North Dakota

Buckle up: New laws from seat belts to library books take effect in North Dakota

Published

12 months ago

July 30, 2023

Buckle up: New laws from seat belts to library books take effect in North Dakota

BISMARCK, N.D. — Hundreds of new laws will take effect Tuesday in North Dakota, including greater enforcement of seat belt use and restrictions regarding gender identity, sexual content in public libraries and ownership of farmland by foreign entities.

North Dakota’s Republican-controlled Legislature adjourned April 30 after writing new laws and budgets for the next two years. Some contentious policy bills have already taken effect due to emergency clauses, which make legislation immediately into law when signed by the governor.

Among those already in effect are revised laws outlawing all abortions, except in cases where women could face death or a “serious health risk.” Another exception for pregnancies caused by rape and incest applies only in the first six weeks, before many women know they are pregnant.

Here is what to know about the new laws taking effect in North Dakota.

SEAT BELTS

North Dakota joins a majority of states with some form of a primary enforcement seat belt law, according to information from the Governors Highway Safety Association.

The state previously had secondary enforcement, meaning officers could cite front seat occupants for not wearing a seat belt only after a previous traffic infraction, though there was primary enforcement for minors in all seats.

The new law will require all vehicle occupants to wear seat belts, not just those in front seats. The fine remains at $20.

The proposed change was a hot debate for years in the Legislature, involving arguments of safety versus personal freedom. The change initially will be one of education before transitioning to enforcement, said Burleigh County Sheriff Kelly Leben, who supported the legislation.

“One of the arguments is people always say we should have personal choice, but we regulate a lot of things in our society, and that’s just part of living in a modern society, is there’s going to be rules, and seat belts are proven, time and time again, that’s the one thing people can do that will make a difference in a crash,” Leben said.

The state government’s Vision Zero initiative aims to mitigate traffic deaths, with seat belts as one component.

North Dakota logged a 20-year low of 98 traffic deaths in 2022, according to preliminary data from the state Department of Transportation. Nearly 82% of front-seat vehicle occupants used seat belts in 2021, according to NDDOT data.

GENDER IDENTITY

The Legislature passed a raft of gender-related bills that will soon take effect.

Those include two bills restricting transgender girls and women from participating on school sports teams matching their gender identity.

Other new laws will restrict sex amendments on birth records and bar transgender people from using restrooms and showers aligning with their identity in correctional facilities and public college dormitories.

Another bill that took effect in May prohibits transgender K-12 students from using restrooms aligning with their gender identity, among other restrictions. The Fargo School Board indicated it will defy the law.

One other bill, which took effect in April, criminalizes sex reassignment surgeries and gender-affirming care for minors.

BOOK BANNING

Republican lawmakers targeted sexual content in public libraries with a new law for removing or relocating “explicit sexual material” from public libraries’ children’s collections.

Republican Gov. Doug Burgum, who vetoed a broader bill allowing misdemeanor charges against librarians, said the new law “standardizes the process for local public libraries to review material when requested by parents, library users or other members of the public — a process already in place and working at nearly all public libraries across the state.”

Fargo Public Library Director Tim Dirks consulted the city attorney regarding the library’s current policies for compliance with the new law, with which he said he feels comfortable. The law requires a “compliance report” from public libraries to a top legislative panel.

“I think the key thing for us is the existing policies and procedures that we have in place,” but it remains to be seen how people will respond, Dirks said. The library has about 300,000 items on its shelves at three branches, plus vast collections of electronic materials.

It’s unclear how many challenges might arise to library materials, Dirks said. Fargo’s public library has had one or two challenges per year.

Republican lawmakers decried books such as “This Book Is Gay” by Juno Dawson and “Gender Queer” by Maia Kobabe.

“What I always found incredible to this whole conversation … is that in a society with the First Amendment, free and open, you have to understand you are going to run into things that you find offensive,” Dirks told The Associated Press. “Our job as the public library is to be representative as broadly as we can in terms of our society and our community.”

FOREIGN OWNERS OF FARMLAND

Two new laws will ban foreign governments and adversaries from owning land in North Dakota. The legislation came amid concerns of Chinese ties to a company’s proposed corn milling plant near the Grand Forks Air Force Base.

One law has exemptions for Canada and for agricultural research on no more than 160 acres (64.75 hectares).

The other law also bans local government boards from advancing foreign adversaries’ development plans during a two-year legislative study into related issues.

The new laws respond to constituents’ concerns but could create confusion for agribusiness companies with ties to foreign countries, Republican state Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring told the AP.

