NDGOP Lawmakers Declare Transgender Children Aren’t People

Bismarck, ND – Today, HB 1298, a grotesquely discriminatory anti-Transgender bill that prohibits children from participating in school sports based on gender identity, was shamefully passed in the North Dakota House by a vote of 65 to 26. It now goes to the North Dakota Senate, where the conscience and soul of our state will be defined.

This repugnant piece of legislation – which specifically and purposely harms Transgender youth – goes beyond the pale by also forbidding any public entity to host an athletic group that welcomes transgender students to participate. This means any North Dakota high school tournament that includes out-of-state teams who don’t engage in transphobic bigotry would automatically be forfeit. To Rep. Ben Koppleman (R-Fargo) and the bill’s supporters, singling out vulnerable children to take away their identity, rights, and dignity is well worth the overwhelming taxpayer cost of lawsuits, lost revenue, and widespread condemnation across the country from businesses and decent people alike.

This is far from the first instance of their hate: Last year, the NDGOP called our LGBTQ friends and family unhealthy, dangerous, manipulative to children, and ‘voyeurs who wish to prey on members of the opposite sex.’ – demonstrable, and completely incredulous considering that they endorsed a Peeping Tom for Secretary of State in 2018.

Democratic-NPL Chairwoman, Kylie Oversen did not hold back in her response:

“Rep. Ben Koppelman and the 64 other members of the NDGOP continue to show that their despicable priorities are solely focused on hate over health care, discrimination over decency, and bigotry over business relief. Embarrassing headlines and backwards views have replaced the public service and common decency that used to define us. North Dakotans did not elect these people to dehumanize children and young adults. Today, they have shamed us in the eyes of the world.”

Oversen continued:

“To the individuals of the transgender community, young and old: You are loved. Your life has value. You have a purpose. You are supported; and the Democratic-NPL will continue to proudly fight alongside you, because Trans Rights are Human Rights.”

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people in the United States. Transgender and non-binary youth are ten times more likely to attempt suicide than cisgender youth, and 52% of transgender and non-binary youth have seriously considered suicide. If you or a loved one in the trans community are in need of support, please dial (877) 565-8860.

With Oscar Season Approaching, Kevin Cramer Performs Award-Worthy Fake Outrage

BISMARCK, ND — Sen. Kevin Cramer released an official statement responding to the impeachment proceedings of former President, Donald Trump. The statement, which included words generally associated with Cramer’s treatment of constituents and fair and free elections – “mockery” and “disgusting” – comes shortly after Cramer supported several events, rallies, and fake news on the election results that led to the events on Jan. 6.

Following Cramer’s press release, the Senate voted to uphold the constitutionality of the impeachment proceedings. The vote passed 56-44, with all 50 Democratic Senators and six Republican Senators voting in favor.

In reference to Sen. Cramer’s statement, Democratic-NPL Executive Director, Michael Taylor said:

“What’s truly disgusting is a former Congressman and current Senator who perpetrated the behavior that incited the events on January 6th. It’s disgusting that he actively spoke against free and fair elections, consistently lied to North Dakotans, and held and participated in rallies that led up to the Capitol Insurrection. He has neither the position nor the merit to make statements like that, especially when the irony is completely lost on him.”

Taylor continued:

“The American people deserve justice, plain and simple. If inciting an insurrection on the United States Capitol that led to violence and death, the flying of confederate flags, and the call for the hanging of our Vice President is not enough to carry out an impeachment, I ask Sen. Cramer what is? I know it seems like an impossible ask, but for once, Sen. Cramer, I ask you to stand up for the democracy and our Constitution that you allegedly support, and to reserve words like ‘disgusting’ for your Twitter page and your political career that has given you personal wealth, but North Dakotans nothing.”

Democratic-NPL Senators Endorse Mac Schneider for U.S. Attorney

(BISMARCK, N.D.) – The Senate Dem-NPL Caucus is asking U.S. President Joe Biden to appoint Mac Schneider as U.S. Attorney for North Dakota. Schneider, a Fargo native, served in the North Dakota Senate from 2009 to 2016.

