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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The North Dakota Legislative Session is fast-paced and every bill gets a vote unless it's withdrawn. Are there bills you want to know more about or bills that you are following that you think should get more attention? Please let us know!
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Democratic-NPL Bills
Sen. Kathy Hogan (D-21) presented SB 2284 which would allow adults who had been adopted to get access to their birth records.
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The Senate voted down a host of Sen. Ryan Braunberger’s (D-10) bipartisan bills to protect renters. Nevertheless, he is pressing on! Today he presented SB 2238 to provide a pathway for individuals to petition for the removal of eviction records after seven years of satisfying the order and SB 2366 which would require eviction notices to have information about legal services available for the lessee. He also introduced SB 2262 which would allow the kindergarten through grade twelve coordination council to enter contracts for educational research.
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Rep. Jayme Davis (D-9) introduced HB 1535 to establish the Feather Alert Notice System in North Dakota—an alert similar to an Amber or Silver Alert but for missing Indigenous persons. It got a DO PASS recommendation from committee! Her bill that calls for a legislative management study on tribal land taxation passed the House 90-1!
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What's coming up?
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It seems everyone and their grandmother has a bill to divert public dollars to private schools tomorrow. Sen. Michelle Axtman (R-7) will present SB 2400 to establish an education savings account (ESA) program. So will Rep. Ben Koppleman (R-16), his bill is HB 1540. Rep. Pat Heinert (R-32) will present a bill (HB 1590) has a bill for an ESA pilot program. Rep. Matthew Heilman (R-7) will present HB 1607 to establish an educational empowerment account program—while creatively named it seems to be the same thing everyone else is proposing. We believe that public dollars should stay in public schools!
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Rep. Lori VanWinkle (R-3) will be presenting a bill that redefines criminal offenses, including murder, to apply to fertilized eggs. This would be a huge threat to fertility treatments North Dakotans rely on to start their families. If it passes, IVF and abortion would be considered murder under North Dakota Law. It could even go as far as criminalizing women who have miscarriages.
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Democratic-NPL Bills
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Help us spread our message—share these recent posts!
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Jamie Selzler talks about election of Ken Martin as the new DNC Chair
Joel Heitkamp is joined by the DNC Committeeman from North Dakota, Jamie Selzler. They talk about his recent visit to Washington D.C. where Ken Martin was elected as the new Chair of the Democratic National Committee. They also dive into the state legislature and some controversial bills and moves by legislators.
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Charter school bill narrowly fails in North Dakota House; Senate considers similar bill
Nick Archuleta, president of North Dakota United, a union representing teachers and public employees, questioned the need for charter schools when public schools are already pivoting to offer more flexible programs.
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“Programs have been implemented in some school districts which allow students to finish required coursework earlier in their academic careers so they can job shadow, or intern, in their expected career field,” Archuleta said.
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Free school meal bills draw bipartisan support, though questions about funding linger
Aimee Copas is the executive director of North Dakota Council of Educational Leaders.
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“There’s very few things that you can do for a student to improve their student outcomes than making sure they have food in their belly,” Copas said.
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Letter: It's time for Rep. Nico Rios to resign
The same person, hardly a poster boy for wholesome Christian values, has proposed a resolution about Jesus Christ being King of the World.
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The residents of Williston and the citizens of North Dakota deserve someone who is not a hateful bigot. Hit the road, Nico (preferably sober), and don’t you come back no more.
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Measure is 'moving us in the opposite direction'
A deeply troubling bill, House Bill 1373, has been introduced in the North Dakota legislature. This so-called "Personhood" bill aims to redefine the term "human being" within the state’s criminal code to include fertilized eggs — specifically “upon the fusion of a human sperm and egg”. Such a change would have extensive legal consequences, effectively applying criminal protections —including those related to murder and assault — to a fertilized egg.
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Local lawmakers react to potential tariffs
“Donald Trump has always been very effective at using the threat of tariffs and in some cases imposing tariffs on countries that he feels are not treating the United States properly,” said Senator Kevin Cramer. “The President is saying well Americans are going to have to endure some pain, prices have got to go up. So again more lies, more incompetence, more chaos,” said Dem-NPL Chair Adam Goldwyn.
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North Dakota tribal leaders seek to restore vehicle tax exemption
House Bill 1521, under consideration this year, would restore that tax exemption for all tribal members, regardless of where they live in North Dakota.
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Rep. Jayme Davis, D-Rolette, one of the sponsors, said the tax places an undue financial burden on tribal members who live off of a reservation, often out of necessity for jobs, housing or education.
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After the law change took effect, Davis said she got calls from families who had planned to buy vehicles for their college students, but the tax became a barrier.
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Brown, Vogel to be inducted to the ND Agricultural Hall of Fame
In 1988, she was elected North Dakota’s Commissioner of Agriculture, becoming the first woman in U.S. history to be elected to that position in any state. While Commissioner, Vogel and Senator Kent Conrad co-founded “Marketplace of Ideas,” the nation’s largest rural development program at that time.
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In the height of the 1980s economic farm crisis, Vogel brought a national class-action lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (Coleman vs. Block) and won, halting farm foreclosures and protecting the constitutional rights of 240,000 U.S. farm families. The Coleman case also laid the foundation for federal legislation that required fair appeals processes for most USDA programs.
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Letter: Why does Elon Musk have your Social Security number?
Musk has already reportedly acquired our Social Security numbers, personal information and health data, accessed through a SCIF [Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility]. But even worse he may have the personal identifying information of every agent who works for the FBI, CIA, or any other sensitive position.
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Check out these posts from the national Democratic Party
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Don't Believe Him | The Ezra Klein Show
Look closely at the first two weeks of Donald Trump’s second term and you’ll see something very different than what he wants you to see.
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RFK Jr. appears on his way to being Trump's health secretary after a party-line vote
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appears likely to soon be taking the helm as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. The Senate Finance committee voted along party lines, 14-13, to favorably report his nomination to the full Senate.
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A 25-Year-Old With Elon Musk Ties Has Direct Access to the Federal Payment System
A 25-year-old engineer named Marko Elez, who previously worked for two Elon Musk companies, has direct access to Treasury Department systems responsible for nearly all payments made by the US government, three sources tell WIRED.
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Warren, Wyden call for probe of Musk aides’ access to Treasury payments
The top Democrats overseeing the Treasury Department are calling on a congressional watchdog to investigate the Trump administration’s decision to give Elon Musk’s team access to the federal system that controls trillions of dollars in payments.
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Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) on Tuesday asked the Government Accountability Office to open an inquiry into how newly confirmed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent allowed Musk’s government efficiency group to gain access to the federal apparatus that makes payments to Americans, including Social Security benefits, tax refunds, Medicare benefits and payments to federal contractors.
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Committees
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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