North Dakota Human Rights Coalition
Working to effect change so that all people in North Dakota enjoy full human rights
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North Dakota Human Rights Coalition Working to effect change so that all people in North Dakota enjoy full human rights |
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Programs ~ Announcements ~ Updates ~ Resources
Friday, April 6, 2007 North Dakota Human Rights News
Hello members and friends of the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition! Select individual headings to view specific content. Thank you for reading.
NEWS: Native American Nicknames / Mascot News
Do you have a Program, Announcement, Update or Resource that you would like shared on our weekly PAUR report? If so, please send an email to HumanRights@NDHRC.org and we will do our best to accommodate you.
Please Note: The NDHRC distributes a weekly PAUR report to inform our members and friends about news, events, and other human rights related information around the state. The opinions expressed within the articles are those of the authors and are not endorsed by the NDHRC.
We need your help and support to make a difference. Your individual advocacy is invaluable. Please consider making a monetary donation to help support the NDHRC's work. Send your donations to NDHRC, P.O. Box 1961, Fargo, ND 58107-1961 or make a donation online by visiting www.ndhrc.org. Free memberships are also available.
New NDHRC members: as a membership benefit you have received an e-mail subscription of our weekly e-mail newsletter, the NDHRC PAUR Report. If you would like to be removed from the PAUR Report mailing list, please send an email to humanrights@ndhrc.org.
NEW: NDHRC Legislative Update: April 3, 2007 NDHRC activity regarding human-rights-related legislation. Includes: Education, Workers' Rights, Human Services, Reproductive Rights, Workforce Safety & Insurance, Tax Proposals, and Human Rights. Visit our Legislative Activity page for updates on NDHRC activity and human rights-related legislation!
NEW: A committee in Grand Forks has been working on establishing a Grand Forks Human Relations Commission. The group is currently seeking allies in the community and drafting an ordinance to present to the City Council this fall. Please join the next monthly meeting on April 19 at the Grand Forks Public Library Meeting Room from 6:30-8:30. For more information, please contact mitchmarr@ndhrc.org. Directions available upon request and through upcoming Action Alerts.
NEW: Scholarships to the US Social Forum!To help link feminist movements and social justice movements, The Funding Exchange, Ms. Foundation for Women, Third Wave Foundation, and the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice are jointly providing funding for people to attend the 2007 US Social Forum. We are actively seeking applicants. Priority will be given to low income women, women of color, young women (age 15-30), women with disabilities, lesbians/queer women and transgender people. Formerly incarcerated women are also encouraged to apply. All participants will be invited to a breakfast the morning of June 28. Grantees will be asked to write a short essay about their experiences at the US Social Forum. Click here for the application. NOTE: The application works best in Adobe Reader 8 or 7, which can be downloaded free of charge here; you need to download and then install Reader if you don't have it already. Earlier versions of Acrobat/Reader may experience problems with the application; a version compatible with Acrobat Reader 5.0 is here. More information can also be obtained from the Funding Exchange website, located at: http://www.fex.org/.
