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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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8th Annual Governors Dinner with Former Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn
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Saturday, May 3, 2025 – 6:15 PM
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Join us as we remember and celebrate the amazing work of former ND Governors Guy, Link, and Sinner! May 3rd, we will be at The Post in Mandan for a fundraiser dinner featuring Harry Dunn, a Capitol police officer injured in the line of duty on January 6. At this event each year, we also recognize the notable work of North Dakotans who contribute to the work and culture of the Dem NPL. This year, we are honoring Ryan Taylor with the Governors Legacy of Leadership award, Prairie Rose Seminole with the Hometown Hero award, and Austin Foss with the Young Dems award.
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District 11 Legislative Session Forum
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Saturday, May 10, 2025 – 9:00 AM
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ALL RESIDENTS OF DISTRICT 11 WELCOME!
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📍 FARGO SOUTH HIGH SCHOOL: Room C30
📅: Saturday, May 10th 2025
🕰️: 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
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District 10 Legislative Update
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Saturday, May 10, 2025 – 10:00 AM
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Caribou Coffee, West Fargo
1625 13th Ave E West Fargo
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Join Senator Braunberger and Representative Swiontek for a cup of coffee. Bring your questions about the legislative session
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District 44 Public Forum
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Saturday, May 10, 2025 – 10:00 AM
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Sen. Josh Boschee and Reps. Karla Rose Hanson and Austin Foss will provide updates about the session and take questions
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District 2 Monthly Meeting
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Saturday, May 10, 2025 – 2:00 PM
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Wildrose Fire Hall
416 Main Street, Wildrose
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Join the D2 Dems in Wildrose, ND, for our monthly meeting. Our featured speaker will be Tyler Stafslien, a local farmer and member of the North Dakota Farmers Union board of directors, representing Burke, Divide, Mountrail, Renville, and Williams counties. Tyler will speak with us about the impact of tariffs on North Dakota farmers and provide an update on the Farm Bill. To learn more about Tyler: https://ndfu.org/about/leadership/state-board/tyler-stafslien/
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Cass County Democratic-NPL Policy Meeting
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Tuesday, May 14, 2025 – 5:30 PM
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1325 23rd St S, Suite B, Fargo
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Sen. Josh Boschee and Reps. Karla Rose Hanson and Austin Foss will provide updates about the session and take
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Our monthly meeting which includes representatives from the 11 Legislative Districts in Cass County, elected Legislators and staff.
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Help us spread our message—share these recent posts!
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Federal cuts leave North Dakota disability group ‘heartbroken’ after third of employees laid off
In a Thursday release, Sen. Josh Boschee, D-Fargo, called the action “absolutely devastating.”
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“This is not what North Dakotans voted for this past presidential election,” he said. “The Center for Persons with Disabilities plays an impactful role in ensuring North Dakotans are able to live independently and participate in the workforce. They have quality group living, well-trained staff, and advocate for smart policy to improve the quality of life for our family, friends, and neighbors living with a disability.”
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North Dakota House votes down last standing school choice bill
The House on Thursday night voted 78-14 to kill Senate Bill 2400, with no floor discussion. The bill would have made ESAs available to all North Dakota school children.
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Minot rally highlights worker issues
A monthly protest by residents concerned about the policies of the Trump Administration took place along Broadway in downtown Minot Thursday evening. Acknowledging May 1 as International Workers Day, the crowd of around 55 people focused on federal layoffs and other cuts, including cuts to a program for people with disabilities in Minot, along with rising prices that affect working people.
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Port: Why did we just outlaw the good bathrooms?
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A monthly protest by residents concerned about the policies of the Trump Administration took place along Broadway in downtown Minot Thursday evening. Acknowledging May 1 as International Workers Day, the crowd of around 55 people focused on federal layoffs and other cuts, including cuts to a program for people with disabilities in Minot, along with rising prices that affect
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Which makes this whole exercise seem pointless. If it's okay for boys and girls to wash their hands together in a common area in bathrooms that have been around for decades, or at least were built before July of this year, why is it a big deal in newly constructed facilities? The elementary school I went to when I lived in Alaska in the 1980s had bathrooms with facilities for the boys on one side and girls on the other, with a common sink area in between. We kids seemed to handle it just fine.