“Mac was a tremendous asset to our Caucus and our State,” said Sen. Kathy Hogan (D-Fargo). “His leadership skills and consistent work ethic would make him an ideal U.S. Attorney.” Sen. Hogan serves as Caucus Chair.

U.S. attorneys are appointed by the President for a four-year term, subject to confirmation by the U.S. Senate.

Attachment: Letter to President Biden

Appropriations Committee Approves Pay Increase for State Employees (Dem-NPL proposal defeated on a party-line vote)

(BISMARCK, N.D.) – The Senate Appropriations Committee voted today to provide state employees with a 2 percent raise each year during the 2021-2023 biennium.

Before the vote, Sen. Tim Mathern (D-Fargo) proposed a Democratic-NPL plan to provide employees with 3 percent raises each year. The key difference between the two plans was how to address the growing shortfall in the state employee retirement fund. Both plans would provide a 2 percent net increase because the Dem-NPL plan also required a 1 percent contribution to the state retirement fund. The committee declined to support that proposal.

Historically, state pay increases have not kept up with the private sector, leading many employees to leave the state for better opportunities.

“I am encouraged that the committee agreed a 2 percent increase is the right thing to do for our employees,” said Mathern. “But I’m disappointed that we aren’t doing anything to fix the problems with the retirement fund.”

The state retirement fund is facing a nearly $3 billion shortfall and needs a major cash infusion to ensure the fund remains solvent. “We made a promise to our employees, and we must make sure this benefit remains intact,” Mathern said. “We can’t afford to keep kicking the retirement can down the road.”

The approved plan also establishes a floor and ceiling for the pay raises. This provides fairness for lower-income employees and saves money by limiting raises for those with higher incomes. The approved bill set the minimum increase at $80 per month for employees making less than $48,000, instead of $120 per month in the Democratic plan. It retains the $300 per month cap on those making more than $120,000.

 

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NDGOP’s Legislative Priorities: Thoughts and Prayers, but No Protections for Essential Workers

Bismarck, ND – Yesterday, as the Republican supermajority in the Senate voted in favor of an unconstitutional bill that would allow public schools to push theocracy on students without a parent’s permission, the Republican supermajority in the House was busy deciding that essential workers – which make up 57% of North Dakota’s workforce – were not worthy of Workforce Safety and Insurance benefits if they contracted Coronavirus on the job.

Sen. Janne Myrdal (R-Edinburg), finding nothing better to do as the Coronavirus continues to threaten public health, job security, and small businesses across the state, sponsored a so-called “Ten Commandments bill” that would permit public schools to post the Ten Commandments. The bill, which would directly violate a U.S. Supreme Court ruling also drew criticism from Republican Senators who painted a clear picture of future lawsuits, regardless of any immunity language. The bill passed the ND State Senate by a vote of 34-13.

Meanwhile, a bill introduced by Rep. Zac Ista (D-Grand Forks) that would have allowed essential workers to claim WSI benefits if they were infected with the Coronavirus while on the job was overwhelmingly opposed by Republican legislators, failing to pass the ND State House by a vote of 16-77.

Representative Ista, whose passionate advocacy on behalf of our frontline workers has become a top priority for the Dem-NPL this legislative session, did not mince words:

“Our essential workers have stepped up in unprecedented times, risking their lives everyday so that all of us can live ours with some sense of normalcy and continuity. The absolute least that the state can do is step up for these unsung heroes by making sure they are protected in the event that they are forced to miss work or become hospitalized due to COVID-19.”

Democratic-NPL Executive Director, Michael Taylor, addressed both bills, saying:

“There is a tragic irony here that Republican Legislators wish to use their power to push their beliefs, but refuse to use that same power to practice what they preach. Like many North Dakotans, my faith was instilled in me by my parents and local church. My religious beliefs are deeply personal to me. And, like many North Dakotans, I believe that instead of wasting taxpayer money on doomed lawsuits that only serve to give our state negative publicity, a child’s parents should be able to decide what religious beliefs and moral foundations they wish to pass along to their children, not the government.”

