Changes

==Career==

==Career==

In 1994, Milkovich and his wife were the attorneys in the case of James Marvin Monds (born December 1963), a former surgical technician at Barksdale Air Force Base, who won release after serving nearly nine years for the [[murder]] in 1985 of Vicki Thomas, who was raped, assaulted, and killed at a parking lot at a [[Bossier City]] high school. Monds became the key suspect when his vehicle, a Ford Bronco, was identified as the one at the scene of the murder. Monds testified that he had never met Vicki Thomas and had no knowledge of her death but had cut his hand while working on a flat tire the night of the crime. The Louisiana Supreme Court, which heard the case after the Second Circuit Court of Appeals recused itself, ruled that insufficient evidence - most of what was available was circumstantial nature - existed to continue to incarcerate Monds. He was therefore declared "acquitted" and released.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.leagle.com/decision/19941167631So2d536_11006/STATE%20v.%20MONDS|title=State of Louisiana v. James M. Monds|publisher=leagle.com|accessdate=June 6, 2017}}</ref> Milkovich accused the presiding judge in the case, [[Graydon K. Kitchens, Jr.]], of [[Minden, Louisiana|Minden]] in Webster Parish and then District Attorney Henry Newton Brown, Jr., of Bossier City, later a circuit court judge (Both Kitchens and Brown have since retired from the bench.), of having engaged in serious legal errors in the case. Milkovich accused Judge Kitchens of trying to block testimony which would have cleared Monds, and he further accused Brown and Monds' former wife, Shea, of plotting the killing of Thomas.<ref>Danny Anderson, "Lawyer: Death No Puzzle," ''Minden Press-Herald'', May 5, 1994, pp. 1-2.</ref> The charge against Brown was quickly repudiated by James M. "Jim" Bullers, who succeeded Brown as district attorney of Bossier and Webster parishes: "The theory was and is so ridiculous that it's almost unbelievable. I personally believe that Milkovich is totally obsessed with Henry Brown. I really don't know if he believes it himself."<ref>Pat Culverhouse, "Bullers rejects theory: nothing new," ''Minden Press-Herald'', May 6, 1994, p. 1.</ref>  

In 1994, Milkovich and his wife were the attorneys in the case of James Marvin Monds (born December 1963), a former surgical technician at Barksdale Air Force Base, who won release after serving nearly nine years for the [[murder]] in 1985 of Vicki Thomas, who was raped, assaulted, and killed at a parking lot at a [[Bossier City]] high school. Monds became the key suspect when his vehicle, a Ford Bronco, was identified as the one at the scene of the murder. Monds testified that he had never met Vicki Thomas and had no knowledge of her death but had cut his hand while working on a flat tire the night of the crime. The Louisiana Supreme Court, which heard the case after the Second Circuit Court of Appeals recused itself, ruled that insufficient evidence - most of what was available was circumstantial nature - existed to continue to incarcerate Monds. He was therefore declared "acquitted" and released.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.leagle.com/decision/19941167631So2d536_11006/STATE%20v.%20MONDS|title=State of Louisiana v. James M. Monds|publisher=leagle.com|accessdate=June 6, 2017}}</ref> Milkovich accused the presiding judge in the case, [[Graydon K. Kitchens, Jr.]], of [[Minden, Louisiana|Minden]] in Webster Parish and then District Attorney Henry Newton Brown, Jr., of Bossier City, later a circuit court judge (Both Kitchens and Brown have since retired from the bench.), of having engaged in serious legal errors in the case. Milkovich accused Judge Kitchens of trying to block testimony which would have cleared Monds, and he further accused Brown and Monds' former wife, Shea, of plotting the killing of Thomas.<ref>Danny Anderson, "Lawyer: Death No Puzzle," ''Minden Press-Herald'', May 5, 1994, pp. 1-2.</ref> The charge against Brown was quickly repudiated by James M. "Jim" Bullers, who succeeded Brown as district attorney of Bossier and Webster parishes: "The theory was and is so ridiculous that it's almost unbelievable. I personally believe that Milkovich is totally obsessed with Henry Brown. I really don't know if he believes it himself."<ref>Pat Culverhouse, "Bullers rejects theory: nothing new," ''Minden Press-Herald'', May 6, 1994, p. 1.</ref>  

In 2002, Milkovich was an unsuccessful candidate for Louisiana's 4th congressional district seat. He lost to the then incumbent, [[Moderate Republican]] [[Jim McCrery]], 114,649 (72 percent) to 42,340 (26 percent).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/Graphical|title=Election Returns|date=November 5, 2002|publisher=Louisiana Secretary of State|accessdate=September 20, 2017}}</ref> In 2008, he again ran for Congress but lost the Democratic nomination to then Caddo Parish District Attorney Paul Carmouche. Milkovich finished third in the primary with 21 percent of the ballots cast<ref>{{cite web|url=https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/Graphical|title=Election Returns|date=October 4, 2008|publisher=Louisiana Secretary of State|accessdate=September 20, 2017}}</ref> and was hence eliminated from the runoff contest narrowly won not by Carmouche but by Republican [[John Fleming]], a physician from Minden. The seat is now held by Republican [[Mike Johnson|James Michael "Mike" Johnson]] of Benton in Bossier Parish.