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It's not logical to ban this sort of bathroom. But then, we have to remember that what's motivating this legislation isn't any genuine concern about comfort and safety, but a desire to make trans people feel unwelcome in our state.
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Staff at ND Center for Persons with Disabilities react to losing jobs
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Cally Musland, former Producer for "News and Views" and current Editor of North Dakota Living, is filling in for Joel Heitkamp. She's joined by the Executive Director of Humanities North Dakota, Brenna Gerhardt. Humanities North Dakota is an independent nonprofit agency, which provides free or low-cost, accessible meaningful classes and events for North Dakotans to pursue life
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Reactions are pouring in to the news of the cuts.
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The North Dakota Democratic-NPL party put out a statement criticizing the Trump administration for them.
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Assistant Senate Majority Leader Josh Boschee said, “This is not what North Dakotans voted for this past presidential election,” and called the cuts “absolutely devastating.”
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Independence, Inc., another organization in Minot that advocates for those with disabilities, said they were “heartbroken for the staff,” adding, “Their work has mattered and we have always viewed them as partners in our mission.”
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North Dakota governor signs bill to help cancer patients with prescription costs
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However, Ben Hanson, a lobbyist for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, explained that patients can use manufacturer funds to purchase prescriptions at a pharmacy, only to later be informed by their insurance that they still owe money because a third party paid part or all of their deductible.
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This can come with a pause on patients’ coverage from the insurance company until the money is paid.
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“The insurance company is taking their hand out, saying, 'All right, more money please,' from the patient. ‘We'll take it from the (copay) assistance, and we'll take it from you, too,’” Hanson said. “And to me, that's just doubling up your money.”
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Port: The most shameful, self-serving spectacle I've ever seen in North Dakota's Legislature
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Rep. Steve Vetter, meanwhile, whined about being bullied by this process. "We were bullied into this position by the hog house," he said.
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"Well, you know, when you have a bully, what do you do with a bully? When a bully punches you in the mouth, you have two choices. You punch him back or you stand there and take it," he continued.
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Vetter also suggested the bill was part of some conspiracy against lawmakers. "I believe this bill is a gotcha bill," he said, arguing that campaign disclosures would be "weaponized" against candidates.
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DNC, DCCC Kick Off The “Fight to Save Medicaid” Month of Action with New Distributed Organizing Program
“The American people are furious at Trump and Republicans’ dangerous attacks on their health care and vulnerable Republican Representatives Barrett, Bacon, Lawler, and Fitzpatrick will seal their political fate if they go along with Trump’s disastrous budget. To ensure these Republicans understand that it’s either their vote or their job, the DNC is launching its first-ever distributed organizing program to offer voters a platform to join Democrats in taking direct action — from hosting town halls to mobilizing their personal networks — against the GOP’s budget, while building grassroots power for critical elections still ahead. Our representatives must serve the people — not ignore them. Republicans will either learn that lesson now or at the ballot box.”
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Trump's VA strands thousands of veterans by ending a key mortgage program
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, as of Thursday, has ended a new mortgage-rescue program that so far has helped about 20,000 veterans avoid foreclosure and keep their homes.
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The move leaves millions of military veterans with far worse options than most other American homeowners if they run into trouble paying their home loans. And it comes at a time when nearly 90,000 VA loans are seriously past due, with 33,000 of those already in the foreclosure process, according to the data and analytics firm ICE.
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Trump budget would slash rental aid by 40% — and let states fill the gap if they want
The proposal comes as nearly half of all renters are considered cost-burdened and as homelessness is at a record high. Advocates say that if millions of poor people barely making ends meet were to suddenly see their rental aid shrink — or even end altogether — it would tip many over the edge.
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"We would see, I think, homelessness escalate in a way that has been really unprecedented, and unheard of," said Kim Johnson, policy manager with the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
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Fact check: Trump keeps making up gas prices
Two weeks ago, Trump falsely claimed “a couple” states had just seen gas prices fall to $1.98 per gallon. That was not even close to true – no state had an average lower than about $2.70 per gallon, and there was no evidence any individual station was offering gas for under $2 per gallon – but the next day Trump said “three states” had just hit $1.98 per gallon, which was also far from the truth.
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Trump repeated this inaccurate assertion about three $1.98 states at least three times this week. Then, during a commencement address at the University of Alabama on Thursday night, he used an even lower figure.
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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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