NEW:
NDSU Rural Leadership North Dakota (RLND) Program Seeking Participants
NEW: Legislative Action Alert: North Dakota taxpayers should not pay to defend polluting industries! Background: Two bills still pending in state legislature would direct state money toward a litigation fund to protect the industry from environmental regulations. HB 1014 and HB 1093 together would allow the industry to spend up to $2,000,000 of state moneys on litigation. While most states are cracking down on polluting power plants, even going up against the EPA over weakened federal pollution rules, North Dakota's lignite industry wants to use taxpayer money to defend itself against such actions. The industry would likely sue Minnesota if a carbon cap bill now pending in the MN state legislature passes. The bill would put a cap on the state's purchases of power from sources contributing to global warming, like ND lignite. HB 1014 is a budget bill and is pending in the Senate. HB 1093 is in a House/Senate conference committee because the House did not agree to Senate amendments giving coal $500,000 for litigation. We do not yet know what the outcome will be. The conference Committee: Reps. Weiler, Grande and Pinkerton and Sens. Wardner, Christmann and Tallackson. Action: Call your Representatives and Senators and tell them that you do not want your money to be used to defend polluters! Tell them you object to any and all provisions in HB 1093 (House) and HB 1014 (Senate) giving money to big coal for litigation and they should be removed!! Legislative hotline: 1-888-635-3447 Using state money to litigate over environmental rules will only allow the industry to continue to pollute, when they should be cleaning up! If the industry wants to litigate, it can spend its own money---not YOURS! Terry Schaunaman [mailto:terry@drcinfo.com]
NEW: North Dakota Passes Peace Resolution From Senator Tim Mathern, prime sponsor: “Our legislature recently passed North Dakota's own Peace Resolution, a progressive piece of legislation which has thrived in this red state. The resolution calls for the pursuit of peace in Iraq and Afghanistan. It voices support for our troops, urging their return with or without a successful conclusion of their efforts. The secrets to our success: 1) Public opinion in North Dakota disapproves of the escalation of war in Iraq. 2) The resolution had bipartisan sponsorship, one Democrat, one Republican. 3) North Dakota's peace community rallied around the resolution with all their force and grace. 4) The military community was welcomed as allies in the mutual goal of supporting our troops. We made it as challenging as we could for risk-averse legislators to vote their conscience and their hope -- peace in the Middle East. In my twenty years as a senator, I have never heard the word peace with such frequency in the legislative halls. This is better than a good start. In the Peace Garden State, this may be the least that we will do.”
Hate Crimes Bill Introduced in the House
of Representatives
NEW: Free Forum:
Conversations with Legislators
NEW: Please join us for MSUM’s 12th Unity Conference scheduled April 12-13. The theme is “Nuestra Epoca: Valuing Latinos in the American Tapestry.” * Gain Awareness: This unique conference offers numerous opportunities to learn more about your neighbors, discuss issues that affect Latinos, and strengthen relationships in the community. * Enhance your effectiveness: The Conference offers thought-provoking workshops, informative discussion panels, and exciting entertainment in a friendly environment conducive to sharing ideas. Regardless of your interest or field, you will have opportunities to gain awareness and information that will help you better communicate and interact with others. You also will meet, network, and learn from others in your field who are dedicated to serving the needs of our communities. The Conference is capped with a performance by Maria Isa, whose style blends tropical forms with hip hop and reggaeton. MSUM students, staff, and faculty attend free, no registration fee. Students $25, Non-students $50. The fee includes registration costs and t-shirt. We can issue a letter of attendance to teachers seeking continuing education credits.
NEW: 38th Annual UNDIA Time-Out Week - "Empowering All Nations: Unity Through Wellness," April 16-22 This year’s focus on wellness will feature one of the seven dimensions of wellness each day. All Time-Out Week events are free and open to students, faculty, staff and the general public. For up-to-the-minute details about Time-Out Week and the Wacipi, visit www.und.nodak.edu/org/undia . For a printer-friendly schedule, visit http://www.und.nodak.edu/org/undia/2%20page%20Time-Out%20Flyer%20March%2022.pdf
NEW: Fargo Bike/Walk for Cutting Carbon!12:00 - 01:30 p.m., Saturday, April 14, 2007
Location: Meet at the gazebo in Island Park Near 7th Street and 3rd Ave. S Directions: Downtown Fargo, ND
On April 14th, over 800 communities across the country will come together to ask Congress to finally do something about bringing us into a clean energy future. This is the first nationwide rally against global warming. As of today, North Dakota and South Dakota are the only states without events-- help us put ND on the map for a better future! (see www.stepitup2007.org for more info). If you are able to contribute your talent or contacts in anyway, we would greatly appreciate it. Or, better yet, if you or someone you know is already working on organizing a local action, let's team up! Please respond ASAP to FMClimateAction@gmail.com to let us know how you would like to become involved.