Taylor Continued:

“Sen. Myrdal wants to take away your religious freedom, while trivializing a sacred religious text as merely a historical document to be taped up on a classroom whiteboard. If the NDGOP truly wants to express their faith, they can start by giving back to the heroes on the frontlines who serve us every single day; allowing them access to basic WSI benefits, so that we may all get through this pandemic together faster and safer.”

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Legislators Say Paid Family Leave is a Win-Win

(BISMARCK, N.D.) – Workers, businesses, and families would benefit from an optional paid family leave program being considered by the North Dakota Legislature. The House Industry, Business, and Labor Committee held a hearing today on HB 1441, which sponsors say would be a win-win for both employees and employers in the state. The bipartisan bill is sponsored by Rep. Karla Rose Hanson (D-Fargo) and Sen. Erin Oban (D-Bismarck).

The Need

North Dakotans occasionally need to step away from their jobs for personal reasons – because of their own illness or to care for a new child or a loved one. Around 11,000 babies are born each year in our state. According to the AARP, more than 62,000 North Dakotans serve as caregivers for a loved one. But in North Dakota just 12% of companies offer maternity leave and 6% offer paternity leave. Many workers can’t even earn a single sick day.

“Many North Dakotans are faced with an impossible choice,” Hanson said. “Do they stay in their job or bond with their new baby? Do they choose their paycheck over being by their dad’s side during the last two months of his life?”

The Solution

HB 1441 creates a state-facilitated paid family leave program, which will be funded through private contributions from employees, employers, or a combination of both. The program would be optional for all employers and any North Dakota worker, including independent contractors or sole proprietors, giving equal opportunity for North Dakota’s growing “gig economy” workers to participate.

Participating employees would contribute six cents for every $10 in wages into the fund. A North Dakotan making $50,000 a year would contribute $300 per year. When an employee has an eligible event, they will draw from the paid leave fund instead of taking their salary or unpaid leave. They would receive 66 percent of their average weekly wage for up to 12 weeks in one calendar year with a cap of $1,000 per week.

Businesses Benefit

Research shows that paid family leave helps businesses with improved recruitment, retention, productivity and profitability. If a company loses an employee due to a temporary personal event, they will have to re-recruit and re-train a new employee during a time when businesses are competing for talent in a tight labor market. To encourage business participation, an employer that pays for any or all of an employee’s contributions would receive a tax credit equal to 20% of the contributions they made on behalf of that employee.

“At a time when we are looking for ways to remain competitive in recruiting and retaining a qualified workforce, a paid family leave program is a tool we can provide to businesses,” Sen. Oban said. “In North Dakota, we pride ourselves on being pro-life and pro-family. A paid family leave program would go a long way in showing it.”

If passed, the paid leave program would be rolled out in phases, with contributions beginning in 2022 and withdrawals beginning in 2023.

Supportive testimony included AARP, the Williston Area Chamber of Commerce and a letter signed by 51 health care providers.

The Williston Chamber of Commerce’s testimony: https://www.legis.nd.gov/assembly/67-2021/testimony/HIBL-1441-20210203-5054-F-RICHTER%20LORDEMANN_RACHEL.pdf

Dr. Dvorak testimony: https://www.legis.nd.gov/assembly/67-2021/testimony/HIBL-1441-20210203-5009-F-DVORAK_NATALIE_F.pdf

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A Line in the Sand has been drawn on Healthcare

Bismarck, ND – The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has provided the people of North Dakota with quality health care for many years, including coverage for individuals with preexisting conditions, and medicaid expansion that have kept rural and critical access facilities afloat.

The future of the ACA continues to remain on shaky ground due to a Texas-based lawsuit that Attorney General Stenehjem signed on to and defends, and all top ranking NDGOP officials fully support.

Sen. Tim Mathern (D-Fargo) proposed SB 2222, which was struck down along party lines in the North Dakota Senate this past Friday, Jan. 29. This comes two years after NDGOP officials removed an amendment to protect individuals with preexisting conditions. Mathern’s legislation sought to ensure that important provisions in the ACA, like coverage for individuals with preexisting conditions, would continue in the state regardless of the outcome of the lawsuit.

