VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – About 70 people attended last Saturday’s District 24 Legislative Forum in Valley City, where several high-interest topics were pursued. By far, audience interest was greatest regarding the question of whether public (tax) money should be spent on support for private, often secular education. Heated discussion of that issue consumed nearly an hour of the event’s allotted time. With the exception of a statement by one former private school teacher, the consensus expressed by the audience was that the ND public school system should be the only recipient of state funds.
District 24’s Sen. Mike Wobbema, Rep. Dwight Kiefert and Rep. Daniel Johnston were present, and each offered a brief opening statement.
Given this opportunity to communicate directly with their elected representatives, forum audience members also focused on: Senate Bill 2307, which would dictate how local libraries handle certain materials; and House Concurrent Resolution, which advocates overturning the Supreme Court’s legalization of same-sex marriages.
The local League of Women Voters and the Valley City-Barnes County Development Corporation partnered to host the forum, which was held in the Valley City Public Schools Hi-Liner Activity Center. Moderator was Jennifer Feist, Director of Development, VC-BCDC. In introductory comments, LWV volunteer Angie Martin noted that, while the LWV is non-partisan, they are committed to the good-government goals of replacing the electoral college with a direct vote for President, and eliminating gerrymandering.
For those who were unable to attend, a video recording of last Saturday’s forum is now available at:
https://www.bektv.plus/videos/