Please forward this to any other group or individual you think may want to get involved! In Cooperation, Samm Saarion 701.238.2002 & Kim Winnegge (218) 329-1493; FMClimateAction@gmail.com
NEW: The Legal Advocacy Fund, a program of the American Association of University Women Foundation, is the nation’s largest legal fund focused solely on sex discrimination in higher education. On April 20 and 21, 2007 the AAUW is holding their state meeting at the Doublewood Inn in Fargo, ND. As part of this meeting, a Legal Advocacy Fund plaintiff, Robin Potera-Haskins, a former head coach of the women’s basketball program at Montana State University – Bozeman, will be speaking at a luncheon on Saturday noon, April 21. The public is invited to attend this luncheon and college students and personnel should be particularly interested. The cost of the luncheon which will be held at the Doublewood Inn in Fargo will be $10 and reservations can be made by calling Julie Garrett at 298-6574 by April 18.
NEW: An Eye for an Eye: Reflections on the Death Penalty Sunday, April 22 at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Fargo-Moorhead on. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “The old law of an eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind.” FMUU member and NDHRC executive director, Cheryl Bergian, will reflect on ML King, UU principles and the debate on bringing back a state death penalty.
NEW: Hjemkomst Voyage 25th Anniversary: The Dream Lives On - 6-month Commemoration May 11, 2007: Sail-Raiser (a fundraiser for the HHIC) - 25 years ago to the day the Hjemkomst ship set sail for Norway. Enjoy Gourmet Scandinavian Hors D'Oeuvres, meet Hjemkomst Crew Members, watch the Hjemkomst sail being raised by Hjemkomst Crew Members with Community Members. For ticket information call: (218) 299-5511. June 19, 2007: Collaborative Event with Scandinavian Festival (TBA) Tuesday Night Programming (TBA): Topics include Hjemkomst Crew and Family, Scandinavian Immigration, Viking History. Contact Person: Michelle Kittleson - 218-299-5511 x222
Pathfinder Services, ND's Department of Special Education and the ND State Council on Developmental Disabilities will present "Transition: A Collaboration In School and Beyond" on April 13th and 14th, 2007. The Pathfinder Conference will be held at the Grand International Inn in Minot ND. Free conference registration is available for parents of children with disabilities. We also have limited Thursday and Friday evening lodging stipends for parents who must travel a distance of more than 60 miles each way. For more information and to print a registration form, please visit the Pathfinder Family Center website at www.pathfinder.minot.com . You can also call Pathfinders at 1-800-245-5840 or 1-701-837-7500 and we will mail out a registration form.
Save the Date, Family Connections Conference Mark Your Calendar … June 13-16, 2007 The Family Connections Conference helps North Dakota families of children with special needs and the professionals who support them to collaborate. The conference will be held at Best Western Doublewood Inn in Fargo North Dakota. For more information Contact NDCPD at 1-800-233-1737 (toll free) or 701-858-3580, or e-mail at haarstad@minotstateu.edu.
