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During the 69th Legislative Assembly, North Dakota Democratic-NPL Insider will provide updates and calls to action each day of the regular session. If you would like to have something added to the newsletter, email us at laura.dronen@demnpl.com. Spread the word of our newsletter by sharing our sign-up link today: https://demnpl.com/join-our-newsletter/.
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What happened today?
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Sen. Keith Boehm’s (R-33) book-banning bill (SB 2307) passed the House yesterday. Today, however, some Republicans who had voted for it yesterday tried to get the bill back on the floor for another vote. Unfortunately, the motion to reconsider failed. Call Kelly Armstrong and tell him to veto this bill: (701) 328-2200.
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What's coming up?
| The 69th Legislative Session is coming to a close soon, but there are still some big votes coming up, including the school voucher bills SB 2400 and HB 1540. These bills use public funds to subsidize private schools. |
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Follow Along!
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Did you know you can watch along with these hearings or watch them later on your own time?
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Help us spread our message—share these recent posts!
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NDSU's Frayne Olson talks about ag economy under Trump administration
Joel Heitkamp is joined on the phone by Frayne Olson to have a conversation about the ag economy under the Trump administration, and how the tariffs are impacting them. Frayne is an Agribusiness Professor and Crops Economist at NDSU.
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El Salvador President says He Won’t Return Abrego Garcia
Olivia Rinaldi, CBS News, is on Afternoons Live with Tyler Axness to discuss this rapidly changing story.
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North Dakota Rep. VanWinkle paid for vacation week, draws criticism from House leadership
VanWinkle has previously drawn criticism for saying, "Perhaps women are going to the IVF clinics because judgment is on their womb and God has effectively closed their womb because we are murdering massive amounts of children in our nation,” during discussion on a bill she sponsored that would have defined a human being to include an unborn child, as reported by the North Dakota Monitor.
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She said she took the time off to join her family on an annual vacation that she had missed for the past two years.
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North Dakota House removes new Ethics Commission position from budget, adds 6-month deadline
House Minority Leader Zac Ista, D-Grand Forks, spoke against the bill. He said a 180-day deadline would prevent the commission from properly probing cases. It may encourage people accused of ethics violations to not cooperate with investigations in an attempt to run out the clock.
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Ista noted the constitutional amendment that created the commission says the Legislature may not do anything to impede its implementation.
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“We’re literally tying their hands,” Ista said.
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Brandon Delvo updates the listeners on challenges that Fort Union faces
Joel Heitkamp is joined by Brandon Delvo on "News and Views" for a conversation on Fort Union. Brandon is a Williston native and served in the U.S. Army from 2002-2013, and is involved in the Fort Union Muzzleloaders Association, Fort Buford 6th Infantry Regimental Association.
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North Dakota House sends bill targeting library content to governor
“That’s a hefty price tag for North Dakota taxpayers, to be sure. But the cost goes beyond dollars and cents,” Cody Schuler, the group's advocacy manager, said in the release. “Passing Senate Bill 2307 and censoring books will also lead to broader economic and social consequences, as reduced innovation, stifled creativity and a less informed public."
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Check out these posts from the national Democratic Party
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The Constitutional Crisis Is Here
The Trump administration is defying a Supreme Court order to retrieve a man it marooned in a Gulag abroad, while pretending to comply with it. What it could do to him, it could do to anyone. More significantly, if the Trump administration can defy court orders with impunity, and Congress is unwilling to act, there is no reason for it to respect the constitutional rights of American citizens either. The Roberts Court will now have to decide whether to side with the Constitution or with a lawless president asserting the power to disappear people at will. This is not a power that any person, much less an American president, is meant to have.
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Trump’s Tariffs Are Encouraging Some Companies to Leave America
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President Donald Trump’s new tariffs are intended to encourage companies to manufacture their products in the United States. But instead, they are actively pushing some American companies away.
