Organizers of a “We the People” rally are looking for thousands of North Dakotans to join them on the Capitol steps in Bismarck Monday to make their voices heard as the Legislature begins its special session.

Rep. Jeff Hoverson, R-Minot, said he initiated the idea of a rally but turned planning over to the Republican chairs in the four Minot legislative districts as the concept grew.

The We the People rally begins at noon and will feature guest speakers via video on two large screens, including Charles Kirk, a conservative activist and radio talk show host. He is founder and president of Turning Point USA, a national student movement. Steve Deace, a conservative activist and talk show host, also is scheduled by video. Scheduled to attend live are Fargo conservative talk show host Chris Berg and Blind Joe, who grew up in the Fargo area and now is a Nashville country music artist known for his recording of “I Will Not Comply.”

The rally is scheduled to run about two to three hours and will offer food trucks, security personnel assistance, free T-shirts and live coverage by BEK-TV, with drone photography of the event planned.

Hoverson said the rally is expected to draw North Dakotans concerned about COVID-19 pandemic mandates as well as other issues.

Jay Lundeen, District 40 chairman, who has been heading the planning effort, said the rally is open to anyone who wants to have a voice in letting legislators know what constituents want.

“We are talking about ‘we the people,'” he said, noting that legislators need to be more open. “They need to have more conversations, not just with their own like-minded people.”

The latest updates on the rally can be found online at wethepeoplend.com.

Buses to the rally will be leaving Minot early Monday morning from Living Word Church. To schedule a ride, or to learn about transportation options that may be available from other communities, call or text to 240-5233.

At the close of the rally, an event will be held at the Radisson in Bismarck to celebrate the work of the Sons of Liberty, North Dakota Conservative Advocates, Health Freedom ND and other grassroots, conservative groups. Individuals with those organizations are invited to attend.

“They’re the backbone of We the People,” Lundeen said. “They are the people who are sacrificing their time, their money in some cases, for a cause bigger than themselves. There’s a lot of them, and they’ve been doing it for years, selflessly behind the scenes, with not a lot of fanfare. We need to celebrate those people.”