Letter to the Editor: ND government is now in session, watch your rights

Talk about it

ALERT! Our North Dakota state Legislature is now in session, which once again means we are in danger of losing more of our rights.

We are supposed to have a government for the people, by the people and of the people. We elect men and women as senators and representatives to go to Bismarck to represent our interests. But instead when they get down there, we find out they are attempting to legislate our rights away. It doesn’t take long to see that this is not accidental but intentional.

I am referring to our initiative, referral, reappeal and recall process here in North Dakota. North Dakota is one of only 23 states in the union to have this process and it is under attack in all of them … by the people they elect to represent them. North Dakota is no exception.

So far, there are two House Concurrent Resolutions, HCR 3005 and HCR 3011. One Senate Concurrent Resolution, 4006. And one Senate Bill, SB 2183, which has to be very unconstitutional. There could be more coming.

Space here does not permit me to go into detail on these resolutions and Senate bill. But they all have three things in common. No. 1 is taking away our right of I&R by making it increasingly difficult to obtain the signatures necessary to place a measure on the ballot and actually increasing the number of signatures needed to do so. No. 2 is these resolutions and bills are only solutions looking for problems that are non- existent. No. 3 is they are totally unnecessary as adequate safe guards are already in place to prevent fraud and abuse.

Contact your representatives and senators ASAP. Tell them to vote “no” on all of these resolutions and Senate Bill 2183.

Ralph Muecke,

Gladstone

Tags: opinion