than other chemistries, lowering costs and improving driving range, the companies said. (AP)

Nippon Steel commits to $300M investment in Gary Works: Nippon Steel plans to invest $300 million in U.S. Steel’s Gary Works operation if the Japan-based company’s $14.1 billion acquisition of the Pittsburgh-based steelmaker is completed as planned. (Brown, Inside Indiana Business)

Indiana National Guard hosts showcase for future US military arsenal: For 10 days, Camp Atterbury and the Indiana National Guard hosted a Technology Readiness Experimentation event with representatives from the U.S. Department of Defense and defense companies on hand to assess, test and learn more about the latest military technology. (Trares, Daily Journal)

ACLU lawsuit alleges IU expressive activity policy violates First Amendment: The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana filed a federal lawsuit against Indiana University in a challenge to the university’s newly implemented expressive activity policy. (Shrake, The Indiana Lawyer)

ISU enrollment drops again: Indiana State University’s enrollment is down almost 5% from last year and 36% since 2018. (WFIU-FM)

FAA: Over 300 laser strikes reported by Indiana pilots in 2024 — The Federal Aviation Administration is warning Hoosiers about shining lasers at airplanes overhead, citing over 300 reports of laser strikes in Indiana this year. (Schroeder, Fox59)

LOCAL

Loogootee City Council members approve Pride event after lawsuit accused them of trying to block it: After a group filed a federal lawsuit accusing the Loogootee City Council of trying to block an LGBTQ Pride event, the celebration will now take place in September. (Webb, Courier & Press)

Ground broken on $250M Gibson County solar project: Arizona-based Arevon Energy Inc. has broken ground on a $250 million solar project in Gibson County. (Brown, Inside Indiana Business)

Future of joint Evansville, Vanderburgh County planning department up in the air: The Vanderburgh County Commission voted unanimously to send a proposed budget to the county council for a potential new county-only Area Plan Commission. (Loesch, Courier & Press)

Gary residents push back on proposed cell towers at schools: Several residents at a Gary School Board meeting pushed back on a proposed plan to install cellular towers at two schools, citing potential health risks to students and the community. (Martinez-De La Cruz, NWI Times)

Greenfield considers requiring registration of rental properties: Greenfield landlords and rental property owners could soon be required to register their long-term rental properties if the city council approves an ordinance next month. (Swift, Daily Reporter)

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Government study committee weighs terminating dozens of committees, boards and commissions: The Interim Study Committee on Government is investigating whether to eliminate more than five dozen committees, boards and commissions that the state helps fund and staff. (Smith, WFYI-FM)

Sen. Ford hosts roundtable on mental health issues for youth: A roundtable hosted by state Sen. J.D. Ford, D-Indianapolis, at the Statehouse focused on discussing ways to better address mental health issues among young people in Indiana. (Darling, WIBC-FM)

Black Legislative Caucus to host Terre Haute town hall: A news release emailed to Howey Politics Indiana/State Affairs announced that members of the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus will host a town hall to discuss the recent and upcoming legislative sessions at noon Sept. 7 at the Terre Haute City Hall Courtroom.

CONGRESS

Young: Indiana students need better foundation in math, science — Indiana has some advantages and challenges when it comes to economic opportunities associated with the emergence of artificial intelligence, U.S. Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., said during the Rally innovation conference in Indianapolis. (IBJ)

Carson announces $15M grant for EV charging stations in minority, disadvantaged neighborhoods in Indy: U.S. Rep. André Carson, D-Ind., announced that a $15 million grant to deploy electric vehicle charging stations in Indianapolis will “prioritize fair and equitable placement to fill gaps” in the current infrastructure. (Howey Politics Indiana/State Affairs)

Banks to host 3rd annual Defense Summit: U.S. Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., will host the third annual Northeast Indiana Defense Summit on Sept. 4, with U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss.; L3Harris Technologies CEO Chris Kubasik; and Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale among the event’s speakers. (Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly)

Mrvan announces $18M grant to develop sustainable aviation fuel for Citgo Petroleum in East Chicago: U.S. Rep. Frank J. Mrvan, D-Ind., announced the federal grant award “to facilitate cost effective sustainable aviation fuel blending and rail logistic services at the Citgo East Chicago terminal.” (Howey Politics Indiana/State Affairs)

Congressional schedule: The Senate and House are out.

CAMPAIGNS

Abortion issue in key RNC, DNC moments: Brian Howey of State Affairs discusses the potential political impact of the abortion issue on the presidential campaigns following the Republican and Democratic national conventions. 

