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Letters to the Editor

Library bill costly, unnecessary

Mariah Ralston, Bismarck Randi Monley, Minot, Co-chairs, Right to Read ND Senate Bill 2307 takes aim at content in libraries and schools, and if it passes, North Dakota taxpayers will have to pay millions of dollars to implement it. Taxpayers would be on the hook for $2 million for unnecessary age verification software on our online library databases, which are used by North Dakota libraries and schools. Why is this unnecessary? Our libraries and schools already implement internet filters to comply with the Children’s Internet Protection Act. This $2 million doesn’t even ...

Fully onboard with Trump’s government

Steven Moen, Minot Contrary to most media outlets and letter to the editor writers I am totally on board with President Trump and Elon Musk’s DOGE (Department Of Government Efficiency) efforts to cut the fat in the government. I wake up in the morning with a smile on my face and joy in my heart knowing that more fraud and corruption is being uncovered, more terrorists are being deported and others are not being let in. America comes first now, even though a federal “district” judge is melting down because Trump didn’t obey his unconstitutional order to bring back the gang ...

Protect children’s mental health during school day

Kirsten Baesler, N.D. Superintendent of Schools, Bismarck As North Dakota’s State Superintendent for more than a decade, I’ve had thousands of conversations with our teachers, students, and school leaders. I continue to hear — with increasing urgency — that our teachers can’t even teach the basics anymore because student mental health challenges have become so overwhelming. Each legislative session, we see multiple bills requesting more funding for schools to hire additional counselors, social workers, and psychologists. These are good and necessary requests, but at some ...

Lack of homeless shelter creates crisis

Jerrand Assibey, Minot I am writing to express deep concern over Minot’s ongoing failure to address a critical public safety crisis — the complete lack of a shelter for homeless and temporarily displaced residents. It is deeply troubling that an oil-rich city like Minot has not taken the necessary steps to provide such a fundamental resource, leaving vulnerable individuals exposed to dangerous conditions. The urgency of this issue became even more apparent when I, too, found myself homeless due to a domestic dispute. Despite my limited resources, I have taken the initiative to ...

Protect Medicaid from harmful cuts

Julie Horntvedt, Executive director, State Council on Developmental Disabilities, on behalf of N.D. Disabilities Advocacy Consortium Board of Directors, Bismarck Cuts to Medicaid would have serious consequences for North Dakotans, threatening access to health care and services. This would place additional burdens on families, healthcare providers, and the economy. Currently in ND, the federal government pays 51% of the cost of traditional Medicaid and 90% of the cost of Medicaid Expansion. Therefore, changes in Medicaid could result in fewer services and fewer caregivers. Medicaid is ...

Education Savings Accounts are win-win for ND residents

Jordan Wald Minot Legislators are considering Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) for North Dakota students. ESAs use parent-directed state dollars to select educational services from approved vendors. Several outcomes are expected from an ESA program: greater parental autonomy over their children’s education, better outcomes for students, and more efficient use of tax-payer dollars through a more robust educational marketplace. If North Dakota has a relatively homogenous educational landscape with very few options for parents and children, we shouldn’t be surprised. This comes ...