Indiana Public Media: Indiana state senator linked to extremist militia group Oath Keepers
CNN: Liz Cheney calls out Jim Banks for falsely signing letter as the ranking member of January 6 committee
INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Democratic Party, the organization that advocates for the future of Indiana and its families, today presented a round up to the Indiana press corps showing how extreme and partisan the Indiana Republican Party has become to be. Whether it was U.S. Congressman Jim Banks committing fraud on the taxpayer dime, State Senator Scott Baldwin holding an “annual” membership to a domestic terrorist organization, or the Westfield City Council voting to defund the town’s police force, Indiana Republicans continue to prove their vision for the state is nothing but extreme partisanship that’s dividing families and communities across Indiana.
Indiana Democrats have been committed to cutting out the INGOP’s partisanship and conspiracy theories, and instead, deliver for Hoosier families on issues that matter most to them. This includes securing $250 million in broadband internet expansion, $540 million for childcare service providers, and fully-funding Indiana’s public schools for the first time in over a decade. All of this was accomplished by President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan, and Indiana Democrats look forward to passing the rest of the Build Back Better agenda soon.
Here’s a look at how the Indiana Republican Party has lost their identity and prioritized a form of extreme partisanship that tarnishes both Hoosier and American values:
One: State Senator Scott Baldwin found to have “annual” membership to domestic terrorist organization tied to January 6 Insurrection
Indiana Public Media: Indiana state senator linked to extremist militia group Oath Keepers
NOTE: Both Baldwin and Indiana Republican Party Chairman Kyle Hupfer have refused to denounce the Oath Keepers.
Two: U.S. Congressman Jim Banks committed fraud on official time with claims he was Ranking Member of the bipartisan January 6 Committee
CNN: GOP Rep. Jim Banks lamented on the House floor that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi prevented him from serving on the House committee investigating the January 6 attack on the US Capitol on Thursday.
And yet, Banks sent a letter to at least one government agency falsely claiming that he is the ranking member of the committee in his signature.
Three: U.S. Congressman Jim Banks also issued anti-trans attacks against Rachel Levine after she was sworn in as the first openly transgender four-star officer
IndyStar: Rep. Jim Banks faces criticism for tweets about first transgender four-star officer
Four: U.S. Senator Mike Braun – known to be a “small government” Republican – bullies City of Chicago about its vaccination requirements, urges police to move to Indiana
NWI Times: Senator urges Chicago cops refusing COVID-19 vaccine to work in Indiana instead
Five: Westfield City Council – Republican dominated – votes to cut funding from town’s law enforcement and first responders
IndyStar: At a previous city council meeting, Westfield staff proposed about $5.1 million in cuts including public works projects and fire department equipment. […]
The additional $5.1 million in cuts to the 2022 budget previously proposed include: About $200,000 in police equipment and vehicles
Six: Indiana Republicans plan to introduce legislation next session to halt President Joe Biden’s updated COVID-19 guidelines, set state back from getting more shots in arms
WPTA: Indiana State Senator Dennis Kruse plans to introduce bill to try and stop President Biden’s employer vaccine mandate
Seven: U.S. Senators Mike Braun and Todd Young vote against protecting the constitutional right to vote
Reuters: U.S. Senate Republicans block voting rights bill as Democrats’ patience wears thin
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