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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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Friday Federal News Round Up - February 7
We are day 19 into the current POTUS 2nd term. (Remember they only get 2 terms per the constitution, which he took an oath to uphold.) And a whole lotta stuff has gone down, mostly directed by an unelected gajillionaire from South Africa.
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New Polling: Trump and His Billionaire Backers Are Deeply Unpopular After Disastrous First Weeks in Office
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Trump hasn’t even been in office for a month and his approval ratings have dropped. In his first few weeks, he’s signed out-of-touch executive orders and installed unqualified billionaires in his Cabinet instead of working to lower costs for working families.
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Elon Musk, an out-of-touch billionaire Trump tapped to make the government “more efficient” but is instead wreaking havoc at the expense of working families, is also deeply unpopular with the American people.
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Americans overwhelmingly oppose Musk since his elevation to DOGE.
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The American people are not buying what Trump is selling: 6 in 10 American adults disapprove of Trump’s reliance on billionaires and their attacks on workers.
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Even independents view Trump and his billionaire Cabinet as chaotic and reckless with a deep concern about their influence on the administration.
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The bottom line: In less than three weeks, Donald Trump and the billionaires he enabled are facing steep backlash after putting their own selfish interests above the interests of working families.
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Instead of Fighting for Working Families, Trump is Too Busy Giving Billionaire Elon Musk Access to Your Social Security Number
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As he ignores the promises he made to lower costs for working families, Trump is giving Elon Musk full access to highly sensitive government data — giving Musk the ability to halt Social Security and health care payments.
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No one elected Elon, but he’s already the worst president America has ever had.
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Democrats are fighting back: On Thursday, House Democrats introduced the Taxpayer Data Protection Act to protect taxpayers’ sensitive financial information from Elon Musk and his cronies.
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Very specific ways POTUS’s actions are impacting us:
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US citizens who are deemed criminals may be sent to El Salvador.
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FBI agents who did their job and investigated Capitol riots are now known to POTUS’s DOJ officials.
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The price of your bill at Waffle House is now going up if you order eggs.
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Health websites and data have been pulled down.
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POTUS foreign aid freeze and USAID shutdown have crippled global efforts to relieve hunger, leaving about 500,000 metric tons of food with $340M in limbo.
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Democrats and others are fighting back, however. Here are some of the ways:
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Ontario cancels Musk’s Starlink contract in response to US tariffs on Canada, saying “Ontario won’t do business with people hellbent on destroying our economy.”
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New York’s governor signs a law shielding doctors who send abortion pills out of state.
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Immigrant rights groups and ACLU sue the POTUS administration for blocking the US-Mexico border to asylum seekers.
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Labor and advocacy groups sue the treasury secretary over Musk’s access to sensitive information.
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Sen Richard Blumenthal threatens a hold on DOJ nominees.
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Hundreds of high school students walked out of classes in LA to protest deportations and rally outside city hall.
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Palestinians reject Trump’s suggestion to leave Gaza.
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A wartime CIA guide on sabotaging fascism has gone viral.
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13 states plan to file lawsuit over DOGE access to treasury systems. (as much as Drew Wrigley loves to sign on to these multi-state suits, I'm betting he doesn’t join this one).
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Unions file lawsuit over POTUS dismantling of USAID.
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Remember this: less than 50% of the US voted for the current president. The rest of us did not, and we have all the power if we claim it. Call your congresspeople and let them know what you think.
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Fedorchak: DC office 202.225.2611 Fargo office 701.353.6665
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Hoeven: DC office 202.224.2551 Fargo office 701.232.5094
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Cramer: DC office 202.224.2043 Fargo office 701.239.5389
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-Cheryl Biller, Democratic-NPL Executive Director
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What happened today in the ND legislature?
A poorly thought-out bathroom bill (HB 1144) from Rep. Bill Tveit (R-33) passed the House today. This bill would ban single-use bathrooms that have a common sink area in schools. Effectively, they're banning a style of bathroom that is more private and safer.
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Sen. Josh Boschee (D-44) presented SB 2331 which would establish a Theodore Roosevelt National Park working group and SB 2332 which would establish a Legacy Earnings Emergency
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Services and Public Safety Fund.
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Rep. Lisa Finley-DeVille (D-4a) presented HB 1611 which calls for a legislative management study regarding oil and chemical spills on state highways within the Fort Berthold Reservation.
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Rep. Collette Brown (D-9) presented HB 1455 which would require the Indian affairs commission to review each legislative measurer put forward to determine if it pertains to matters with tribal implications. If so, the director of the Indian affairs commission would consult with the tribal chairpersons of each tribe before the standing committee hearing on the measure.
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What's coming up?
