Latest news with #KeithBoehm
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Votes fail to overturn vetoes of library bill, private school funding
Sen. Keith Boehm, R-Mandan, testifies in favor of a bill to address explicit content from school and public libraries during a committee hearing on Feb. 10, 2025. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor) Two vetoes by Gov. Kelly Armstrong stood up to challenges in the North Dakota Legislature on Friday. Armstrong vetoed Senate Bill 2307, a library obscenity bill, and House Bill 1540, that would have used taxpayer dollars to support private school tuition vouchers. A two-thirds majority was needed to override the vetoes. The library bill got fewer votes in the Senate on Friday than it had when the bill passed, despite the pleas of bill sponsor Sen. Keith Boehm, R-Mandan, and other supporters. Armstrong vetoed the private school funding but urged lawmakers to advance a broader school Education Savings Account bill. But that bill, Senate Bill 2400, failed in a House vote late Thursday. The tuition vouchers bill passed the House 49-43 on Monday. Friday's attempt to override the veto in the House failed 48-45. Lawmakers began the legislative session with five Education Savings Account bills, but none of the proposals remain under consideration. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
North Dakota House committee gives 'do-pass' recommendation to baiting bill
Apr. 4—BISMARCK — After making amendments, a North Dakota House committee has given a "do-pass" recommendation to SB 2137, a bill that would prevent the Game and Fish Department from restricting the use of supplemental feed for hunting big game on private land, a practice commonly known as "baiting." Currently, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department prohibits baiting big game on private land in hunting units with confirmed cases of chronic wasting disease or in units within 25 miles of a confirmed CWD case. A neurological disease that affects deer, elk and moose, CWD is always fatal. The House Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Thursday, April 3, amended SB 2137 to limit the amount of bait that can be placed at a given site to 50 gallons. In addition, the supplemental feed may not be placed within 50 feet of any property used for animal agriculture. In addition to the 50-gallon limit and 50-foot setback requirement, the committee recommended the Game and Fish Department "shall conduct chronic wasting disease surveillance and testing" and provide a report to Legislative Management by July 31, 2029, "regarding an update on the surveillance and testing protocols and procedures for chronic wasting disease in the state." The committee gave a do-pass recommendation to the amended legislation by an 8-4 vote. If ultimately passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Kelly Armstrong, the legislation would be effective through July 31, 2029. Authored by Sen Keith Boehm, R-Mandan, SB 2137 has been perhaps the most hotly contested piece of outdoors-related legislation to be introduced during this year's North Dakota legislative session. Dozens of people on both sides of the issue have weighed in on the bill, which passed the Senate by a 31-15 vote. Baiting also was a hot topic during the 2023 North Dakota legislative session, and the Senate in the closing days of the session narrowly defeated a bill with provisions similar to the legislation now being debated. HB 1151 initially sailed through the House by a 76-18 vote before being defeated in the Senate by a 26-21 vote. In its plan for managing CWD, a restriction on baiting currently is one of five tools the Game and Fish Department uses to mitigate the fatal disease. Science has shown the risk of spreading the disease is heightened by close contact. Other tools in the CWD mitigation toolbox are carcass transport restrictions, surveillance and testing, proper carcass disposal (preferably in a landfill) and education/outreach to keep people informed. If SB 2137 ultimately passes, Game and Fish still would have authority to manage the disease "in every aspect except baiting," said Rep. Todd Porter, R-Mandan, chairman of the House Energy and Natural Resources Committee. "I think we're codifying their authority inside the disease," Porter said. The bill now awaits a vote in the full House. The Game and Fish Department in February said it confirmed 17 new cases of CWD in North Dakota during the 2024 sampling season, mainly in the western part of the state. Of that total, 15 deer were taken by hunters and two were clinical deer confirmed through diagnostic examination, the department said. There have been 122 confirmed cases of CWD in North Dakota since 2009, when the disease first was documented in Unit 3F2 in the south central part of the state.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill targeting library content passes North Dakota Senate
Sen. Keith Boehm, R-Mandan, speaks on the Senate floor about the removal of explicit content from public and school libraries on Feb. 20, 2025. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor) A bill requiring the removal of obscene or sexually explicit content from public and school libraries passed the Senate Thursday on a 27-20 vote. Senate Bill 2307, sponsored by Sen. Keith Boehm, R-Mandan, would require public and school libraries to remove explicit content from main areas of the library to areas 'not easily accessible' to minors. 'North Dakota has an opportunity to become a leader in child protection,' Boehm said. 