Fair Housing of the Dakotas sponsors: Fundamentals of Fair Housing Workshops Agenda: What is Housing Discrimination? ** The Federal Fair Housing Act ** State Human Rights/Fair Housing Laws ** Complaint Filing & Investigative Process ** Advertising & Applications ** Reasonable Accommodations and Modifications ** New Design and Construction ** Occupancy Standards ** Updated Case Law Workshops have been scheduled for the following dates and communities for 2007: • April 19: 1:00-4:45 PM, Best Western Ramkota Hotel, 1400 8th Ave., NW, Aberdeen, SD • April 24: 1:00-4:45 PM, Best Western Ramkota Hotel, 800 S. 3rd Street, Bismarck, ND (funding for this workshop also provided through a City of Bismarck CDBG grant) • May 22: 1:00-4:45 PM, Airport International Inn, 3601 2nd Avenue West, Williston, ND • June 21: 1:00-4:45 PM, Travel Lodge, 3300 W. Russell Street, Sioux Falls, SD • Save the Dates: Check our website (www.ndfhc.org) for tentative dates for Fargo, Chamberlain, Grand Forks, Minot & Rapid City or for updates on continuing education credits. A registration flyer for these workshops will be distributed at a later date. Attendance is free but advance registration is required to ensure adequate seating and materials. Space may be limited at some workshops. Materials available in alternative formats upon request. Coffee and soft drinks will be provided. If you have any questions, please contact the Fair Housing of the Dakotas: 701-221-2530 or 1-888-265-0907 (toll-free)
Presentation Peace Studies Forum, one remaining:
Bismarck-Mandan GLBT Pride Fest July 27-29, 2007 :: GLBT Pride Event to be Themed “United for Equality”
Bismarck, ND – March 5, 2007 – Dakota OutRight, a non-profit organization
that serves as a community resource and provides gay, lesbian, bisexual, and
transgender (GLBT) diversity education, has announced that they will celebrate
their fourth GLBT Pride Fest July 27-29, 2007 at Eagles Park, Bismarck. Pride
Fest is a unique time to celebrate unity within the GLBT community and allies in
western and central North Dakota. All friends and family of the GLBT community
are invited to join in any of the activities during the weekend festival.
North Dakota Peace Coalition “Peace Studies – West” Speakers’ Series “Corporate Conscience: Economics of Peace” held Friday, April 13, 7 p.m. at Trinity Community Center on 3rd St. & Ave. A, Bismarck. Free and open to the public. Features Howard Dahl and Don Morrison. Event co-sponsored by Stones Throw IT, Smoothie Operator Juice Bar, Seeds of Hope Thrift, Makoche Recording Studio, ND Center for the Public Good. Travel scholarships are available for those from out of town. For more info visit www.ndpeace.org or call Karen Van Fossan at 701-258-6667
Anti-Racism Tuesdays: Speaker and Video Series - Spring 2007Tuesday, April 10, 2007, 12:30-1:30pm (FLC 319): “Raising Anti-Racist Children” SpeakerTuesday, April 17, 2007, 12:30-1:30pm (FLC 319): “A Place at the Table: History & Identity Through the Eyes of Today's Youth” Video
Join the Pride Planning Meetings: F-M Pride has been set for Wed., May 30 through Sun., June 3. The Pride Planning Committee meets every other week and welcomes people to join the meetings. Are you interested in helping plan or volunteer for Pride? Do you have an idea for our event? Please join us for the upcoming meetings. For more information check out our website www.pridecollective.com or email fmpride@pridecollective.com Meetings are held at the PEPP Building.
AFP and NDANO co-host non-profit conference in Fargo Creating Common Ground for Growth, an educational conference on nonprofit funding will be held June 3-5 at the Ramada Plaza Suites and Conference Center, Fargo. The conference will feature excellent speakers and educational tracks, as well as opportunities for networking. More than 200 nonprofit professionals, board members and volunteers from throughout the Midwest are expected at the event to gain quality training at a very reasonable cost. Save the dates now.
NAACP chapter starting in ND: A group out of Grand Forks has laid the groundwork for a North Dakota chapter of the NAACP. North Dakota is one of only two states in the United States without a chapter of the organization. Stay posted for notices of future meetings and events. Right now, the group needs members in order to get a charter from the national NAACP. The membership is $30.00, and checks can be made out to, and sent to: Northern Lights Chapter of NAACP, P.O. Box 12142, Grand Forks, ND 58208-2142. The Mission Statement of the NAACP: "...to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights for all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination."
