Happy Monday!
Dear Fellow Republicans,
We wanted to provide you with a roundup of everything you might have missed from North Dakota’s great Republican leaders this past week. Please share with family and friends!
Perrie Schafer, NDGOP Chairman
Photo of the Week
RNC
Thank you to RNC Co-Chairman Tommy Hicks for continuing to bring attention to the crisis at the Southern Border. Check out his video here. – Perrie Schafer
North Dakota
Burgum: ‘We must now turn to prioritizing women’s health’
Wahpeton Daily News
Gov. Doug Burgum, R-N.D., declared the U.S. Supreme Court’s Friday, June 24 decision effectively overturning Roe v. Wade as returning “power to the states where it belongs.”…Burgum said his administration will now work “diligently” to fulfill its “constitutional duty.” “We must now turn to prioritizing women’s health, including expectant mothers and children in need,” the governor stated.
North Dakota abortion ban set in motion with Supreme Court’s ruling
The Bismarck Tribune
Attorney General Drew Wrigley on Friday said, “This office is evaluating the (Supreme Court’s) opinion in every detail and will give careful consideration to its impact on North Dakota’s abortion laws. By statute, this office has thirty days within which to certify whether the Dobbs decision gives effect to current North Dakota abortion laws that conflicted with previous United States Supreme Court decisions.”…North Dakota Republican Party Chairman Perrie Schafer called the ruling “a truly incredible victory for the rights of the unborn and all Americans who care deeply about the sanctity of life.”
Governor Burgum requests storm disaster declaration
AM 1100 The Flag
“Communities and households throughout the eastern portion of the state worked to protect their homes and personal safety from floodwaters while the western portion fought ice and extensive power outages,” said Burgum on the request via Social Media. “We appreciate the administration considering our request for assistance to help communities recover from these spring storms and build resiliency against future severe weather events.” Burgum’s office says President Biden’s administration was contacted on Thursday. The estimated infrastructure damage from the storms in 40 North Dakota counties, which happened in April and May, is currently 57-million dollars.
Two appointed to ND Board of Public School Education
Minot Daily News
Mike McHugh and Eric Nelson will be joining the North Dakota Board of Public School Education, which provides guidance and oversight for the state’s K-12 system, according to North Dakota Superintendent of Public Instruction Kirsten Baesler’s office. McHugh, of Mandan, is the aviation education coordinator for the state Aeronautics Commission, a certified career and technical education teacher, and a former aviation instructor in the Bismarck public schools. Nelson is a Williston resident and a senior technical adviser for Creedence Energy Services.
Fourth straight quarter of double-digit growth in North Dakota taxable sales
KFYR-TV
Taxable sales in January, February, and March of 2022 were 13% higher than the same timeframe in 2021. Tax commissioner Brian Kroshus said the continued growth is a good sign for North Dakota’s economy. “We’re also keeping an eye on inflationary pressure. To some extent, that’s also driving the increase in revenue to the state, but primarily it’s really the North Dakota economy getting back on its feet,” said Tax Commissioner Brian Kroshus. All 15 major industry sectors reported an increase, including a 37% increase in the oil extraction sector. Commissioner Kroshus said it’s rare to see an increase in every major industry sector.
Burgum recall effort apparently fizzles
The Bismarck Tribune
Leaders of a recall effort targeting Gov. Doug Burgum and Lt. Gov. Brent Sanford appear to have come up short. The five-person sponsoring committee, led by frequent statewide candidate Michael Coachman, of Larimore, had one year to gather 89,464 signatures of qualified voters to prompt a recall election against the second-term Republican officeholders. The deadline was Thursday. Coachman did not respond to two Tribune phone messages seeking comment. Secretary of State Al Jaeger said Coachman had not contacted his office and had not turned in petitions as of 4:30 p.m. “We’re not expecting anything,” Jaeger said.
Billings Co field days June 28, July 8, to collect spurge-eating insects
Tri-State Livestock News
Field days have been scheduled in Billings County to collect and redistribute flea beetles that eat leafy spurge. Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring said persons interested in acquiring the flea beetles to release on their own property can collect them from established populations at the field day site. “Leafy spurge continues to be one of North Dakota’s most difficult-to-control noxious weeds,” Goehring said. “Using the flea beetles for biological control, as part of an integrated pest management plan, has proven to be an effective tool in combatting leafy spurge infestations.”
Burgum meets with child care providers to discuss shortage
The Center Square
North Dakota is facing a child care provider shortage that affects economic growth, according to Gov. Doug Burgum. Burgum, Lt. Gov. Brent Sanford and Department of Human Services Executive Director Chris Jones met with child care providers and business leaders on Monday to discuss the shortage’s impact. The meeting is one of several Burgum is holding throughout the state, addressing topics that affect policy and budgeting in the 2023 legislative session. “We know if we’re going to make progress in our state on solving the workforce issues, then we’ve got to solve the child care issues,” Burgum said in a news release. “We know that workforce is the No. 1 thing that’s holding back the economy in North Dakota.”