In 2002, Milkovich was an unsuccessful candidate for Louisiana's 4th congressional district seat. He lost to the then incumbent, [[Moderate Republican]] [[Jim McCrery]], 114,649 (72 percent) to 42,340 (26 percent).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/Graphical|title=Election Returns|date=November 5, 2002|publisher=Louisiana Secretary of State|accessdate=September 20, 2017}}</ref> In 2008, he again ran for Congress but lost the Democratic nomination to then Caddo Parish District Attorney Paul Carmouche. Milkovich finished third in the primary with 21 percent of the ballots cast<ref>{{cite web|url=https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/Graphical|title=Election Returns|date=October 4, 2008|publisher=Louisiana Secretary of State|accessdate=September 20, 2017}}</ref> and was hence eliminated from the runoff contest narrowly won not by Carmouche but by Republican [[John Fleming]], a physician from Minden. The seat is now held by Republican [[Mike Johnson|James Michael "Mike" Johnson]] of Benton in Bossier Parish.

In April 2018, Milkovich obtained state Senate approval, 28-3, of his proposal to ban elective abortions in Louisiana beyond fifteen weeks of gestation. The state has a ban now on abortion beyond twenty weeks. The measure now heads to the state House. A similar law in [[Mississippi]] has been placed on hold by a liberal federal judge. Milkovich called such abortions "torture". Amy Irvin of the New Orleans Abortion Fund called Milkovich's legislation a "cruel and dangerous bill" during testimony before the House  Judiciary C Committee.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thenewsstar.com/story/news/2018/04/24/sen-milkovich-abortions-beyond-15-weeks-torture/545266002/|title=Sen. Milkovich: Abortions beyond 15 weeks 'torture'|author=[[Greg Hilburn]]|publisher=''The Monroe News-Star''|date=April 24, 2018|accessdate=April 26, 2018}}</ref> Milkovich called passage of his 15-week measure "a great day for America ... a great day for unborn babies.” Milkovich advocates the overturning of the [[United States Supreme Court]]'s ''[[Roe v. Wade]]'' opinion in 1973 which on a 7-2 vote legalized abortion in all states. “We want to have statues in place so that when ''Roe v. Wade'' gets overturned, we are in a position to say ‘Look, we are putting abortion clinics out of business in Louisiana,’” Milkovich said.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wwl.radio.com/articles/senator-john-milkovich-ecstatic-over-possible-repeal-roe-v-wade|title=Sen. John Milkovich is ecstatic over possible repeal of ''Roe v. Wade''|publisher=WWL Radio in [[New Orleans]]|date=July 16, 2018|accessdate=July 17, 2018}}</ref>

 

In April 2018, Milkovich obtained state Senate approval, 28-3, of his proposal to ban elective [[abortion]]ns in Louisiana beyond fifteen weeks of gestation. The state has a ban now on abortion beyond twenty weeks. A similar law in [[Mississippi]] was placed on hold by a liberal federal judge. Milkovich called such abortions "torture". Amy Irvin of the New Orleans Abortion Fund called Milkovich's legislation a "cruel and dangerous bill" during testimony before the House  Judiciary C Committee.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thenewsstar.com/story/news/2018/04/24/sen-milkovich-abortions-beyond-15-weeks-torture/545266002/|title=Sen. Milkovich: Abortions beyond 15 weeks 'torture'|author=[[Greg Hilburn]]|publisher=''The Monroe News-Star''|date=April 24, 2018|accessdate=April 26, 2018}}</ref> Milkovich called passage of his 15-week measure "a great day for America ... a great day for unborn babies.” Milkovich advocates the overturning of the [[United States Supreme Court]]'s ''[[Roe v. Wade]]'' opinion in 1973 which on a 7-2 vote legalized abortion in all states. “We want to have statues in place so that when ''Roe v. Wade'' gets overturned, we are in a position to say ‘Look, we are putting abortion clinics out of business in Louisiana,’” Milkovich said.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wwl.radio.com/articles/senator-john-milkovich-ecstatic-over-possible-repeal-roe-v-wade|title=Sen. John Milkovich is ecstatic over possible repeal of ''Roe v. Wade''|publisher=WWL Radio in [[New Orleans]]|date=July 16, 2018|accessdate=July 17, 2018}}</ref>

In June 2018, Milkovich was the only dissenting senator when the body approved, 38-1, a half-cent sales tax on the current temporary law and ending of certain business deductions. Milkovich said that he cast his "nay" vote to call attention to the need for spending cuts. "We introduced budget amendments … to cut more than $290 million of wasteful spending. I voted against the budget, and I voted against three and a half billion dollars in sales taxes over the next seven years," Milkovich explained.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://710keel.com/sen-john-milkovich-why-he-was-the-senates-only-no-vote-video/|title=Sen. John Milkovich: Why he was the Senate's only no vote [Video]"|publisher=KEEL Radio|accessdate=June 4, 2018}}</ref>

In June 2018, Milkovich was the only dissenting senator when the body approved, 38-1, a half-cent sales tax on the current temporary law and ending of certain business deductions. Milkovich said that he cast his "nay" vote to call attention to the need for spending cuts. "We introduced budget amendments … to cut more than $290 million of wasteful spending. I voted against the budget, and I voted against three and a half billion dollars in sales taxes over the next seven years," Milkovich explained.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://710keel.com/sen-john-milkovich-why-he-was-the-senates-only-no-vote-video/|title=Sen. John Milkovich: Why he was the Senate's only no vote [Video]"|publisher=KEEL Radio|accessdate=June 4, 2018}}</ref>