ND news briefs as of 11:20am Saturday

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A state judge has refused to delay the release of thousands of documents related to security during the construction in North Dakota of the heavily protested Dakota Access Pipeline. South Central District Judge Cynthia Feland in late December ruled that the documents are public. Attorneys for pipeline developer Energy Transfer asked Feland to put on hold disclosure of the records as it appeals to the state Supreme Court. Feland on Friday gave Energy Transfer the go-ahead to appeal, but she rejected the request to delay release of the records.

BURGUM-STATE OF STATE – Burgum’s State of the State rescheduled for Fargo Theatre

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Gov. Doug Burgum’s State of the State address has been rescheduled for next month. The Republican governor was to deliver his address this past Wednesday, but he postponed it due to laryngitis. The address is now scheduled for Feb. 16 in Fargo. Past governors typically did not give the address in off-years of the Legislature. Burgum did so in 2018 in Minot and in 2020 in Grand Forks. His speech next month will be his third State of the State since January 2021. He spoke to the Legislature early last year and again in November during lawmakers’ special session.

FATAL SHOOTING

Police: Woman found fatally shot on St. Paul sidewalk

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Police say a woman was shot and killed in St. Paul’s North End neighborhood early Saturday morning. Authorities  received a 911 just after midnight Saturday to report hearing an argument followed by at least one gunshot. Officers found a woman in her early 30s suffering from a gunshot wound lying on the sidewalk outside of a house. Medics pronounced the woman dead a short time after their arrival, Two men who were at the house when officers arrived and were being questioned. No arrests have been made, but police don’t believe it was a random incident.

REPORTER’S PHONE CONFISCATED-EXPLAINER-SHIELD LAW

EXPLAINER: How is North Dakota shield law supposed to work?

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — The confiscation of a North Dakota reporter’s cellphone by a Bureau of Criminal Investigation agent has shined a light on the state’s 19-year-old shield law. The law is aimed at protecting journalists from being forced to turn over notes and other information without a court hearing. Reporter Tom Simon works for Williston Trending Topics News Radio Live, a Facebook outlet, and Coyote Radio 98.5. He had his phone taken by agents who were looking for anonymous sources he quoted for a story on the Williston school board. No hearing was held. Experts say the shield law that was passed by the 2003 Legislature is meant to prevent intimidation of reporters who are gathering news.

NORTH DAKOTA-GENDER INCLUSION

University will end draft work on gender inclusion policy

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) — The University of North Dakota plans to end its work on a policy for gender inclusion and has no plans to implement it. The policy that was being drafted required use of a transgender person’s preferred pronouns and the use of locker rooms, bathrooms and other living facilities that align with a person’s gender identity. The policy was recently criticized by the North Dakota Catholic Conference, which questioned whether it “was conducive or hostile to not only the Catholic faith but also the truth about the human person.” In a statement Friday, UND President Andrew Armacost said “when speech becomes the source of discrimination or harassment, existing UND policies offer protections to all members of our campus, including in the areas of gender identity and sexual orientation.”

HOUSE APPOINTMENT

District chairman will complete term of late representative

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Bismarck-area Republicans have named a new state lawmaker to fill out the term of Rep. George Keiser, who died last month. District 47 GOP Vice Chairman Robb Eckert will serve the remaining 10 months of Keiser’s term. He will not run for election this year. Eckert owns Bob Eckert Painting. Keiser died Dec. 22 at age 75 after battling Lou Gehrig’s disease. Keiser was first elected to the North Dakota House in 1992. Eckert says he will “continue to work for those Republican policies which make Bismarck and North Dakota one of the best places to live.”

Jan 22, 2022 11:20 AM