Pride Collective & Community Center now
accepting Board Member applications
Local GLBT Social/Discussion Group
Ten Percent Society
www.fmtps.com
Volunteer or Intern with Planned Parenthood! “MAKE A DIFFERENCE. IN HER LIFE. IN HIS LIFE. IN YOUR LIFE.” Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota has provided our community with education and confidential reproductive health care at an affordable cost for more than 70 years. Help us achieve our mission by participating in one of these exciting opportunities: Volunteer and Internship Positions: Reality Checker – Fargo, Bismarck, Minot, Grand Forks Super Activist - Fargo Coffee House Series Committee - Fargo Public Affairs Administrative Assistant - Fargo For more information or to apply, contact ajacobson@ppmns.org or 701.526.0726 , or visit our website at www.ppmns.org.
The Arc of Bismarck & The ND Protection & Advocacy Project staff are collaborating to offer training and support to groups or individuals wishing to participate in the legislative process. For more details or to schedule a workshop that includes information on how a bill becomes a law and how to draft and deliver legislative testimony, please use one of the contact points listed below to schedule an appointment. Please share this in your circles - Thank you! 701-258-7949. joyce@apsimail.com # arcbis@midconetwork.com # tlarsen@nd.gov
Bismarck: Human Relations Video Series
The Bismarck Human Relations Committee in partnership with the Bismarck Public
Library presents a Human Rights Video Series the 3rd Sunday of each month,
3:00 PM, at the Bismarck Public Library, Room C.
Nonprofits Assistance Fund Launches Blog
The Local chapter of the national campaign for the creation of a cabinet level Department of Peace is looking for a few good men and women volunteers, across the state, to team up to lobby for this bill. Please contact State Coordinator and District Team Leader Paddy McLaughlin to see how you might become involved with this powerful bill for peace. Meetings in Fargo at the Center, every 1st & 3rd Tuesday of the month, 8 p.m. Call 701-232-0694 for details. www.thepeacealliance.org Local Peace Circle takes place every Tuesday at 7:00 P.M. at The Center for Peace, 411 11th St. N., Fargo, ND. Please join us as we meditate on, prayer for and envision the conditions necessary for healing and peace on Earth. Contact Paddy McLaughlin, 701-232-0694
VIEWPOINT: Costs of UND
lawsuit go beyond dollars GRAND FORKS - Since we seem to be on the topic of costs and mysterious funding for UND's lawsuit against the NCAA, here are some other not-so-secret costs that the lawsuit is extracting from our collective “social budget”: http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/index.cfm?id=32974§ion=opinion
Tribe, state could share some oil taxes By Gwen Bristol, Correspondent, Minot Daily News, April 3, 2007 BISMARCK — A bill that
could spur the development of new oil wells on the Fort Berthold Reservation
was heard by the House natural resources committee Monday ... Steve Kelly,
attorney for the Three Affiliated Tribes, said there is a problem of dual
taxation for new oil wells on the reservation. Currently, both the state and
the tribes would tax any new oil wells.
http://www.minotdailynews.com/news/articles.asp?articleID=10070
Powwow needs your support The purple crocus is the first flower to push its way through the snow and announce spring. The bell sounds of American Indian dancers also announce spring, as well as the beginning of the summer powwow season around the Plains region ... One of the first Indian celebrations is the 38th Annual UND Indian Association Time-Out Week and Wacipi (powwow) in Grand Forks. http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/index.cfm?id=32950§ion=news
NEWS: Race & National Origin
It’s time to get serious about the illegal immigration problem Minot Daily News 4/4/07 - The Minot Daily News: Jim Eykyn, Publisher, Bryan L. Obenchain, Editor
More than 623,000 of the estimated 11 million to 12 million illegal aliens in
the United States have been caught at least once by law enforcement agencies,
and ordered to leave this country ... But they’re still here — and there is no
reason to believe that they will leave of their own volition or be apprehended
and forced out ... Why? Because our federal government isn’t taking the problem
seriously, according to its own report.