McCormick emphasizes curriculum, accountability and teachers in Indiana education plan: Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jennifer McCormick released an education plan she said largely intends to create more flexibility for K-12 administrators and educators to craft curriculum, while still ensuring academic rigor and accountability across public and private schools. (Smith, Indiana Capital Chronicle)

6th CD candidates answer questions on issues: Andy East of The Republic sent a list of questions to the three candidates running to replace U.S. Rep. Greg Pence, R-Ind., who is not seeking reelection in the 6th Congressional District. Answers provided by Libertarian nominee James Sceniak, Republican nominee Jefferson Shreve and Democratic nominee Cinde Wirth can be found here.

St. Joseph County GOP stands by Zappia, says attacks ‘defamatory’: The St. Joseph County Republican Party remains firm in its support of county deputy prosecutor Loris Zappia’s bid for probate judge despite “defamatory attacks.” (Sarabia & Dits, South Bend Tribune)

PRESIDENTIAL 2024

Harris on policy shifts: ‘My values have not changed’ — Vice President Kamala Harris offered her most expansive explanation to date on why she’s changed some of her positions on fracking and immigration, telling CNN her values haven’t shifted but that her time as vice president provided new perspective on some of the country’s most pressing issues.

Donald Trump gives mixed signals on Florida abortion referendum: Donald Trump suggested he would support a ballot measure to roll back a six-week abortion ban in Florida, but then his campaign scrambled to walk it back, his latest halting attempt to try to find a middle ground on the issue. (The Wall Street Journal)

US Army defends Arlington National Cemetery employee in Trump campaign incident: The U.S. Army defended an Arlington National Cemetery employee who was pushed aside during a visit by former President Trump, saying she acted professionally and was being unfairly attacked. (Reuters)

NATION

Biden administration weighs price support for US critical mineral projects amid Chinese pressure: The Biden administration is considering using federal dollars to prop up U.S. critical mineral projects being hammered by an influx of cheaper Chinese materials. (Politico)

White House schedule: President Joe Biden will receive the Daily Brief in the morning. Vice President Kamala Harris will receive briefings and conduct internal meetings with staff.

Lake struggles to coalesce Republicans, court Independents in new polling

Posted on by Yellow Sheet Report Staff

New Senate polling shows Gallego leading Lake by 7 points, with a 17-point advantage among Independent voters, according to the latest public opinion poll by Noble Predictive Insights. Lake gained some ground since the last round of polling in May and whittled her 10-point drag into 7 points. But Lake’s challenge remains to be winning support from her own party and among Independents, though at least a quarter of Independent voters remain undecided. About 10% of Republicans polled plan to vote for Gallego, leaving Lake capturing 71% of her party. Gallego sees 90% support and a loss of about 5% of Democrats crossing the line to Lake. Mike Noble, founder and CEO of Noble Predictive Insights, said Lake “has a base problem.” He continued, “There’s a little leakage in her base, little leakage in her base, and she’s not really wooing over or changing the hearts and minds of the more moderate wing of the electorate, which is not big, but is super duper important in the general election.” Lake’s favorability overall also took a dive since the last round of polling, showing Lake with 50% of the electorate viewing her unfavorably, compared to 45% in May. On the issues, Lake maintains a 2-point lead over Gallego on immigration and taxes. But Noble noted, given her hardline stance on immigration, specifically, Lake is “not running away with some of these issues and advantages she probably should be running away with.” Noble drew a comparison to Trump, who, per Noble’s latest polling, saw a 14-point lead over Harris on immigration. “This race might get closer as Election Day approaches and people rush to their partisan camps,” David Byler, Chief of Research at Noble Predictive Insights, said in a statement. “But it’s impossible to look at these numbers and not see real problems for Lake as a candidate, and a real lead for Gallego.”