 

Democratic-NPL Chair Kylie Oversen said:

“Without these critical provisions, the thread that tens of thousands of North Dakotans and our rural healthcare infrastructure are holding onto would be in dire jeopardy of snapping. Even as the COVID-19 pandemic has claimed the lives of nearly 1,500 North Dakotans, and infected many more, the North Dakota Republicans continue to show that they have no appetite, or plan, to provide affordable and accessible coverage, if the ACA is struck down in court. Rather, they are more interested in embarrassing the state by wearing Crown Royal bags as face masks in the capitol, or supporting blatantly unconstitutional legislation that will cost you, the taxpayer, millions in court expenses.”

 

Oversen continued:

“Gov. Burgum, AG Stenehjem and the radical supermajority in the legislature have used their power to flush taxpayer money down the drain. They fight to take away your health care while pushing bogus anti-vaccine conspiracy theories, and advocating for steak dinners on your dime. It’s well past time that your elected officials do their job for once, and pledge to work towards helping the families and small businesses who have been decimated by this crisis instead of using your hard earned money for their own selfish benefit. It’s your tax money, are you getting what you paid for?”

Democratic-NPL Lawmakers Propose Salary Increases for State Employees

BISMARCK, N.D. – Democratic-NPL legislators unveiled their proposal to provide state employees with raises during the 2021-2023 biennium.

Sen. Tim Mathern (D-Fargo) unveiled the proposal, which provides a 3 percent increase each year of the biennium. “We’ve taken the governor’s proposal and improved upon it. We’ve kept the governor’s proposals on health insurance and retirement contributions intact. All we are asking is that we go a little further and do what is necessary to invest in our workforce.”

The plan also calls for a minimum increase of $120 per month for employees making less than $48,000 and a $300 per month cap on those making more than $120,000. By contrast, the governor’s proposal is limited to 2 percent each year, with no minimums or caps.

“We have the money,” Sen. Mathern said. “There’s no reason why we can’t pay our employees a reasonable wage.”

Of the proposal, Sen. Erin Oban (D-Bismarck), highlighted the important role of the state workforce in keeping things running smoothly. “This was especially true in 2020. When the pandemic hit our employees suddenly faced an unprecedented situation. From working long hours to develop our state’s COVID-19 response to providing essential services to the public from shuttered offices they kept the state running.”

Historically, state pay increases have not kept up with the private sector, leading many employees to leave the state for better opportunities. “This trend cannot continue,” Senator Oban continued.

Education services were hit equally hard. Colleges found their campuses empty and professors had to quickly shift to virtual classrooms. Of these challenges, Assistant Minority Leader Alisa Mitskog (D-Wahpeton) said, “During the pandemic, our education professionals’ workload increased significantly, they stepped up to the challenge and delivered. We need to listen to our higher education officials so North Dakota pay remains competitive.”

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North Dakota Should Provide Coverage for Fallen Heroes’ Families

BISMARCK, ND — Tomorrow at 3:00 p.m., the House Political Subdivisions Committee will hear testimony on HB 1435, which would continue health insurance coverage for the surviving spouse and dependent children of any police officer, firefighter, or corrections officer killed in the line of duty. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Zac Ista (D-Grand Forks). The hearing will be livestreamed at http://bit.ly/67-PolSub-20210128pm.

“On May 27 last year, our state – and specifically my Grand Forks community – suffered an immense loss when Officer Cody Holte was killed in the line of duty,” Rep. Ista said. “Officer Holte represents the best our state has to offer, a true hero.”

If passed, HB 1435 would allow the surviving spouse and dependent children of a fallen hero to remain on the deceased’s health insurance.  It covers any families who lost loved ones in the line of duty since the start of 2010. North Dakota would join 17 other states that offer similar protections.

Rep. Ista continued, “HB 1435 represents our North Dakota values. Those who pursue careers in law enforcement and public safety should be honored as the heroes they are. Those who willingly put themselves in harm’s way to keep us safe deserve our gratitude and our support. And when someone pays the ultimate sacrifice in service to our state, we should support the family they leave behind.”

