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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?
The North Dakota House voted to shift Public Employees' health care premiums back onto employees. The bill was sponsored by Rep. Kyle Davison (R-41).
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Governor Armstrong signed the bill to eliminate Fargoans' ability to use approval voting. The citizens of Fargo voted overwhelmingly to adopt approval voting.
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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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Dan Primack from Axios, "Oil deals slump as prices fall"
Dan Primack is a business editor at Axios and author of the daily Axios Pro Rata newsletter. He covers the world of dealmakers across VC, PE and M&A. He joins Joel on "News and Views" to talk about oil prices under the Trump administration so far.
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Lawmakers Look to Make State Employees Pay Premiums
Nick Archuleta, President of ND United, is on Afternoons Live with Tyler Axness to discuss how this bill would impact state employees and recruitment of new workers.
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Ethics commissioners say bill would impose an arbitrary cutoff for investigations
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Commissioner Ron Goodman wondered whether the bill conflicts with the North Dakota Constitution, which states that the Legislature may not do anything that impedes the responsibilities assigned to the Ethics Commission under Article XIV.
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“It seems to me that that’s going to be a question that maybe the Supreme Court has to answer,” Goodman said.
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House passes Ethics Commission bill -- adds deadline to act on ethics complaints
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House Minority Leader Zac Ista (D-Grand Forks) urged the house to reject the amendments.
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"We're literally tying their hands here," Ista said. "I think it's a clear violation of the text and spirit of the Constitutional measure voters put forward."
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Ista also said the Ethics Commission released a statement, calling Section 6 (of the amended bill) a "roadblock intended to hamper the Commission's work."
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"I don't think we should put that roadblock in place," Ista said.
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Letter: Feeding special interests while families struggle
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The people of North Dakota gave that directive to the state legislature when over 80% expressed support for universal school meals in a statewide poll ahead of the legislative session.
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And let’s not overlook the impact of this policy on all families, no matter where their child enrolls: universal school meals would have saved families nearly $1,000 per child per year — real money that would have stayed in North Dakota pockets, easing the burden on working families.
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Public dollars should serve the public good, not fund private tuition for a select few.
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Port: 'Conservative' helicopter parents churning out a generation of snowflakes
Instead of raising their children to be free-thinking adults, these right-wing helicopter parents are teaching their children, through example, how to be the very sort of perpetually offended nincompoops they accuse liberals of being.
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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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'They can't hide the ball': Judge cracks the whip on Trump lawyers in deportation case
Trump administration lawyers are running out of excuses to avoid being accountable for the rights and whereabouts of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland immigrant father who was improperly deported and sentenced without due process to an indeterminate amount of time in a prison in El Salvador. Rina Gandhi, and attorney for Mr. Abrego Garcia, talks with Rachel Maddow about how the judge is pinning down the Trump lawyers for answers and accountability.
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BREAKING: Judge Starts Criminal Contempt Proceedings Against Trump Admin
Federal Judge James Boasberg said he’d found probable cause to hold the Trump administration in contempt of court for showing “a willful disregard” toward his March 15 orders requiring it return to the U.S. the hundreds of Venezuelan migrants it sent to a notorious prison in El Salvador using an 18th-century wartime law. Marc Elias explains what happens now.
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Democrats sound alarm on Social Security as Biden returns to stage
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Former President Joe Biden returned to the stage Tuesday and warned that the Trump administration has put Americans’ retirement benefits at risk.
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“They’ve taken a hatchet to the Social Security Administration,” Biden said.
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The former president suggested that the Trump administration wants to “wreck” Social Security so they can “rob it.”
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In the middle of a hepatitis outbreak, U.S. shutters the one CDC lab that could help
But on April 1, the outbreak investigation was brought to a halt. All 27 of the lab's scientists received an email from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services informing them that they were losing their jobs. Like thousands of other employees who received similar emails that day, the scientists were told they would be placed on administrative leave until June 2, after which they would no longer work for the CDC.
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Sen. Chris Van Hollen travels to El Salvador to advocate for Kilmar Abrego Garcia's release
“I’m also asking the government of El Salvador and the president and vice president of El Salvador not to keep a man who was illegally abducted from the United States and charged with no crime to remain CECOT when, as a sovereign country, they have the power to let him go and let him go now, and I hope they will,” Van Hollen said, referring to the acronym for the prison where Abrego Garcia is being held. The senator added, “I will keep pressing in my remaining time here, and I will keep pressing beyond that, if necessary.”
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LIVE: Thousands Attend Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in Montana Rally | N18G
Fighting Oligarchy Tour in Missoula, Montana
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez raised $9.6 million in the first quarter of 2025, the best quarter ever for the New York progressive Democrat. The big haul comes as Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders hold rallies across the United States to criticize President Donald Trump, DOGE chief Elon Musk, and others.
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We’re About to Find Out What Mass Deportation Really Looks Like
ICE carried out about 18,500 deportations in March, according to unpublished ICE data I obtained. That is down from 23,100 in March 2024, when illegal border crossings were much higher, giving ICE more easy-to-deport migrants. At the current rate, deportations are on pace to decline—not increase—during Trump’s first year in office.
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With ICE unable to pad its stats with easy border removals, and sanctuary jurisdictions limiting the agency’s access to jails in cities with large immigrant populations, the path to 1 million deportations is steep. Finding and arresting immigration violators in U.S. cities and communities is the slowest and most resource-intensive way for ICE to operate.
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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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