TheChat: Planned Parenthood probe fizzles out

Good morning.

▪ “The Legislature's ability to conduct investigations is very, very limited.” — Missouri state Sen. Kurt Schaefer reflecting on the General Assembly’s probe of how Planned Parenthood disposes of fetal tissue.

After more than a year of hearings, Schaefer, a candidate for attorney general, acknowledged that the investigation fell short when it came to gathering all the information Republican senators sought. More questions than answers were unearthed, Republicans said.

▪ “In small communities, rural communities, it's not as bad as it used to be.” — Charley Joe Dill, an organizer of the Pulaski County, Missouri, Pride festival, which is in its third year.

Prejudice is still an issue, but Dill sees progress even in a rural Missouri area like his.

▪ “The expenditures were ‘testing the waters’ expenditures.” — Scott Poor, an attorney for one-time independent Kansas Senate candidate Greg Orman, acknowledging that Orman at one point considered a 2016 run against Republican incumbent Jerry Moran.

Orman eventually backed away, even though he spent more than $5,000 on his exploratory effort. Moran is not considered as vulnerable this year as fellow Republican Pat Roberts was in 2014. Orman lost to Roberts that year by 11 points.

▪ “The speaker heard us. He's listening. But he couldn't give us any assurances or guarantee that the bills that we've been asking to be placed on the agenda, that they would be brought up.” — Georgia Congressman John Lewis after a meeting with House Speaker Paul Ryan in which the Democrats asked for votes on proposals to reduce gun violence.

As a result, Democrats may renew their unprecedented sit-in on the House floor until they get what they want.