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Senator Justin Gerhardt is introducing a concurrent resolution (SCR 4021) which would urge the United States Federal Government to end the disadvantaged business enterprise (DBE) program and other diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. The DBE program is for small businesses that are 51% owned by a socially and economically disadvantaged individual(s).
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Senator Keith Boehm (R-33) is bringing back a book banning bill SB 2307!
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Democratic-NPL Bills
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Rep. Gretchen Dobervich's bill (HB 1433) which would create a dementia response program is scheduled for a vote on Monday. Unfortunately, it narrowly received a DO NOT PASS recommendation from the Human Services Committee.
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Sen. Josh Boschee (D-44) will present SB 2377 to ensure that a preferred provider arrangement may not restrict a covered person from receiving additional dental care services that were denied due to annual, lifetime, or frequency limitations being met by the covered person's dental plan.
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Rep. Austin Foss (D-44) will present HB 1495 which would protect candidates for the legislature from discrimination and termination by their employer.
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Rep. LaurieBeth Hager (D-21) will present HB 1108 in the Senate Human Services Committee. This bill would designate an interstate contract for the treatment of persons with substance use disorders or mental illness conditions. It passed the House in January, and because it has an emergency clause it has already moved over to the Senate.
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Rep. Hager will also introduce HB 1553 which will provide school meals for all!
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Legislative Updates with District 21
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Saturday, February 8, 2025 – 11:30 AM
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Amvets 1001 1st Ave S, Fargo
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We are hosting a Legislative Update Lunch on February 8th! We will be hearing from Senator Kathy Hogan and Representatives Mary Schneider and LaurieBeth Hager. We would love to see you there- and invite a friend!
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Where: AMVETS Post 7 1001 1st Ave S Fargo
When: 11:30-1:00 PM
$8 brats/burgers plus sides (optional)
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Excited to see you all there!
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District 36, 37, and 39 Reorganizations
Wednesday, February 12, 2025 – 7:00 PM
The Press Box at Players Sports Bar & Grill
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2050 1st Ave E, Dickinson
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District Reorganization is a great time to get involved in your local Democratic-NPL Party! District 36 is located in Dunn, Stark, and Morton Counties. District 37 is located in the City of Dickinson. District 39 is located in Golden Valley, Billings, Slope, Bowman, Dunn, Hettinger, Stark, and Adams Counties.
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District 24 Reorganization
Sunday, February 16, 2025 – 2:00 PM
District 24 Headquarters
200 N. Central Ave. Valley City
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Jamie Selzler, North Dakota Democratic National Committeeman, will present our keynote address. Some of you may have heard him on KFGO recently, talking with Joel Heitkamp. I am eager to hear what he has to say. Following his speech, as well as some time for questions, we will tend to our principal business: electing officers for the coming two years.
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Cass County Dem-NPL Re-organization meeting
Saturday, February 22, 2025 – 10:00 AM
Carl Ben Eielson School
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All Dem-NPL districts will meet on Saturday, February 22nd at Carl Ben Eielson school, 1601 S 13th Ave. Fargo from 10:00-12:30 pm. Coffee & Rolls will be served. We will meet in the lunchroom for the kickoff before each district moves to their assigned room to elect, Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary & Treasurer and any additional leadership that the district membership deems necessary.
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The District with the most members will be awarded a prize!
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Please join your neighbors from all 11 districts in Cass County and help plan the next two years to be successful ones.
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Northern Valley Dem-NPL Reorganization
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Saturday, March 1, 2025 – 10:00 AM
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Ramada Inn Grand Forks
1205 N 43rd St, Grand Forks
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Save the Date!
We’re excited to announce the Northern Valley Dem-NPL (NVD) Re-Organization event!
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Please mark your calendar and join us for this important gathering:
When: Saturday, March 1, 2025
Time: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Where: Ramada by Wyndham Grand Forks
This is a great opportunity to connect with fellow Democrats, engage in meaningful discussions, and plan for the future. Spread the word and bring your friends along!
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District 6 – 2025 Reorganizational Meeting
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Sunday, March 2, 2025 – 2:30 PM
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Velva Senior Citizens
122 Main St., Velva
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Learn what is happening both locally and at the national level. Meet and greet friends from across the state. Establish the District Leadership we need for the next election cycle. Join in and make a difference. Change begins at the District level. Get involved!
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Dist 29 Dem-NPL Reorganization Meeting
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Sunday, March 16, 2025 – 2:00 PM
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District 29 Democratic-NPL will host their Re-Organization meeting March 16 2pm at the Pekin Community Center.
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Help us spread our message—share these recent posts!
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Lawmakers weigh library censorship. Again.