Sweltering weekend sets records in North Dakota; ‘heat dome’ sets stage for storms
The Bismarck Tribune
North Dakota Public Service Commission Chair Julie Fedorchak told Prairie Public that she doesn’t think the state will be affected, however. “MISO’s general manager told me, ‘Just because where you’re situated, shedding load isn’t going to help with where things are tight,’” Fedorchak said. “And North Dakota has so much dispatchable generation, we’re not going to be short.” “Dispatchable generation” refers to power sources that can be ramped up on demand to supply more power. “We’ll be generating the power everybody else needs,” Fedorchak said.
Washington, D.C.
North Dakota abortion ban set in motion with Supreme Court’s ruling
The Bismarck Tribune
U.S. Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., who signed the 2007 law as governor, said the decision “respects the sanctity of life and rightfully denies that the Constitution provided a right to abortion.” U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., called the ruling “a win for life and states’ rights” and “one of the most consequential decisions in my lifetime.” U.S. Rep. Kelly Armstrong, R-N.D., said the decision “is a victory for life. The power to protect the unborn should be left to the people and their elected state representatives.”
ND senators issue statements on gun control legislation
The Minot Daily News
“I believe we need to do more to secure our schools but I am concerned that the red flag provisions in the Murphy/Cornyn bill will unfairly infringe on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens, which is why I voted against it,” said Hoeven. “Also, that’s why I have cosponsored the Safe Schools Act which provides additional resources for school security, training for law enforcement, better enforcement of our current laws, and more mental health resources.” “I am committed to policies addressing mental health and securing our schools, but I cannot condone the infringement on Americans’ constitutionally guaranteed Second Amendment liberties,” said Cramer. “Further, this bill was crafted without any committee process or refining amendments. It is past time for the Senate to function within its rules and designed structure. At the end of the day, I cannot support legislation which restricts the Second Amendment right to bear arms for law-abiding American citizens.”…“The Constitution guarantees that Americans’ Second Amendment rights shall not be infringed. This gun control package restricts law-abiding citizens from exercising those rights,” said Armstrong.
Sen. Hoeven pushing Delta airlines to address flight delays
KFYR-TV
Sen. John Hoeven, R-ND, is asking Delta Airlines to address flight delays in North Dakota. Delta is working on improving their air traffic management in hopes of making flights more reliable. They are looking into hiring people for positions such as pilots, flight attendants, and aircraft maintenance technicians. They are enhancing technology so that customers can deal with flight changes easier. Hoeven said he is hopeful that the improvements will create more solutions.
Hoeven’s cyber workforce program legislation signed into law by Biden
The Ripon Advance
President Joe Biden on June 21 signed into law a bipartisan bill cosponsored by U.S. Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) to recruit, train and retain cybersecurity professionals in the federal workforce. “Cyberattacks targeting our nation continue to grow in frequency and complexity, and it is essential that we stay ahead of our adversaries and others who seek to illegally access and disable critical systems, including those run by federal agencies,” Sen. Hoeven said. “That’s why we advanced this legislation to improve career opportunities for cybersecurity professionals, including those in the private sector, who want to bring their expertise to the federal government.”
Senators Reintroduce Bill to Preserve Freedom of Payment Choice
PYMNTS.com
U.S. Sens. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) have reintroduced the Payment Choice Act, a bill they first pushed forward about a year ago, in the hopes of giving customers the freedom to choose how they pay for goods and services…Cramer called the act of prohibiting cash payments “an act of discrimination against the millions of Americans who do not have bank accounts or prefer cash.” “The Payment Choice Act protects people’s right to participate in the economy using their preferred form of payment,” he said. “If businesses unilaterally stop accepting cash, why do we print money? Is it really legal tender for all debts as it says?”
How would a federal gas tax holiday affect North Dakota?
KFYR-TV
In a statement, Senator Kevin Cramer said: “Suspending the gas tax is nothing more than a knee-jerk political stunt providing minimal relief while blowing a hole in our infrastructure funding.”
Global Hawks Divested and Delivered to Grand Sky For New Mission
KVRR
Five Global Hawks at Grand Forks Air Force Base are divested and delivered to Grand Sky. The 319th Reconnaissance Wing moved the hawks across the flight line to its civilian partners. They will be outfitted with different sensor technology. Sen. John Hoeven says the Air Force is retiring the Global Hawk Block 30 fleet and will transfer all twenty aircraft to Grand Sky. They will be turned into Range Hawks for a hypersonic missile testing program. Grand Sky is focused on developing and growing the unmanned aerial systems industry. “So when you look at it between Grand Sky technology park and the Grand Forks Air Force Base, we are going to be a big part of the development of hypersonics, the new ISR mission and the satellite mission,” said Hoeven a member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee. The transfer is expected to be completed by the end of July.
Boys State, they had a good time
Wahpeton Daily News
In addition to the individual activities the boys participated in they got to hear from a variety of speakers such as former state senator Joel Heitkamp, North Dakota representative Kelly Armstrong, Senator Kevin Cramer and more.
