Pat Finken

Chairman, Brighter Future Alliance

Bismarck

Bob Paulson’s recent defense of Rep. Jeff Hoverson was less than honest. Here is the truth.

Supposedly, Hoverson voted against funding for the N.D. National Guard (HB1016) because it contained $10 million for a military museum. According to Paulson, Hoverson questioned “is this good use of taxpayer funds?” But the appropriations bill didn’t contain any state taxpayer funding for the museum. The bill only gave the National Guard authority to build the museum if they raised the money from outside sources.

Hoverson supposedly voted against the National Guard appropriation because it cut funding for first responders. That was true about the first version, but Hoverson also voted no on the second version, even after the ND Senate added $5 million for their disaster fund.

Paulson claimed Hoverson voted against the funding for Minot State University (SB2003) because of the association of Planned Parenthood with other ND institutions of higher education. But the legislature also passed an amendment that forbids our state colleges and universities from doing business with abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood.

The truth is that Rep. Hoverson voted against state funding for law enforcement, the National Guard, MSU, our public schools, and local infrastructure. And through It all, Hoverson never once proposed an alternative budget or suggested amendments to these bills. All he did was repeatedly vote no without providing any solutions of his own.

Don’t know who to believe? Find out for yourself. Go to https://ndlegis.gov/assembly/67-2021/bill-inquiry to see what these bills do and how our representatives voted. Once you check the facts, I think you will agree that it is time for Rep. Jeff Hoverson to go.