Tag Archives: North Dakota

The Washington Post reports: North Dakota Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D), in a tough reelection race in her deep-red state, announced today that she would vote against Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court. She told local TV station WDAY that “the process was bad” and she’d be voting no. The reaction on Twitter and social media ranged from …

The Washington Examiner reports: A new poll shows Republican challenger Rep. Kevin Cramer leading Sen. Heidi Heitkamp by a 10-point margin, with North Dakotans overwhelmingly in favor of confirming Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court. Losing a race in North Dakota would make it significantly more difficult for Democrats to retake the Senate. The poll, from Mason Dixon and …

The Bismarck Tribune reports: The Bismarck Police Department is requesting additional funding to purchase AR-15 rifles and other equipment for school resource officers. Bismarck Public Schools and the Bismarck Police Department have agreed to provide $25,740 to purchase AR-15s, gun safes, additional bulletproof vests and medical kits to treat shooting victims. The rifles would be kept in a locked safe …

When you’re not extreme enough for the Koch Brothers: The powerful Koch political network won’t help the Republican nominee in a crucial Senate race less than 100 days before the midterm elections, saying Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) doesn’t do enough to further the Koch’s policy issues to warrant their help in the race. The announcement — made in front of …

The Forum reports: Will Gardner has made it official: The endorsed Republican candidate in the North Dakota secretary of state race filed notice that he’s withdrawing from the field. Gardner’s official exit, filed Thursday, June 14, according to a Facebook post by Gardner, was expected after he announced he would withdraw shortly after The Forum reported that, in 2006, he …

The Bismarck Tribune reports: A bill introduced by an oil patch lawmaker would provide an exemption for the driver of a motor vehicle if they unintentionally injured or killed a pedestrian obstructing traffic on a public road or highway. “It’s shifting the burden of proof from the motor vehicle driver to the pedestrian,” said Rep. Keith Kempenich, R-Bowman, who admitted …

The Associated Press reports: North Dakota’s Republican-led Senate rejected a measure Tuesday that would have changed state law to reflect the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision that same-sex couples have the right to marry. The bill failed 15-31. It would have changed dozens of references, such as “husband and wife,” to gender-neutral terms. North Dakota law lists “one man, one woman” …

As he tends to do in caucus states, tonight Bernie Sanders coasted to an easy victory in North Dakota. At this writing he leads Hillary by a whopping 39 points. There are 23 delegates at stake there.

Via Fargo’s ABC affiliate: A North Dakota lawmaker who sent an explicit photo of himself to another man says the exchange being made public is retaliation for a recent vote against expanding gay rights. Rep. Randy Boehning, a 52-year-old Republican legislator from Fargo, says a Capitol employee told him a fellow lawmaker vowed to out him as gay if he …

The attorneys general of fifteen states have filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court in which they predictably argue that a ruling in favor of same-sex marriage will “irretrievably” destroy their right to self-government. From the brief:  The Constitution takes no sides on same-sex marriage, and therefore leaves the issue up to the free deliberations of state citizens. The …

Via the Associated Press: North Dakota’s Republican governor sent a memo to 17 government departments on Monday saying discrimination against anyone is unacceptable, just two hours before every Democrat in the Legislature delivered a letter calling on him to go further and issue an executive order prohibiting bias against gays and lesbians. Gov. Jack Dalrymple’s chief of staff sent the …

From the HRC’s blog: The cover of yesterday’s Forum of Fargo-Moorhead made a bold statement for LGBT equality, featuring the photos of North Dakota House Representatives who voted against non-discrimination protections. According to the Forum, this was the third time in six years the House failed to pass a measure that would prohibit bias in housing and employment based on …

The Bismarck Tribune reports: For the third time in six years, North Dakota lawmakers have killed legislation that would outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation. House lawmakers voted by nearly a 2-to-1 margin Thursday to defeat Senate Bill 2279, which would have added sexual orientation to state law that already protects against discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national …

Via the Associated Press: North Dakota’s Republican-led Senate has narrowly approved a bill to ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. The Senate voted 25-22 on Tuesday to send the legislation to the House, going against the wishes of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which heard testimony on the legislation earlier this month and voted 4-2 to …

GOP North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem today filed a motion seeking the dismissal of the marriage equality lawsuit filed in late May. The state attorney general’s office filed the motion late Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Fargo. North Dakota Solicitor General Doug Bahr argues in court documents that states have the right to define and regulate marriage. “Nothing …

Matt is on the road.

Via the Associated Press: A second lawsuit has been filed in federal court challenging North Dakota’s ban on same-sex marriage. The 33-page complaint filed by Jan Jorgensen and Cindy Phillips, who live in Fargo and were legally married in Minnesota, says the couple is treated as “legal strangers” in their home state. Last week, seven couples filed a complaint to …

Clip recap: Wisconsin’s marriage ban is unconstitutional. There’ve been more big defeats for the National Organization for Marriage. Utah officials resist a ruling that they must recognize the marriage licenses that the state issued to gay and lesbian couples last winter. And Pennsylvania voters show their support for the freedom to marry.

Via the Associated Press: Seven couples have filed a federal lawsuit challenging the ban on same-sex marriage in North Dakota, the last remaining state without a court challenge. The clerk of the court confirmed that the lawsuit was filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Fargo. It challenges both North Dakota’s constitutional ban on gay marriage and its refusal to …

The clip’s maker is arguing with YouTube’s commenters about how he should have reacted. (Tipped by JMG reader Ray)