Meet the state rep blocking legislation against child vaccine mandates: Dean Plocher

Frontline News earlier this month reported some Missouri lawmakers trying to pass legislation to protect children from COVID-19 vaccine mandates. The bill would also restore parental authority over children’s health decisions and protect doctors issuing medical exemptions to the COVID vaccine. 

Over 850 citizens supported HB 2009 at its hearing, according to Missouri First. 

But according to Rep. Sean Pouche, GOP lawmakers are being “bullied” by lobbyists and special interest groups to sabotage the bill. 

As of this report, HB 2009, sponsored by State Rep. Suzie Pollack (R-MO), seems to be stalled. While it was passed in the House on March 1^st and then placed on the formal perfection calendar on March 30^th, it has not yet been passed to the state senate. 

Dean Plocher may be why. 

According to sources familiar with the legislation, Majority Floor Leader Dean Plocher remains the gatekeeper for HB 2009 and, while he voted for and outwardly supports the bill, he has been using backdoor political strategies to prevent the bill from becoming statute. 

Sources also say Plocher is being influenced by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), a powerful medical lobby. 

The AAP is open about its agenda, which includes masking children 2-5 years old – whether or not required – and injecting children 5 and up with the COVID-19 shot. The organization also discourages the “bullying” of children for wearing masks. 

“We encourage each family to make a plan that works best for them, while also modeling empathy and discouraging bullying of any child who chooses to mask to protect themselves and their family even when not required to do so,” said AAP President Moira Szilagyi in a statement. 

On the issue of parental rights, the AAP believes that minors should be entitled to have abortions without parental consent. 

The lobby, whose main legislative office is in Washington, D.C., has published training guides on how to persuade lawmakers to abide by its agenda. The AAP boasts that it effectively lobbied the Biden administration to push COVID-19 vaccines for children.  

These persuasion tactics appear to have also been effective in persuading Plocher. 

“Plocher is part of a large contingency of establishment RINOs that are actively working to bring down our state,” Missouri RINO Watch Executive Strategist Joshua Lehman told AFLDS Frontline News. “He’s the real issue we face right now.” 

Plocher has not responded to Frontline News’ request for comment, but can be reached at the following contact information: 

Rep. Dean Plocher 
Phone: 573-751-1544 
E-Mail: Dean.Plocher@house.mo.gov