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Some American manufacturers still rely on supply chain inputs from other countries and have now seen their operating costs skyrocket. Some of them are eyeing other locations as a new home base, simply to keep their businesses alive. Others are hoping Trump will reverse course or that domestic companies can start providing cheaper sourcing alternatives soon.
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John Roberts created this monster. What is he going to do about him?
Today, a law-abiding migrant is the victim of Trump’s blatantly illegal behavior. The most frightening thing about the first three months of Trump’s second term is not knowing where we stand. Unless and until John Roberts decides to step up and draw some lines, there are no limits on Donald Trump. Even if that happens, it remains to be seen whether Trump will deign to adhere to judicially imposed limits. He is already in violation of two district court orders and one order by the Supreme Court itself.
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A whistleblower's disclosure details how DOGE may have taken sensitive labor data
The employees grew concerned that the NLRB's confidential data could be exposed, particularly after they started detecting suspicious log-in attempts from an IP address in Russia, according to the disclosure. Eventually, the disclosure continued, the IT department launched a formal review of what it deemed a serious, ongoing security breach or potentially illegal removal of personally identifiable information. The whistleblower believes that the suspicious activity warrants further investigation by agencies with more resources, like the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency or the FBI.
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Rural Hospitals and Patients Are Disconnected From Modern Care
Residents in these “dead zone” counties tend to live sicker and die younger than people in the rest of the United States, according to KFF Health News’ analysis. They are places where systemic poverty and historical underinvestment are commonplace, including the remote West, Appalachia, and the rural South.
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'We have laws in this country': Harvard Law Professor reacts to Trump admin's funding freeze
The federal government announced it is freezing more than $2 billion in grants to Harvard after the university said it would not comply with its list of demands. Harvard Law School Professor Nikolas Bowie and MSNBC Legal Correspondent Lisa Rubin join Katy Tur to break down the importance of Harvard standing up to the Trump administration.
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Committees
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Every bill is voted on in the North Dakota legislature, but first, it must go through a committee hearing. The committee will vote to give the bill a "Do Pass" or a "Do Not Pass" recommendation. Below is a list of Standing Committees this legislative session.
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Senate Standing Committee Members
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Meets Thursday and Friday
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Meets Monday through Friday
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Meets Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday
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Meets Thursday and Friday
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Desiree Van Oosting (R-36)
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Meets Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday
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Meets Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday
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Desiree Van Oosting (R-36)
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Meets Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday
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Meets Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday
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Meets Thursday and Friday
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Meets Thursday and Friday
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Meets Thursday and Friday
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House Standing Committee Members
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Meets Thursday and Friday
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Gretchen Dobervich (D-11)
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Cynthia Schreiber-Beck (R-25)
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Meets Monday through Friday
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Meets Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday
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Cynthia Schreiber-Beck (R-25)
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Patrick R. Hatlestad (R-1)
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Meets Thursday and Friday
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Meets Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday
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Mike Motschenbacher (R-47)
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Meets Thursday and Friday
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Gretchen Dobervich (D-11)
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Meets Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday
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Lisa Finley-DeVille (D-4A)
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Meets Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday
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Lawrence R. Klemin (R-47)
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Meets Thursday and Friday
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Patrick R. Hatlestad (R-1)
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Lawrence R. Klemin (R-47)
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Mike Motschenbacher (R-47)
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Meets Thursday and Friday
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Lisa Finley-DeVille (D-4A)
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The Century Club supports our year-round work to build party infrastructure supporting candidate recruitment, local district and regional leadership, issue-based education, and tools for Dem-NPL success.
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Help us elect great Democrats up and down the ballot!
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The North Dakota Democratic-NPL is launching a new grassroots program called “Neighbor to Neighbor” where volunteers will connect with voters in your community to elect Democrats up and down the ballot. As a volunteer, you will be responsible for connecting with voters in 25 homes in your neighborhood or friends and family to help elect Democrats up and down the ballot about 3-4 times this year.
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Grassroots organizers are the lifeblood of the Dem-NPL! Sign up to volunteer with the Dem-NPL!
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