Fargo, ND – Charles and Ellen Linderman of Carrington will receive the Art and Grace Link Lifetime Achievement Award at the 13th Annual Democratic-NPL Burdick Dinner. The dinner will feature keynote speaker, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz on Saturday, November 4, 2023, at the Four & Four in Fargo.

Charles Linderman grew up on a farm near Carrington, ND. He got bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agricultural engineering from ND State University. Ellen Hiedeman Linderman grew up on a dairy farm near Wheaton, MN. She attended Moorhead State University. Ellen and Charles were married 55 years ago. After five years with USDA Agricultural Research Service in Nebraska, Charles had the opportunity to move back to Carrington where they have been farming for 48 years.

Charles served in four sessions of the North Dakota Legislature (1983, 1985, 1987, 1991) as Representative from District 14, which consisted of Foster and Wells Counties. Charles was a director on a local cooperative board for over thirty years, was a director on the ND Soybean Council, and is currently County Farmers Union President and Treasurer for District 29 Democratic NPL.

Ellen began her work with Democrats in Lincoln, NE, and continued when she moved to North Dakota. She was appointed chair of the ND State Committee of USDA Farm Service Agency during the Clinton administration. She was appointed by the Senate Ag Committee to the Payment Limitation Commission. During the Obama administration, she served on the Federal Crop Insurance Board as one of four active farmers. Ellen was a district director of North Dakota Farmers Union and Farmers Union Mutual Insurance for 12 years. She was a candidate for the ND House of Representatives and got within 100 votes of winning. As a fifty-something adult, Ellen went to NDSU to finish getting a college degree. Ellen made national television when she was chosen to sit next to Michelle Obama as President Barack Obama addressed Congress about the Affordable Care Act.

Ellen and Charles have a son and two daughters. They and their spouses are Democrats. They have six grandchildren (also Democrats)!

Tickets to the 13th Annual Democratic-NPL Burdick are available at https://secure.actblue.com/donate/burdick2023.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 24, 2023

CONTACT:
Laura Dronen
Communications Director
(701) 566-0616
[email protected]

Bismarck, ND – Rep. Brandon Prichard (R-Bismarck) has expressed extreme views on his social media accounts, claiming non-Christians shouldn’t serve in political office. This assertion flies in the face of American values. Does Representative Prichard plan to pass legislation requiring a religious test for potential candidates and serving members who do not identify as Christians?

District 8 Democratic-NPL Chair Al Stanek said, “Rep. Prichard’s remarks are deeply undemocratic and unconstitutional. His strange social media posts are now bringing unwanted national attention to our community. He’s an absolute embarrassment, who seems to thrive on the negative attention he receives.

The United States has always been a nation of immigrants with a variety of beliefs—that’s the way our founders intended it. I hope his colleagues and the rest of the NDGOP will speak out against these comments. Prichard does not reflect North Dakota values.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 4, 2023

CONTACT:
Laura Dronen
Communications Director
(701) 566-0616
[email protected]

Fargo, ND – Today, it was reported that Republican State Senator Doug Larsen of Mandan, his wife Amy, and their two children were killed in a plane crash near Moab, Utah.

Senate Minority Leader Kathy Hogan expressed her sympathy on behalf of the Democratic-NPL caucus, “Our hearts ache for Senator Larsen’s family. Doug was always respectful and kind, and his service as a lieutenant colonel in the North Dakota Army National Guard and in our legislature shows just how dedicated he was to our state and country.”

We are surrounding his family and friends in our thoughts and prayers.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 2, 2023

CONTACT:
Laura Dronen
Communications Director
(701) 566-0616
[email protected]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 28, 2023

Bismarck, ND – Today the North Dakota Supreme Court voided the bill that funds the Office of Management and Budget. The North Dakota Legislature will likely have to return for a special session to remedy the issue.

After the ruling, Senate Minority Leader Kathy Hogan and House Minority Leader Zac Ista released a joint statement:

“Democrats sounded the alarm about this bill from the beginning. Ignoring the long-standing precedent of minority participation in crafting the OMB budget bill, Republican lawmakers shut us out of the conference committee entirely this year. Without bipartisan accountability on that committee, the final bill included not just $130M in new government spending, but substantive policy changes that had already been rejected by the Legislature earlier in the session, including major changes to the public employees’ pension board. To compound the problem, the Legislature voted on this take-it-or-leave-it measure in the middle of the night on the last day of the session. It’s no wonder the Supreme Court called foul on the process and struck down the bill as violating our state constitution.

This only highlights the perils of one-party rule in our state, where checks and balances have eroded. Whether it’s passing bills that survive constitutional scrutiny or exercising oversight of executive branch spending, North Dakotans deserve more accountability in state government. When the inevitable special session begins, Democrats will fight both for this transparency and for policies and investments that help families across the state. We will work across party lines to address the serious issues exposed by this ruling.”