The legislator’s comment sounds like he already has a personal list of books that he feels are inappropriate. However, using one individual’s viewpoint to guide what a library removes from their collections violates North Dakotans’ First Amendment rights. If libraries pull those books from public circulation, it exposes North Dakota libraries to potential lawsuits from those who can rightfully claim they are being denied access to materials, which is their First Amendment right affirmed through cases such as the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1982 ruling in Board of Education v. Pico.
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Port: Attorney General Drew Wrigley is mired in a grudge match with state prison officials
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On Wednesday, Feb. 5, Attorney General Drew Wrigley stood before members of the Senate Judiciary Committee and repeatedly accused the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation of fudged numbers and failure to protect the public.
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He did so while pointing repeatedly at Colby Braun, the director of DOCR, who was seated behind him, visibly uncomfortable under the verbal barrage. To hear Wrigley tell it, DOCR officials are emptying the jails with unilateral decisions to shorten sentences, thus releasing violent offenders into our communities, where they're driving up crime rates. He's also accused opponents of his legislation of being soft on crime and indifferent to public safety.
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North Dakota House passes bill banning shared gender-neutral bathrooms, sinks
"The bathroom design that this bill seeks to prohibit effectively addresses many challenges schools currently face," he said before listing vaping, vandalism and bullying as some of those challenges.
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North Dakota lawmakers consider funding tribal oil spills study
House Bill 1611, introduced at the House Agriculture Committee by Rep. Lisa Finley-DeVille, D-Mandaree, would direct legislative management to study the environmental and public health risks of spills on state highways within the boundaries of the Fort Berthold Reservation, the oil-rich tribal nation that shares geography with northwest North Dakota.
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Why does he have it?
That being said, I’m not willing to say it was Elon Musk that won. His name was never on the ballot. He’s never gone through a confirmation hearing. Hell, he’s never even gone through a tough interview. Not once did Musk do anything to prove he’s looking out for the public good.
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So why in the world would he and his interns have access to our social security numbers? Why would Donald Trump provide, and Republicans in Congress allow the most private information to fall into Musk’s hands?
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Musk’s DOGE Teen Was Fired By Cybersecurity Firm for Leaking Company Secrets
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“Edward has been terminated for leaking internal information to the competitors,” said a June 2022 message from an executive of the firm, Path Network, which was seen by Bloomberg News. “This is unacceptable and there is zero tolerance for this.”
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A spokesperson for the Arizona-based hosting and data-security firm said Thursday: “I can confirm that Edward Coristine's brief contract was terminated after the conclusion of an internal investigation into the leaking of proprietary company information that coincided with his tenure.”
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Why Trump’s Scare Tactics FAIL Against True Journalism | The Secret Podcast Preview
This is the full version of The Secret Podcast.
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Why the "President Elon Musk" mockery doesn't seem to bother Donald Trump
Trump learned a valuable lesson from this: It's way more fun to be the facsimile than the real thing. He barely showed up at the office in his first term, and clearly hated every minute of actual work. Whether they've explicitly discussed it or not, it appears he and Musk have a deal: One will do the annoying dirty work of illegally smashing up the federal bureaucracy, while the other pretends to be a president for the cameras and fanfare. Trump gets to sign papers and get his picture taken. He gets to do fun reality-TV villain stuff, like threatening tariffs but mostly not enacting them, because that would create consequences he doesn't want to deal with. As with being a fake businessman on "The Apprentice," being a fake president is much better than the real thing. He gets all the ego-fluffing and attention, while not having to think about stuff, much less do any work.
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WTF Is DOGE Doing in Department in Charge of Nuclear Weapons?
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CNN reports that Luke Farritor, 23, whose previous work experience consists of an internship at Musk’s company SpaceX was granted access by Energy Secretary Chris Wright Wednesday. The department’s legal counsel and chief information offices, which govern I.T. and cybersecurity, “said this is a bad idea,” according to a source who spoke with CNN, given that Farritor hadn’t received a standard background check.
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“He’s not cleared to be in DOE, on our systems. None of those things have been done,” said the unnamed source.
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BREAKING: Federal Judge pauses Trump’s plan to put most USAID staffers on forced leave
Brendan Ballou, Former Federal Prosecutor, Karoun Demirjian New York Times Congressional Reporter, and Andrew Weissmann, MSNBC Legal Analyst join Nicolle Wallace on Deadline White House with reaction to the news breaking that a federal judge has put a pause on Trump’s plan to place nearly all of the USAID staffers on paid leave and what the future holds for the organization that Trump and Elon Musk want to destroy.
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Trump administration preparing to restart immigrant family detention
The Trump administration is moving forward with restarting the detention of migrant families, including those with young children, which could mean an increase in arrests of children and teens, according to three sources familiar with the planning.
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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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