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Essential Workers Deserve Workers Compensation Benefits

(BISMARCK, ND) — Tomorrow at 9:00 a.m., the House Industry, Business, and Labor Committee will hear testimony on HB 1433, which would allow essential workers to make a claim for workers’ compensation benefits if they contracted COVID-19 at their places of work. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Zac Ista (D-Grand Forks).

If passed, HB 1433 would extend Workforce Safety Insurance (WSI) to qualifying essential workers. Essential workers include law enforcement, firefighters, health care workers, educators, and childcare workers. These individuals have been key to maintaining the availability of essential services during the pandemic.

“2020 was a year unlike any other,” Rep. Ista said. “Through it all, we relied on a small group of our fellow North Dakotans to keep us safe, to keep us healthy, to keep us fed, to keep the lights on, and to keep our state running.”

Normally, WSI coverage only applies to physical injuries, and does not extend to catching a contagious disease at work. It’s hard to determine where a person contracted the disease. However, because of the unique situation caused by the pandemic, the bill creates a rebuttable presumption that the applicant was infected on the job.

“These workers found themselves on the front lines of the war against COVID-19.  Many contracted the disease. Some fell seriously ill. A tragic number lost their lives,” Rep. Ista continued. “As state leaders, I believe we have an obligation to recognize those realities not only through our words of thanks and praise, but also through our actions.”

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, as of early December of 2020, at least 17 states have adopted some sort of COVID-related workers’ compensation protections.

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Lawmakers Push to Cover Pre-existing Conditions and Essential Health Care Services

(BISMARCK, N.D.) – Sen. Tim Mathern (D-Fargo) introduced a bipartisan bill that will add several healthcare protections in the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to the North Dakota Century Code. The Senate Committee on Industry, Business, and Labor held a hearing today on the bill this morning. The bill is co-sponsored by Sen. Richard Marcellais (D-Belcourt), Rep Pamela Anderson (D- Fargo), Rep. George Keiser (R-Bismarck), and Rep. Austen Schauer (R-West Fargo).

“For years, some members of Congress have been advocating to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, but they haven’t come up with a solution,” Sen. Mathern said. “Rather than just continuing to talk about it, this bill will provide real solutions for North Dakotans.”

SB 2222 includes those parts of the ACA that have enjoyed the most bipartisan support. These provisions include a ban on pre-existing conditions, permitting children to stay on their parent’s insurance until age 26, and free preventative care. Only plans that currently cover these essential services would be subject to the new law.

More than 300,000 North Dakotans have pre-existing conditions.

The need for this bill was prompted by a lawsuit filed by the State of Texas challenging the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act. The U.S. Supreme Court held oral arguments last fall. If the Court rules in Texas’s favor, North Dakotans would lose all of the protections they currently enjoy under federal law. SB 2222 will assure North Dakotans that their health care benefits will remain intact.

“Our citizens need predictable health insurance coverage,” Sen. Mathern continued. “Our citizens are supportive of the benefits enumerated by this bill. This bill will ensure that North Dakotans that need health insurance can get health insurance, regardless of what happens at the federal level.”

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The Dem-NPL Gives Back

BISMARCK, ND — The North Dakota Democratic-NPL, in coordination with the National Day of Service on January 18, hosted a Virtual Food Drive and thank-you note drive for frontline workers. With the help of dozens of volunteers across the state, the Dem-NPL raised $3,860 for the Great Plains Food Bank, which will provide more than 11,500 meals to North Dakotans who are experiencing hunger and food insecurity. The Dem-NPL will also be distributing more than 120 notes of gratitude to frontline workers across the state.

Dem-NPL Chair Kylie Oversen said:

“We are so appreciative of the many supporters and volunteers who stepped up to participate in our Day of Service projects! The Dem-NPL is always committed to helping people in need, whether through events like this, through policy, or through elections. We are especially grateful to the thousands of frontline workers in our state who risk their lives every day and want to be sure that they receive the gratitude and respect that they deserve.” 
 

 

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