'Ensuring our schools and libraries are places of education, not exploitation.' In 2023, lawmakers passed a bill that required the removal of sexually explicit content from the children's sections of public libraries and required those libraries to have content challenge policies in place. Boehm's bill expands that law to include school libraries and other public areas of the public library. Lawmaker again targets content in North Dakota libraries He stressed that his bill doesn't ban books, but relocates them away from minors. Opponents have called the bill censorship and a violation of the First Amendment. Boehm suggested explicit content could be moved to a cabinet with proper signs or a roped off section for adults only. The bill would also require a review process at libraries for the removal of content. If a person is dissatisfied with the outcome of that review, the bill provides an avenue to petition the local state's attorney to investigate. A library would have 10 days to comply if a violation is found. State funding could be withheld from a library found in violation. A state's attorney may also prosecute for failure to comply with the law, the bill states. The bill stipulates the State Library and higher education libraries are exempt. Sen. Kristin Roers, R-Fargo, questioned the lack of definition for areas 'not easily accessible' and said it reminded her of old video rental locations. 'There were beaded curtains that sectioned off the part that I wasn't supposed to go to,' Roers said. 'I keep imagining that our libraries are going to have to put up whatever today's version of beaded curtains are, so I struggle with this bill.' Sen. Sean Cleary, R-Bismarck, said if he had an issue with a book in a library, he'd work with the library, the city commission or school board to resolve the issue, not a state's attorney. 'State's attorneys prosecute crimes. They don't manage book collections,' Cleary said. 'Dragging them into this wastes resources, turns library disputes into legal battles and invites government overreach into what should be local decisions.' Sen. Ryan Braunberger, D-Fargo, said he opposes the bill because it sets a precedent of North Dakotans taking their grievances directly to the state's attorneys for investigation, bypassing law enforcement. 'This bill would actually give individuals access to the state's attorney that's not currently done today,' Braunberger said. Boehm referred to libraries having content that is pornography. 'To fight this battle against the pornographers, pedophiles and groomers, we must cover this issue comprehensively,' Boehm said. 'Not every library in the state has this material, but there is enough to support this legislation.' Cleary pushed back on that assertion. 'We should trust parents, school boards and city commissions to make the best decisions for their communities,' Cleary said. 'And for the record, librarians, teachers, they're not pedophiles. They're not pornographers. And they are not groomers.' Boehm sponsored a similar bill during the 2023 legislative session. It was approved by lawmakers but vetoed by then-Gov. Doug Burgum, who said in a veto message the bill would create an enormous burden for every library in the state with a threat of criminal prosecution for noncompliance. Opponents of the bill have said libraries already have review processes in place if the public objects to content. The State Library conducted a survey related to requests for reconsidering materials in a library collection. Of 97 North Dakota libraries that responded, 86 have not received a single request to reconsider an item in the collection over the past three years, State Librarian Mary Soucie wrote in neutral testimony she submitted. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lawmaker again targets content in North Dakota libraries
Sen. Keith Boehm, R-Mandan, introduces a bill to address explicit content from school and public libraries during a committee hearing on Feb. 10, 2025. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor) A bill in the North Dakota Senate seeks to protect school and public libraries from obscene content, but opponents say the measure is unnecessary and would lead to censorship. Senate Bill 2307, sponsored by Sen. Keith Boehm, R-Mandan, would require school and public libraries to remove explicit content from main areas of the library to areas 'not easily accessible' to minors. The bill would make any person who willfully displays obscene material in areas frequented by minors guilty of a Class B misdemeanor. The proposal seeks to add to regulations approved by lawmakers in 2023 through House Bill 1205, which required public libraries to remove sexually explicit content from the children's section and provide a process for people to challenge books they deem inappropriate. 'Libraries and schools were once places of safety and learning, but over time activists and loopholes in existing law have allowed inappropriate material to be introduced in these spaces,' Boehm said during the hearing. Boehm argued his bill doesn't ban books, but provides a process for removal of explicit material to areas not easily accessed. 'This is not about limiting free speech,' he said. 'It is about setting reasonable boundaries in spaces where children learn and grow.' The bill also directs the Attorney General's Office to issue an opinion on a perceived violation if a complainant exhausts the local procedures to seek removal of content. If the attorney general confirms a law violation, the state treasurer or state superintendent would be directed to withhold funding until the library complies. Boehm sponsored a nearly identical bill during the 2023 legislative session, Senate Bill 2360, that was approved by lawmakers. It was vetoed by then-Gov. Doug Burgum and the House failed to override the veto. Burgum said in a veto message the bill would create an enormous burden for every library in the state with a threat of criminal prosecution for noncompliance. He added libraries already conduct expansive reviews of materials. This week, opponents said libraries already have a local review process if someone objects to content. The State Library conducted a survey related to requests for reconsidering materials in a library collection. Of 97 North Dakota libraries that responded, 86 have not received a single request to reconsider an item in the collection over the past three years, State Librarian Mary Soucie wrote in neutral testimony she submitted. Gail Reiten, advocacy chair for Right to Read ND, said parents are responsible for approving the content for their children. 