Legislative Update Week 13

​Week Thirteen North Dakota Legislative Assembly Update

Click here for the updated tracking grid.
Due to many scheduling conflicts, we won’t be able to host Saturday videoconferences for the next few weeks. Because of these conflicts, we’ll host a larger videoconference at the close of the session and talk about the big wins and losses of the session. More information will be forthcoming.

It was a BIG week. Senate Bill 2279 got its final vote. The North Dakota Women's Network is extremely disappointed that the North Dakota House of Representatives defeated SB 2279, killing the non-discrimination bill for the session. The majority of North Dakotans support legislation to protect all people from discrimination in housing and employment.

Even though the North Dakota Senate passed it, dozens of citizens testified in favor of the legislation, and hundreds of people packed the balcony to show support of the bill, the House still rejected SB 2279. This vote is on the wrong side of history and on the wrong side of the majority of voters.

North Dakotans and the North Dakota Women's Network support equal rights in housing and employment.

Here is the ROLL CALL of the bill.

35 YEAS, 56 NAYS, 0 EXCUSED, 3 ABSENT AND NOT VOTING.

YEAS: Amerman; Anderson, P.; Beadle; Becker, Rick C.; Boe; Boschee; Delmore; Fehr; Glassheim; Guggisberg; Haak; Hanson; Hawken; Hogan; Holman; Hunskor; Johnson, M.; Keiser; Kelsh; Maragos; Martinson; Mitskog; Mock; Mooney; Muscha; Nelson, M.; Onstad; Oversen; Sanford; Schneider; Schreiber Beck; Strinden; Thoreson; Wallman; Zubke

NAYS: Anderson, B.; Anderson, D.; Becker, Rich S.; Bellew; Boehning; Brabandt; Carlson; Damschen; Delzer; Devlin; Dockter; Dosch; Froseth; Hatlestad; Headland; Hofstad; Johnson, D.; Kading; Karls; Kasper; Kempenich; Kiefert; Klein; Klemin; Koppelman, B.; Koppelman, K.; Kreidt; Kretschmar; Laning; Larson; Lefor; Looysen; Louser; Meier; Nathe; Nelson, J.; Olson; Owens; Paur; Pollert; Porter; Rohr; Ruby; Schatz; Schmidt; Seibel; Silbernagel; Skarphol; Steiner; Streyle; Sukut; Toman; Trottier; Vigesaa; Weisz; Speaker Belter

ABSENT AND NOT VOTING: Brandenburg; Frantsvog; Monson

SB 2279, as amended, failed.

If your Representative voted yes, consider sending a message of thanks for standing for equality. Find your Representative here.



Additionally, we lost our final pay equity bill in the Senate yesterday. House Bill 1294, the bill that prohibits retaliation against employees who discuss their wages. Although no one opposed the bill, the votes against is were cast on the basis that it was unnecessary. But, transparency is crucial to root out discriminatory pay.

ROLL CALL

20 YEAS, 26 NAYS, 0 EXCUSED, 1 ABSENT AND NOT VOTING.

YEAS: Axness; Campbell; Cook; Dotzenrod; Flakoll; Grabinger; Heckaman; Lee, J.; Luick; Marcellais; Mathern; Murphy; Nelson; O'Connell; Oban; Robinson; Schneider; Sinner; Triplett; Warner

NAYS: Anderson; Armstrong; Bekkedahl; Bowman; Burckhard; Carlisle; Casper; Dever; Erbele; Hogue; Holmberg; Kilzer; Klein; Krebsbach; Laffen; Larsen; Lee, G.; Miller; Oehlke; Poolman; Rust; Schaible; Sorvaag; Unruh; Wanzek; Wardner

ABSENT AND NOT VOTING: Davison
HB 1294 failed.

All in all, April 2nd, 2015 was not a good day for equality. We must stay active and diligent to make sure our representative government truly represents us ALL!