http://www.minotdailynews.com/Editorials/articles.asp?articleID=10096
Immigration props up metro areasAssociated Press, Published Thursday, April 05, 2007WASHINGTON – Without immigrants pouring into the nation’s big metro areas, places such as New York, Los Angeles and Boston would be shrinking as native-born Americans move farther out. http://www.in-forum.com/News/articles/161787
Red flags bring up talks on
racism and stereotypes It’s not every day that red flags get handed to you ... However, students entering professor Thy Yang’s international student orientation class March 26 at Dickinson State University were given lots of them. http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/articles/index.cfm?id=10067§ion=homepage
Helping international
students adjust to a new enviroment It may surprise many North Dakotans to learn they don’t like meat ... American college students may be perplexed to hear “your momma” jokes aren’t funny, but instead offensive ... Dickinson State University Multicultural Center Director Thy Yang learned from her international students that everyone in North Dakota says hello, Dickinson is expensive, breakfast is too early and Wal-Mart is overwhelming .. In fact, each semester Yang gets to learn a little bit more about how the United States is viewed by other cultures. http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/articles/index.cfm?id=10066§ion=homepage
Jurors respond to change of
vote Juror affidavits filed in Mevludin Hidanovic’s case reinforce why he shouldn’t receive a new trial for last summer’s Red River Valley Fair fight, a prosecutor says. http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=161708§ion=news
Jennifer Baumgardner’s latest most personal book yetMila Koumpilova, The Forum, Published Sunday, April 01, 2007As a magazine writer, Fargo native Jennifer Baumgardner has written about abortion, sexual assault and chastity balls. Her recently released book, “Look Both Ways: Bisexual Politics,” is by far her most personal writing yet http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=161364§ion=ValleyRR
‘Look Both Ways’ turns headsMila Koumpilova, The Forum, Published Sunday, April 01, 2007Writer Jennifer Baumgardner, bred in Fargo and based in New York City, generated buzz nationally with her latest book, “Look Both Ways: Bisexual Politics,” out last month by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. In a phone interview after a speaking engagement in Alabama, the 36-year-old spoke about the book’s reception and her views on the link between bisexuality and feminism. http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=161366§ion=ValleyRR
Detox center, shelter put
off Fargo’s police chief told residents living near a proposed emergency homeless shelter and detox center Monday that the facility should not be a revolving door for homeless people who just want to get drunk and have a place to sleep it off.http://www.in-forum.com/Opinion/articles/161652
Chuck Stebbins, Fargo letter: Shelter opposition not justified by factsThe Forum, Published Friday, April 06, 2007The meeting at Jefferson Elementary on Monday evening (April 2) was a great example of challenging a community to come together and be part of the solution rather than part of the problem. But there is still a problem. The neighborhood association will not accept any other solution but to find another place for the shelter in question to be located. http://www.in-forum.com/Opinion/articles/161833
Chassan Katherine, Fargo,
letter: Forum seems fearful of label ‘secularism’ Why is The Forum afraid of the label “secularism?” Having a constitutional amendment separating church and state reinforces religious freedom and the freedom of thought – in other words, secularism. Our nation was founded and exists on many cultural ideals (yea, ya betcha!) For example, Fargo’s Scandinavian culture (lefse and lutefisk) is only one slice of cultural pie in the American melting pot. http://www.in-forum.com/Opinion/articles/161501
Women of color, rainbow of
views As Herald readers know, there are comparatively few people of color in the Red River Valley. So, during Women of Color Week - March 26-30 - when I helped moderate a panel of such women, it was a good chance to visit with some women of color who we have in this area ... These are remarkable women who are talented and have worldwide experiences that can help bring understanding to our community.