Firefighters association battles Central Arizona fire chief

Posted on by Yellow Sheet Report Staff

More than 2,500 members of the International Association of Fire Fighters censured the fire chief of Central Arizona Fire and Medical Authority located in Prescott Valley. Association members representing all 50 states unanimously voted 2,520 to 0 to censure Fire Chief Scott Freitag during the association’s recent 57th annual convention. According to a news release, the censure resolution cited Freitag’s “refusal to prioritize implementing modern cancer prevention improvements, his failure to establish four-person minimum per engine staffing as recommended by the National Fire Protection Association,” and “his ongoing bullying of CAFMA firefighters and paramedics.” “Taking a formal action like this only happens when the behavior – the ignorance regarding safety measures and the intimidation of employees – is simply egregious,” said Stephen Gilman, vice president of the IAFF 10th District, which includes Arizona, California, New Mexico and Hawaii. Freitag wasn’t the only person censured by the association during the conference. The association displays a list of resolutions adopted by members, which include several other censures, although only members of the IAFF can access copies of the resolutions. Freitag was appointed Fire Chief of the Chino Valley Fire District in August 2013 and later became Chief of the Central Yavapai Fire District when the agency merged with Chino Valley to create the Central Arizona Fire and Medical Authority. Freitag is scheduled to earn a salary of $195,000 in 2025, according to the authority’s recently passed budget. “Every homeowner in the Quad Cities is chipping in to pay Chief Freitag incredibly well, including an enormous raise over the past eight years,” said Don Jongewaard, the president of the Professional Fire Fighters of Arizona. “What they may not be aware of is how Freitag has systematically destroyed the morale of the fire department he rules with an iron fist, and how he’s made fire service less efficient across the Prescott Valley while doubling CAFMA’s budget.” In a Thursday news release, CAFMA said neither the agency nor Freitag was aware of the upcoming censure before IAFF’s convention. The agency is investigating the allegations against Freitag and will issue a further response later. “CAFMA has always prioritized the safety and well-being of our community and our firefighters. Over the past decade, under Chief Freitag’s leadership, we have made significant strides in improving our operations, services, and community outreach,” the agency’s news release says. “Chief Freitag has not been given an opportunity to address them directly. We believe in a fair and transparent process, where all parties have the chance to be heard and where decisions are made based on complete and accurate information. In June, attorneys for the Professional Fire Fighters of Arizona sent Freitag a cease and desist letter demanding that he refrain from making false attacks against the organization, citing instances where he accused the association of “performing insurance fraud” and calling it a “criminal organization.”

Open primary backers ask court to reconsider pushing petition challenge past deadline

Posted on by Yellow Sheet Report Staff

Make Elections Fair PAC asked the Arizona Supreme Court to reconsider a ruling allowing additional signature challenges to enter the record and extend the election litigation process past the August 22 ballot printing deadline. In the latest filing, attorney for Make Elections Fair PAC Andrew Pappas claimed the decision is “at odds with eight decades of the Court’s precedents, the Court’s rules, and the Court’s orders in two prior appeals in this dispute, as well as Arizona’s Constitution, law, and public policy.” Plaintiffs challenging the open primary measure based on a claimed inadequate signature count filed an emergency petition asking for a review of alleged duplicate signatures. The state Supreme Court, without ordering a response from Make Elections Fair, sent the matter back to the trial court for further review, a day after the ballot printing deadline. In the order, the state high court decided, given the lapsed deadline, that if the challenge to the measure failed, the voters would decide whether to enact it into law. But if the signature challenge succeeded, the court would enjoin all votes for the measure from being counted. Pappas argued the order conflicted with eight decades of court precedent requiring petition challenges to wrap up before ballot printing begins. “The Order here cuts a new and risky path,” Pappas wrote. “It allows Plaintiffs’ signature challenge to continue after the counties have begun the process of printing ballots that will include the Initiative. As a result, the Order invites and indeed contemplates the risk that Arizona voters will vote for the Initiative and later have their votes thrown out.” He further contended the order conflicts with prior scheduling orders, the rules of civil procedure, the Arizona Constitution, law and public policy, dealing with the stability and finality of election results. Overall, Pappas said the Order results in a “fundamentally unfair result.” “At no point in that process has any court found that Plaintiffs met their heavy burden of showing the Initiative does not have enough signatures to qualify for the ballot,” Pappas wrote. “The Committee is confident that Plaintiffs cannot meet that burden. Yet the Order delivers a grave blow to the Initiative and its supporters anyway, making it that much more difficult to get the measure over the finish line. That result should not stand.”

Glitching: State agencies falter on software implementation projects

Posted on by Matt Resnick

State agencies lagging behind schedule and over budget on projects was an emerging theme during this week’s Joint Committee on Information Technology meeting. 

Directly after receiving word that a Statehouse security project was roughly a year behind schedule, the committee was informed of myriad issues tied to software implementation projects for the Kansas Department for Children and Families and the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services.

Child support services

Tom Pagano, chief information officer for both agencies, updated the committee on progress pertaining to the children and families department’s Child Support Services System initiative. 

The initial timeline for the project was 28 months, but Pagano told the committee it’s projected to take 41 months while also $1 million over its original $11.7 million budget. The project centers on the conversion of the agency’s network mainframe to newer technology on a Microsoft platform, Pagano said, adding that state and federal funding is split evenly for the project. 

Pagano said the biggest setback involved a “surprise” federal mandate from the Office of Child Support Services requiring “de-identification” or concealment of personal information during the migration process. 

