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Letters to the Editor

Bill supports patients facing costly care

Emily Ouellette Fargo As Executive Director of the Bleeding Disorders Alliance of North Dakota, I have the privilege of serving patients across the state who rely on life-saving medication to manage their conditions. The issue is deeply personal to me. My husband, who grew up in Devils Lake, has severe hemophilia. Without medication to aid in clotting, a minor injury for most people could be life-threatening to him. Our two young daughters are carriers as well. For individuals with chronic illnesses, access to medication is not optional; it is essential for survival. But it can be ...

Facility is smart investment in fighting hunger

Mary Carlson The Lord’s Cupboard Food Pantry Minot As a local partner of the Great Plains Food Bank, I see firsthand how vital its work is to the Ward County area and the entire state of North Dakota. Families rely on local food pantries like ours to put meals on the table, and the demand has only grown. There is only 1 food bank in the state and they can’t operate efficiently without the right infrastructure. That’s why I strongly support House Bill 1143, which would provide a $10 million state investment to help build a new statewide food distribution center — a ...

Confused about USAID, tariffs

Sharon Buhr, Valley City I’m confused. President Trump has recently closed USAID (a humanitarian organization that provides food in famine, medicines for preventive care for diseases like TB, measles, AIDS, etc and grants to help people in developing countries grow their own food). Yet the very same week that USAID was closed President Trump called on Americans to be more religious. Being religious means action – to help our fellow human beings (“love your neighbor as yourself”). Call or email your representative or senators to ask them to help our neighbors by ...

Legislators owe citizens integrity, civility

Janet Anderson, Burlington ND Legislators are elected by the citizens of the state and their salaries are paid by these same citizens. They are tasked with the job of representing all North Dakotans with integrity and honesty and with our best interests in mind. Unfortunately, many of our elected officials in Bismarck do not seem to be doing their part to represent all of us and integrity and honesty do not seem to be high on their list of priorities. Whether it’s legislators being denounced by their own party for antisemitism or past legislators heading to trial for sex offenses, ...

Let’s keep funding NPR, PBS

Barb Solberg, Minot As a resident of North Dakota, I am deeply disheartened and ashamed by the recent decision of our ND House of Representatives to cut funding for PBS and NPR. These esteemed institutions have long been pillars of education, culture, and unbiased news reporting in our community, and their absence will be felt acutely across our state. PBS and NPR have played an invaluable role in promoting education. Through their diverse programming, they have brought STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) knowledge into our homes, inspiring both our young ...

School meals bill bad idea for ND

Steven Moen, Minot Michelle Wagner just verified what I have suspected with the push to feed all the kids in school with HB 1475. It isn’t about the kids. It’s about enriching those who will be feeding them. What a boon for them. The state (us taxpayers) will be paying them whatever they demand to feed the kids. No longer will they have to put up with parents who are wondering why the food costs so much and just what are you feeding them. Trump exposing the real spending of USAID shines a real bright light on bills like this. After all, USAID was supposedly using all their ...