A national laughingstock for no good reason Bismarck Tribune - April 1, 2007 In the unending abortion debate, there are two positions I find hard to respect. One is the view that all abortion is an abomination, and therefore government should enact something like a 100 percent ban on the procedure. The other is that abortion is virtually an absolute right and that anyone who questions its open availability is some kind of Neanderthal. Those are the strident ends of the abortion spectrum, and they make it nearly impossible for the majority of us to reason intelligently about the gray zone where the real decisions have to occur. Clay Jenkinson is the Theodore Roosevelt scholar-in-residence at Dickinson State University. He lives in Bismarck. Contact Jenkinson at Jeffysage@;aol.com.). http://www.bismarcktribune.com/articles/2007/04/01/news/columnists/jenkinson/131262.txt
Cancer vaccine debate emerges Some states and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are advocating that young girls be vaccinated against a cancer-causing virus, but North Dakota is not contemplating a mandate, health officials say .. "I really don't know that I see that we would mandate it, but I think that we would probably readily encourage it," said Valerie Fischer, director of school health for the state Department of Public Instruction. "If it can be a cure for cervical cancer, I think we would be remiss if we didn't encourage it." http://www.bismarcktribune.com/articles/2007/04/01/news/local/131240.txt
Tenants claim harassmentBy Benny Polacca, The Forum, Published Friday, April 06, 2007The North Dakota Department of Labor’s Human Rights Division has determined that a former Fargo landlord committed housing discrimination after at least three female tenants claimed he sexually harassed them during their tenancy. http://www.in-forum.com/News/articles/161861
Community would count more dead without the drop-in centerBy Michael R. Dean, The Forum, Published Thursday, April 05, 2007Time to speak up about the Ray of Hope Drop-in Center in Fargo and all the negativity it has been receiving. For one thing, it is good that it is here to help those in need. Alcoholism is a problem that a lot of Americans have, and it is a growing concern in all communities and cities. http://www.in-forum.com/Opinion/articles/161759
PSC to hear wind farm proposalsAssociated Press, Published Thursday, April 05, 2007BISMARCK – North Dakota’s Public Service Commission has scheduled a hearing next month to discuss plans by three utilities to build a wind farm south of Langdon. http://www.in-forum.com/News/articles/161780
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Moorhead faces stiff power billsJ. Shane Mercer, The Forum, Published Thursday, April 05, 2007Moorhead residents will likely see electricity rate hikes totaling about 10 percent by January of next year, including a July hike of 2 percent. http://www.in-forum.com/News/articles/161785
Forum Editorial: Legislature in denial about WSIThe Forum, Published Thursday, April 05, 2007North Dakota’s workers’ compensation agency, Workforce Safety and Insurance, seems to have appropriated the Republican caucus of the Legislature as a wholly owned subsidiary. http://www.in-forum.com/Opinion/articles/161758
IN THE MAIL: 'Human rights' label frightens GOPSen. Tom Fiebiger, Published Monday, April 02, 2007FARGO - The bill that would have changed the name of the Department of Labor to the Department of Labor and Human Rights recently was defeated (Senate Bill 2121). The Senate previously approved the bill. The House Republicans defeated it ... I found the House action unfortunate. There was significant testimony in favor of the name change at both the Senate and House hearings. There was no testimony against the name change at either hearing. None. ... Five of the six investigators in the Labor Department work on investigating human rights violations. Testimony revealed that people have had difficulty knowing where to turn to get their human rights protected in North Dakota. One person having this problem is too many ... There were letters in support of the name change. Newspapers endorsed the change. There was significant testimony in favor of the name change at both the Senate and House hearings. Again, there was no testimony against the name change ... It appears to me that the issue of “human rights” makes many House Republicans uncomfortable. That should make the citizens of North Dakota uncomfortable, not just me as the sponsor of the legislation. http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/index.cfm?id=33055§ion=Opinion
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North Dakota Human Rights Coalition P.O. Box 1961 Fargo, North Dakota 58107-1961 Phone: (701) 239-9323 Fax: (701) 478-4452 Email: humanrights@ndhrc.org
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