“That caused a significant delay because we had to retool in a number of ways to make that happen, and that’s what added seven extra months to the project,” he said. “It also added additional costs to the tune of about $1 million.”

Pagano also pinned blame on project subcontractor Modern Systems, which he said had difficulty handling “a tremendous amount of complicated data” during the conversion process. Some of that related to bandwidth issues, as well as insufficient staffing by the subcontractor, according to Pagano.

He said IBM’s recent purchase of Modern Systems “added another wrinkle” to the project, and he now anticipates it being fully completed by January 2025. Rep. Barb Wasinger, R-Hays, pressed Pagano over “any hiccups” in receiving timely child support payments because of the timeline delays. Pagano indicated he is not intimately involved in the agency’s business “space.” He said someone present in the room could shed light on Wasinger’s question, but nobody spoke up. 

“No one seems to be wanting to save you on this answer,” Wasinger said. 

Pagano said he made multiple “major” decisions resulting in a reset of the project’s timeline. The first, he said, was opening a more transparent line of communication with project contractor Conduent, involving increased “face-to-face” dialogue. Pagano also said he “reorganized the way” the agencies conducted projects, which included retooling of the agencies’ leadership teams. 

Alex Wong, chief information technology architect for the Office of Technology Services, told the committee that a project’s variance for change often correlates with the scope of the project. 

“As projects become smaller, there are not as many requirements,” he said. 

Health care records

A software “modernization” project tied to the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services is $3 million over its original $2.5 million budget and isn’t expected to be wrapped until January 2025, or possibly by December. 

The project’s scope includes the implementation of an electronic health care records database and substance abuse disorder module for each of the state’s four mental health facilities  via contractor WellSky. Pagano said the “vast majority” of the $3 million in excess costs went to licensing fees and corresponding interfaces pertaining to the purchase of a missing “pharmacy module” that was not included in the original deal with WellSky. 

Pagano added that the project proved difficult to execute because infrastructure within the hospitals was “suboptimal.” 

“In other words, the wireless [infrastructure] was not present in some areas of the hospital,” he said. “Older facilities have a lot of issues that need to be remedied, so we put into place a plan to attack all that infrastructure.”

Those issues caused Pagano to rework the project’s parameters while also addressing staffing needs necessary to complete the work. Parsons State Hospital and Training Center, Pagano said, is nearing implementation of the WellSky system,  while the software should be live at the other hospitals by December. 

“It didn’t quite start off the way we hoped, but I think it’s ending on a very good note,” Pagano said. 

Committee Vice Chair Rep. Kyle Hoffman, R-Coldwater, congratulated Pagano for the work and brushed off the new $5.5 million cost-estimate, which is covered by state funding. 

“It seems to me there wasn’t enough [of an] initial look at what needed to be done before it was started,” he said. 

Hoffman also commended Pagano for getting the project “on schedule,” contradicting Pagano’s earlier comment to the committee that the project was three months behind. In addition, Hoffman questioned whether WellSky was the best contractor for the job.

“I just hope that going forward, all the agencies look at everything before they jump into an RFP [request for proposal],” he said, and avoid being told, “‘Oh, we’ll fix that later.’” 

Matt Resnick is a statehouse reporter at State Affairs Pro Kansas/Hawver’s Capitol Report. Reach him at [email protected]

Note: The story has been updated to reflect that Rep. Kyle Hoffman is the committee’s vice chair. Sen. Mike Petersen is the committee chair

Judge keeps block on voter harassment provisions of the EPM 

Posted on by Yellow Sheet Report Staff

A Maricopa County Superior Court judge kept provisions of the EPM detailing behaviors associated with voter harassment and intimidation enjoined, despite a request from Mayes and Fontes for a stay while they appealed the decision. Judge Jennifer Ryan-Touhill, a Brewer appointee, deemed guidance on voter harassment an infringement on free speech, in line with an argument from the Arizona Free Enterprise Club and the America First Policy Institute. Following the ruling, Mayes and Fontes filed for a stay while they appealed and claimed the relief to be “premature and too broad” and result in confusion for election workers. Ryan-Touhill opted to keep her order in place and found Arizona law already provides the protections sought after in the blocked provisions of the EPM. “It is not this Court’s duty to parcel through the EPM to analyze every phase that does or does not comply with hypotheticals propounded by Defendants. The Court is instead tasked with the duty of analyzing the laws and facts provided; this is what this Court did,” Ryan-Touhill wrote. “Moreover, the Court is not persuaded that Plaintiffs’ ‘argument about the Free Speech Clause rings hollow … The Court reiterates its prior finding: ‘[I]t is always in the public interest to prevent the violation of a party’s constitutional rights.”

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