'It is not one family's business to decide what is appropriate for other families to access,' Reiten said. 'Library challenges should be addressed by the local boards and follow the review policies already in place.' Sara Planteen, a North Dakota mother of three, testified in support of the bill. She said she tried to get a book series removed from her children's school library in 2024 but was rebuffed by the school board and left with no recourse. 'We have a society that is trying to desensitize our children to sex,' Planteen told committee members. The bill also would require libraries to have policies in place to remove digital content that could be accessed by minors. Andrea Placher, president of the North Dakota Library Association, said this provision would affect the online content hub Overdrive, also known as Libby, that provides tens of thousands of ebooks and audiobooks to library users. Placher said she believes that digital content would need to be prohibited for anyone under 18 to comply with the bill. Opponents also said libraries have constrained budgets that would prevent constructing walls or adding separate entrances to comply with the bill. They also said it could prevent the hiring of high school students. Bookmobiles and library programming also would be affected, Placher said. 'It would be nearly impossible to carry only adult or children's collections, so then we'd be faced with the dilemma of choosing one over the other,' Placher said. She added some children's programming, like storytime, occurs in libraries with only one room, or would need to use the main area of the library to accommodate larger groups, which would violate the terms of the bill. Lindsey Bertsch, manager of Main Street Books in Minot, asked lawmakers if the bill would apply to her store as well. 'It seems like this bill will affect privately-owned businesses based on the language of the bill,' Bertsch said. 'That is something that needs to be considered moving forward.' The committee took no action on the bill after the public hearing concluded. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lawmakers weigh library censorship. Again.
(Photo illustration by Getty Images) Throughout my life I have seen the power of books and libraries. As a day care provider, I offered kids storytimes in my home and volunteered as a library storytime reader. While growing up in Zap, North Dakota, my five siblings and I were so hungry for the printed word that we even exchanged cereal boxes at the breakfast table. Later, I brought my own children to the Minot Public Library, checking out books for them and for myself. The library became such a large influence on our lives that my daughter grew up to be a library director. This is why I joined Right to Read ND. We are a nonpartisan group of North Dakota citizens who believe that parents, not the government, should supervise reading choices for their own children. We trust our teachers and librarians to curate collections and provide access to information. We reject censorship and fight to protect our First Amendment right to access materials. Once again, North Dakota legislators are trying to censor materials in our libraries. Senate Bill 2307 would require librarians to remove ill-defined 'explicit' materials from our library shelves. The bill's censorship might even extend to digital materials like ebooks, articles, and audiobooks that many North Dakotans access through their local library. These are three of the many issues we at Right to Read ND see with Senate Bill 2307: First, no one can explain how the bill would be implemented. The bill's sponsor, Sen. Keith Boehm, R-Mandan, was recently quoted in an article in the ND News Cooperative, saying he thinks the bill's requirements would be satisfied if each library purchased a cabinet to house 200 books. So, which books would be locked in the cabinet? The legislator's comment sounds like he already has a personal list of books that he feels are inappropriate. However, using one individual's viewpoint to guide what a library removes from their collections violates North Dakotans' First Amendment rights. If libraries pull those books from public circulation, it exposes North Dakota libraries to potential lawsuits from those who can rightfully claim they are being denied access to materials, which is their First Amendment right affirmed through cases such as the U.S. Supreme Court's 1982 ruling in Board of Education v. Pico. The First Amendment protects our right to speak and also our right to receive information. It prevents the government from blocking access, which includes locking books away in a cabinet. Second, it would be costly to taxpayers. Compliance with this bill would require major library renovation especially impacting smaller, rural libraries who would have to remodel to create a barrier between the adult and children's sections. This would be a waste of taxpayer dollars to fund these renovations, funds that could be better used to provide library programs to our communities. Finally, we've already done this. During the 2023 legislative session, House Bill 1205 passed both chambers and put the Federal Miller Test for obscenity into state law. The Miller Test ensures that libraries have age-appropriate materials in children's collections. This law also requires libraries to file a report yearly so the state can make sure they are complying. Legislators are back for more in 2025 with Senate Bill 2307, which elevates the voice of a few over the needs of the many in our local communities. It's time for the Legislature to move on.
