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Letters to the Editor

HB 1540 jeopardizes public schools

Monica Klein Mandan School has always been my safe place. That’s one of the reasons I became a kindergarten teacher. And I believe HB 1540, which would send public dollars to private schools, would jeopardize our public schools. That’s why I’m writing to urge the governor to veto HB 1540. When I was a teenager, my dad unexpectedly became a single father. He did his best and took good care of me. However, he was busy and had struggles of his own. Therefore, school became my safe place: my teachers made sure I stayed on track; the school nurse gave me a break when I came in ...

State declares war on ethics

David Schwalbe, Bismarck Since 2018 when Article XIV became part of the constitution, there has been a mad scramble by our politicians to do away with the Ethics Commission by passing unconstitutional legislation to make it unable to carry out its constitutional duties. Article XIV clearly states the Ethics Commission must be adequately funded. It has never been. The sessions in 2021 and 2023 were no better with the leadership of the legislature using the same underhanded techniques to hamstring the Ethics Commission. Now we are in the 2025 legislative session and the anti-ethics ...

DEI initiatives vital in education

Julie Schuler, Sheyenne Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives have been vital in creating more just and inclusive schools. As an educator with 43 years of experience — 18 as an elementary principal — I’ve seen firsthand the transformative impact DEI has on students, families, and communities. My career included teaching students with disabilities and upper-elementary students navigating complex social and emotional challenges. As a principal, I observed how systemic biases disproportionately affected minority students, especially Native American students in our ...

Education Department needed to ensure monitoring

Ann Porter, Grand Forks I recently contacted Representative Julie Fedorchak to express my concerns about proposals to phase out the U.S. Department of Education. While I appreciate her response, I remain troubled by the practical implications of this initiative.​ Congress can appropriate federal education funds, but without a centralized agency to administer and oversee them, how can we ensure they are used as intended? The Department of Education plays a vital role in monitoring spending, safeguarding civil rights, and protecting access to quality education for low-income ...

Tariffs are taxes on consumers

Brian Robert, Brandon, Manitoba How is that tariff war coming with China? A tariff is a tax. Just read there is up to a 245% tax on China goods for consumers. That is awesome. Trump is a good guy – good thing he was voted in, bringing down the price of everything. Must be the biggest tax increase in U.S. history. Good for Trump. Would North Dakota like to join Canada? There would be less taxes. P.S. Trump’s MAGA hat is made in China. Next shipment will be 245% higher.

Celebrate National Library Week

Lillian Crook, Bismarck It is National Library Week 2025. This year’s theme is a celebration of the 67th anniversary of the first American Library Association’s National Library Week in 1958, dubbed “Wake Up and Read.” You can learn more about it at the ALA’s National Library Week website. I am a retired librarian. I grew up in a house filled with books and newspapers, with all four generations reading these books and newspapers. I never knew a day in my life when there was no reading material in our homes and tents and outhouses and campers. My mother was a reader, and ...