CONTACT:
Laura Dronen
Communications Director
(701) 566-0616
[email protected]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 1, 2023

CONTACT:
Laura Dronen
Communications Director
(701) 566-0616
[email protected]

Fargo, ND – In advance of Labor Day, Democratic-NPL Chair Adam Goldwyn remarked, “The importance of the American worker cannot be overstated. As a union member myself, I know how critical it is to defend workers’ rights. I’m also proud to say our hard-working Dem-NPL Staff is unionized. President Biden is the most pro-union and pro-worker president in history. Over the last two and a half years, he and Democrats have turned the page on failed trickle-down economics and focused on rebuilding the economy so it works for working families. The North Dakota Democratic-NPL stands in solidarity with workers everywhere as we celebrate this precious holiday.”

Here’s how North Dakota Democratic-NPL has advocated for workers:

● Secured funding for school lunches with the help of labor unions

● Proposed a package of child care bills to make it more affordable for working North Dakota families

● Fought for rural workforce housing grants to ensure workers can afford to move to our small towns and help our communities thrive

● Championed raising the minimum wage in North Dakota, which hasn’t risen in a decade and a half

● Established scholarships for apprenticeship program participants, so young workers can develop the skills necessary for the job with the help of mentors

Here are a few highlights of how President Biden has delivered for workers and organized labor:

● Over 13 million jobs created—including adding 187,000 jobs in August alone

● Wages are higher than last year and higher than before the pandemic, accounting for inflation—with lower-wage workers seeing the largest gains

● Raised the minimum wage for federal workers and contractors

● Helped save the pensions of hundreds of thousands of union workers and retirees through the Butch Lewis Act, which Senator Heidi Heitkamp championed during her tenure

● Sparked over $480 billion in private-sector manufacturing and clean energy investments

● Hundreds of thousands of auto industry jobs were created, including more than 120,000 auto manufacturing jobs

● Strengthening, modernizing, and expanding apprenticeship programs to help connect Americans to good-paying union jobs

● Ensuring the overwhelming majority of the investments in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the CHIPS and Science Act are covered by Davis-Bacon prevailing wage requirements

● Appointed a general counsel and board members to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) who are committed to protecting the right of workers to organize

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
August 8, 2023

CONTACT:
Laura Dronen
Communications Director
(701) 566-0616
[email protected]

Fargo, ND – August 9, 2023, marks the first anniversary of President Biden signing the CHIPS and Science Act into law.

Democratic-NPL Chair Adam Goldwyn noted the significance of the law, “Since President Biden signed the CHIPS and Science Act into law, domestic manufacturing is resurging, jobs are coming back, and America’s economy is again leading on the world stage. It’s truly a shame that Armstrong, Cramer, and Hoeven all voted against this critical legislation. While Doug Burgum and other presidential candidates claim they’ll want to compete with China, President Biden is the one who has actually taken monumental steps to get us there. Through President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda North Dakota has seen over $1 billion in commitments to invest in batteries and electric vehicles, clean energy, and manufacturing.”

Democratic-NPL Executive Director Cheryl Biller added, “Despite the inexplicable opposition of ND’s congressional delegation, Montana Senator Jon Tester worked tirelessly to get this critical legislation passed. In doing so, he created opportunities for North Dakota universities and colleges to benefit with projects like FARMS. It’s a sad day when North Dakotans have to rely on out-of-state lawmakers to stand up for them.”

According to a White House Fact Sheet, President Biden’s CHIPS and Science Act is investing in America and strengthening our economy:

Bolstering American leadership in semiconductor manufacturing: The CHIPS and Science Act has unlocked $39 billion to encourage American leadership in the semiconductor manufacturing industry while creating tens of thousands of good-paying, union construction jobs and thousands more high-skilled manufacturing jobs — as well as catalyzing hundreds of billions in private investments.

Encouraging regional economic growth and development: The CHIPS and Science Act has authorized $10 billion to invest in regional innovation and technology hubs across the country.

Jumpstarting our investments in industries of the future: In addition to providing funding for semiconductor manufacturing incentives, the CHIPS and Science Act has provided an additional $13.2 billion in American semiconductor research, development, and workforce development — ensuring that Americans are well-equipped to work in the industries of tomorrow.

Providing STEM opportunities to more of America to participate in good-paying skilled jobs: To ensure more people from all backgrounds across the country can benefit and participate in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) job opportunities, the CHIPS and Science Act authorizes new and expanded education and training in STEM from K-12 to community college, undergraduate, and graduate education. One example is the National Science Foundation (NSF) announcement that FARMS, cited above, is one of 34 semifinalists in the competition from an original pool of 188 projects that span nearly all key technology areas and societal and economic challenges highlighted in the CHIPS and Science Act.