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Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
People's Session provides legislative wish list for 2027 session
Dalton Erickson, executive director of the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition, speaks at the Heritage Center on May 16, 2025, during the first People's Session, which heard concerns from residents about the 2025 legislative session. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor) Progressive North Dakotans who brainstormed ideas for the next legislative session want lawmakers to focus on three areas: strong schools, economic security and personal freedom. About 40 people broke into small groups at the North Dakota Heritage Center on Friday to discuss what they believe are the most pressing issues facing the state. The discussion was part of a community-led event called the People's Session. Erin Oban, a former Democratic state senator and teacher, said students going through the K-12 system have vastly different needs. 'There is strong public support for our public schools,' Oban said. 'The challenge is that is not necessarily reflected in the decision-making process and funding that is coming, particularly from the state level.' She added teachers are being underfunded and some have needed to take second jobs to make ends meet. 'We think that is horrible and quite a reflection on how we value teaching as a profession,' she said. Barry Nelson, a community organizer for the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition, told event attendees that pre-K and early childhood education in the state need to be expanded. About 62,000 kids in North Dakota are under age 6, but there are only about 38,000 licensed early childhood education slots in the state, he said. 'The data shows that effective early childhood education increases income, reduces poverty, reduces teenage pregnancies and boosts economic productivity,' Nelson said. Other education suggestions included creating incentives for businesses to hire international students who study in North Dakota to keep them in-state after they graduate. It also was suggested that North Dakota, in coordination with the federal government, should be able to issue a certain amount of work visas to international graduates. Another attendee suggested addressing a shortage of lawyers with student loan forgiveness for North Dakota law school graduates and other professions if they stay in the state for five years. Other policy suggestions included taxing out-of-state interests at a higher rate than North Dakota residents or businesses, raising the minimum wage to a livable wage and prohibiting businesses from paying tipped workers below minimum wage. Progressive groups plan 'People's Session' to set North Dakota priorities for future legislation Those speaking on personal freedom wanted more pushback against the state's abortion law and other laws targeting gender-affirming care or health care-related issues. Advocacy organizations hosting the event included the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition, Gender Justice, Prairie Action, American Civil Liberties Union of North Dakota and North Dakota AFL-CIO. Dalton Erickson, executive director for the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition, said the state has a citizen Legislature, which means the common people are supposed to have their voices heard for 80 days in Bismarck, every two years. He said one of the purposes of the event was not only to hear concerns from the public, but to better organize policy proposals ahead of the next legislative session in 2027. Erickson added they will put many of the suggestions into bill draft form over the next year and will revisit the issues in spring 2026. 'I think we have a lot of excited people and a lot of great ideas to work off of,' he said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Progressive groups plan ‘People's Session' to set North Dakota priorities for future legislation
Prairie Rose Seminole, board vice chair of Gender Justice, and Dalton Erickson, executive director of the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition, speak at the Capitol May 8, 2025, about policy issues they say went unaddressed during the 2025 legislative session. (Mary Steurer/North Dakota Monitor) Progressive advocacy groups frustrated with what they saw as a tone-deaf and unproductive legislative session will host an all-day organizing event May 16 at the Heritage Center. Called 'The People's Session,' the goal of the event is to hear what North Dakotans' policy priorities are. Representatives from its organizers — Gender Justice, Prairie Action and the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition — met Thursday morning on the steps of the Capitol to share what they have planned for the conference. 'It's time our Legislature listens to people across our state and leads with our values that we share — like fairness, privacy, freedom and respect,' said Prairie Rose Seminole, who is vice chair of Gender Justice's board and also sits on the board for the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition. North Dakota lawmakers approve needs, some wants with $20.3 billion budget A survey of North Dakota residents commissioned by Gender Justice last fall indicates that North Dakotans support policies like expanding reproductive rights, and investing in child care and affordable housing, Gender Justice Executive Director Megan Peterson said Thursday. The survey, which was conducted by firm PerryUndem, gathered responses from 800 adults across the state. The policy priorities reflected in the survey aren't what lawmakers spent most of their time on this session, Peterson said. She pointed to legislation that prevents K-12 schools from having multi-stall all-gender restrooms, as well as a bill that would have required school and public libraries to put 'sexually explicit' material in areas children cannot easily access, which Gov. Kelly Armstrong ultimately vetoed. 'Why did lawmakers spend their time on book bans and bathroom bills while families are struggling to find affordable child care, pay the rent and access basic health care?' Peterson asked. While lawmakers defeated many of the most controversial proposals introduced this session — including a bill to require public schools to display the Ten Commandments in lunchrooms, and a resolution to declare the kingship of Jesus Christ — advocates at the Thursday morning gathering said these bills took valuable time and resources away from more pressing policy issues. The group acknowledged that the Legislature passed bills this session aimed at improving access to child care, housing and health care, but argued the policies do not go far enough. 'When politicians can't or don't want to solve real problems, they create fake ones to divide and distract us,' Peterson said. She said 'The People's Session' will put together policy proposals for the next legislative session that better reflect what North Dakota residents actually want. The event is free, but registration is required. It will take place at the Heritage Center from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Topics of discussion will include health care, housing, schools, LGBTQ issues, reproductive rights and more. 'We hope to take the people's agenda forward, crafting and refining it into bills through public input, and then put it forward for sponsors to bring to the 2027 legislative session,' North Dakota Human Rights Coalition Executive Director Dalton Erickson said. For more information about the event, including registration details, visit Gender Justice's website. Those who aren't able to participate in person can still submit their thoughts through the registration form. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
