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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 [email protected]. Spread the word of our newsletter by sharing our sign-up link today: https://demnpl.com/join-our-newsletter/.
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The "Truth in Sentencing bill" (SB 2128) that has been the cause of a public feud between AG Drew Wrigley and DOCR Director Colby Braun passed the Senate today. Our Democratic Senators all voted no.
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A number of gun bills were voted on in the House. One that passed would make it a felony to use a binary trigger in the commission of a crime. Another was a bill (HB 1326) from Rep. Mary Schneider (D-21) which would prevent a convicted fellow from claiming "self-defense" if they use a weapon in a subsequent crime.
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Rep. Lisa Finley-DeVille's (D-4a) bill (HB 1581) to fund tribal tourism grants also passed the House!
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What's coming up?
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Crossover
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The House and Senate must finish voting on all their bills by February 28! Then the bills that have passed cross over to the other legislative body to be heard in committee and voted on. The House is meeting every afternoon and evening to get these votes in. You can follow along with their daily calendar here, and you can follow the Senate's calendar here!
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Help us spread our message—share these recent posts!
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North Dakota House passes bill to regulate conversion therapy in social work settings
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The two ideas could be seen as contradictory and enacting the "vague" law could put social workers at risk of violating their code of ethics, said Rep. Gretchen Dobervich, D-Fargo.
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Social workers have never been able to conduct conversion therapy, added Dobervich, who has a background in social work.
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"This is confusing. We're saying psychotherapy for conversion therapy is not OK, but then a few lines down, we're saying it's OK to provide counseling to people who are questioning their gender or sexual orientation who want to align with their personal beliefs," she said.
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Free school meals bill fails in the North Dakota House
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Rep. Zac Ista, D-Grand Forks, said it was one way to help fight inflation for families with school children.
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“All of us who promise that we’re going to come here to lower costs, there are not that many levers we can pull to do that. This is one,” Ista said.
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Port: The campaign to make North Dakota a bitter, unwelcoming place
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This collection of bills, all organized around the theme of making North Dakota an unwelcoming place to certain people, hasn't happened by accident. It's a reflection of a specific agenda embraced by some lawmakers and, we must not fail to acknowledge, a significant portion of the electorate who voted for them.
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These people want legal immigrants, and legal refugees, and Muslims, and Jews, and atheists, and trans people, and gay men like Foss, among others, to know that they aren't wanted here.
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Laurie Levenson shares her legal expertise on DOGE and Elon Musk
Joel Heitkamp is joined again by Laurie Levenson on "News and Views." Laurie is a Professor of Law and David W. Burcham Chair in Ethical Advocacy at Loyola Law School in California. At Loyola, Professor Levenson is the Founding Director of the Loyola Project for the Innocent, the Loyola Center for Ethical Advocacy, and the Fidler Institute on Criminal Justice, and Senior Faculty for Loyola's Journalist Law School.
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Joel and Laurie talk about Elon Musk and his DOGE, after key U.S. agencies, including the FBI, State Department and the Pentagon, instructed their employees not to comply with cost-cutting chief Elon Musk’s latest demand that federal workers explain what they accomplished last week — or risk losing their job.
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ND Senate strikes bill to allow intelligent design to be taught in K-12 science curriculum
A bill to require intelligent design to be taught in North Dakota K-12 science classes narrowly failed on the Senate floor Monday, Feb. 24.
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Intelligent design is a theory that an intelligent designer, like God, created all life on Earth. The theory is resisted by the state's science community.
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North Dakota Senate approves truth-in-sentencing bill, but not without lengthy debate
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Transitional housing inmates are monitored by DOCR staff, said Sen. Ryan Braunberger, D-Fargo. He used to work in such a facility, he said, adding he would test inmates for alcohol and drug use when they returned to transitional centers. He also said he conducted random checks at the places they said they were going.
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The facilities have measures in place for law enforcement to find inmates who walk away, including requiring inmates to wear ankle monitors, Braunberger said.
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“I think we need to make sure that we hear the whole picture, that it is not a free-for-all like it was implied,” he said.
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House looks at various gun bills, Senate wraps up budgets
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The bill also makes it a felony to use a binary trigger in the commission of a crime, a move made after a binary trigger was used in the deadly shooting in Fargo two years ago.
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“If nothing else, recognize that we lost a really good young man, and this is a small thing to recognize that,” said Rep. Liz Conmy, D-Fargo.
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Letter: Very short-sighted to cut funding for PBS and NPR
In an era where misinformation runs rampant, the role of unbiased news reporting cannot be overstated. PBS and NPR have consistently delivered accurate and balanced news coverage, free from commercial influences. They have been a reliable source of information, helping us make informed decisions as citizens. Their commitment to journalistic integrity has set them apart in a media landscape that is often driven by sensationalism and partisanship.
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Check out these posts from the national Democratic Party
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House GOP voting for Medicaid cuts are ‘signing their political death warrant’ at polls: Rep. Boyle
The House of Representatives is gearing up to vote on a budget bill, endorsed by President Trump, that would fulfill most of Trump’s legislative priorities. The bill includes tax breaks for the wealthy partially paid for by steep cuts to Medicaid and SNAP benefits. Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., joins Alex Witt to share his thoughts on DOGE cuts and the divide between House and Senate GOP on passing a federal budget.
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Musk Scandal at USAID Takes Ugly Turn, Putting Starving Kids at Risk
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“Starving children are waiting for this product to arrive,” Salem said.
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Meanwhile, the Georgia-based nonprofit Mana Nutrition has enough ingredients to manufacture the product for around 200,000 badly malnourished children, pursuant to its contract, according to its co-founder and CEO, Mark Moore. He cannot figure out who at USAID is now overseeing or processing the contract, or get confirmation that USAID wants it completed.
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Democrats blast U.S. House GOP budget, predicting potential cuts to Medicaid
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“This will mean rural hospitals will close, nursing homes will shut down, addiction treatment centers will close their doors, and the most vulnerable will die because of the Republican budget,” the Minnesota Democrat said.
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Sen. Chris Murphy said cuts to Medicaid would mean that “millions of working families who have insurance today — because, by the way, 24% of Americans get their health care from Medicaid ... all of a sudden don’t have their health care tomorrow.”
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Upheaval and firings at CDC raise fears about disease outbreak response
"This seems like the worst time to be taking steps to degrade our nation's preparedness," says Dr. David Fleming, a former CDC official who now chairs the agency's Advisory Committee to the Director. "They are greatly diminishing CDC and the country's ability to respond to emerging infectious threats."
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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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