Politics / Elections

ND Legislature: Burgum Veto Overturned, Moves on Insulin and School Vouchers

BISMARCK, N.D. (KVRR/AP) — The first of 4 vetoes by Gov. Doug Burgum has been overturned by the North Dakota Legislature. Burgum had vetoed a bill that would exempt the Legislature from holding recorded roll votes on nonprocedural votes for consideration of bill amendments. The Senate voted 45-1 and the House was unanimous in the veto override. The senate has…

N.D. Legislature: Closer to Overriding Veto, Sports Betting Killed, 80MPH Speed Limit Revived

BISMARCK, N.D. (KVRR) — The North Dakota House of Representatives has voted to override Governor Doug Burgum’s veto of a bill to prevent local governments from adopting approval voting for local elections. In 2018, Fargo was the first city in the country to adopt approval voting for its local elections. It allows a person to vote for more than one…

Ojibwe woman makes history as North Dakota poet laureate

BISMARCK, ND. (KVRR/AP) — North Dakota lawmakers have appointed Denise Lajimodiere as the state’s poet laureate. The Ojibwe member of the Turtle Mountain Band in Belcourt becomes the first Native American to hold the position. She has written several award-winning books of poetry. She’s considered a national expert on the history of Native American boarding schools and wrote an academic…

N.D. Senate Passes Bill To Ban Gender-Affirming Care for Transgender Minors

BISMARCK, N.D. (KVRR) — North Dakota Senate has passed another anti-transgender bill, one of around a half-dozen this session. It would ban and criminalize gender-affirming care for transgender minors. It imposes felony charges on doctors who perform sex assignment surgeries, and misdemeanors for doctors who prescribe hormone therapies or “puberty blockers” to children. Sen. Ryan Braunberger, a Democrat from Fargo,…

Gov. Burgum vetoes trans pronoun bill

BISMARCK, N.D. (KVRR) — North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum vetoes a bill that would have prohibited public schools from referring to students by pronouns that do not reflect the sex assigned to them at birth. Burgum said his problem with the bill is one of local control to remove the discretion of school boards which should accommodate all students’ needs….

Lawyer: Trump indicted; 1st ex-president charged with crime

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, prosecutors and defense lawyers said Thursday, making him the first former U.S. president to face a criminal charge and jolting his bid to retake the White House next year. The charges remained under seal late Thursday, but the investigation centered on payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign…

Former Senator Talks About Cracking Down on E-Cigarette Makers

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) — A former North Dakota senator and architect of one of the largest tobacco settlements in U.S. history is speaking out about Minnesota’s court case against vape manufacturer Juul. Minnesota is the first to take its case against the e-cigarette maker to court, after about 39 other states and territories settled. Former U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp, a…

Rittenhouse supports ND bill providing restitution for those found not guilty due to self-defense

BISMARCK, N.D. (KVRR) — Kyle Rittenhouse testifies in the North Dakota legislature to support a house bill that provides restitution for those found not guilty because of self-defense. Rittenhouse was acquitted of murder charges after shooting and killing two men in Wisconsin during the Jacob Blake riots in August 2020. Rittenhouse defended his actions from the shooting and expanded on…

Terminated Fufeng Project in Grand Forks Sparks Hearing on Chinese Investments in U.S.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (center) and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley (right)WASHINGTON, D.C. (KVRR) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is in agreement with North Dakota Sen. Kevin Cramer about the importance of considering foreign agricultural investments from a national security position. A hearing was held by the Senate Armed Services Committee to address Chinese…