“It’s not a government that owns them, but it is a foreign entity, and the reality is all the work that they have to do for research … they have to do at ground zero,” he said.

Goehring noted all land in the U.S. is agricultural land until designated otherwise and an area of 160 acres is not enough for extensive research.

Other states such as Hawaii, Iowa, Minnesota, Mississippi and Oklahoma also have laws banning foreign ownership of farmland.

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North Dakota

Tuesday is Military Appreciation Day at the ND State Fair

Published

4 mins ago

July 22, 2024

Press Room

Tuesday is Military Appreciation Day at the ND State Fair

MINOT, N.D. (KMOT) – This is a reminder for servicemembers and their families that the North Dakota State Fair is continuing its long-standing tradition of honoring those who serve with a special Military Appreciation Day on Tuesday.

Military members and their families can enjoy lunch from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the north festival tent.

The event is sponsored by the N.D. Beef Commission, N.D. Stockmen’s Association, and N.D. CattleWomen.

They can also enjoy free carnival rides from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., half-off unlimited ride wristbands, and $2 off go-cart rides.

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North Dakota

Applications now available for 2024 North Dakota swan license

Published

7 hours ago

July 22, 2024

Press Room

Applications now available for 2024 North Dakota swan license

BISMARCK – Hunters can now apply for a 2024 North Dakota swan license

on the Game and Fish Department’s website

at gf.nd.gov, the department said Monday, July 22.

North Dakota residents and nonresidents are eligible to apply. The resident swan license is $10, while the nonresident fee is $30. The application deadline is Aug. 21.

North Dakota’s statewide tundra swan hunting season opens Sept. 28, and 2,200 licenses are available. Successful applicants will receive a tag to take one swan during the season. Since swans are classified as waterfowl, nonresidents may hunt them only during the period their nonresident waterfowl license is valid.

All swan hunters, regardless of age, are required to have a general game and habitat license when applying. In addition, nonresidents must have a waterfowl license, and residents 16 and older need a small game or combination license.

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North Dakota

Zebra Mussels In North Dakota Lakes: Will It Really Be That Bad?

Published

14 hours ago

July 22, 2024

Press Room

Zebra Mussels In North Dakota Lakes: Will It Really Be That Bad?

Zebra mussels are going to ruin all of our lakes right?

Okay, I know I’m going to take some heat on this, but here goes. We’ve been hearing about zebra mussels for a long time now. How they will destroy ecosystems, ruin beaches, clog up water intakes, compete with native species, etc.

You’ve seen the commercials and billboards from North Dakota Game and Fish, “Clean, Drain and Inspect.” Zebra mussels are a problem, but is it really all doom and gloom? More on that in a moment.

Zebra mussels are now in several North Dakota lakes and rivers, and you can bet more will be added in the future.

They include the Red River, Lake LaMoure, Lake Ashtabula, Lake Elsie, the James River, and the Sheyenne River all in eastern North Dakota.

So far western North Dakota has been spared, but you can bet zebra mussels are coming. Here’s a map and more on ANS-infested waters in North Dakota.

Humans are considered the primary transporter of zebra mussels, but there are other spreaders. According to Researchgate, waterfowl can transfer zebra mussels at the larvae stage.

What are we going to do about millions of migrating waterfowl each year? Not to mention other shorebirds, reptiles, and even mammals.

I’m very familiar with zebra mussels. I have a cabin on Enemy Swim Lake in northeast South Dakota. We’ve had zebra mussels present in the lake now going on for 3 years.

(A very small zebra mussel that was found on our beach this past weekend.)

Enemy Swim is located about 5 miles south of Pickerel Lake in South Dakota. Pickerel Lake has had zebra mussels for a few years longer than my lake.

Despite joint efforts from Fish and Game, cabin owner volunteers, and interns from Fish and Game with inspection points at the boat ramp, zebra mussels still found their way into my lake. I know we all did our part to prevent it, but I sometimes think that eventually, nature will take its course.

Will zebra mussels really ruin a lake?

There’s a lot of big claims and theories out there. No doubt it will affect your beach life. You will have to wear water shoes because zebra muscles can be sharp and could cut your feet. I know I swim with my water shoes normally anyway, as I don’t like creepy crawlies touching my feet in the water.

Will zebra mussels cause your lake property values to crash?

To be honest, no sign of that anywhere. Much of Minnesota’s lakes are infested with zebra mussels. People are still spending millions of dollars for cabins on Minnetonka, Pelican, or Detroit Lakes area lakes.

Even Pickerel Lake, next to my lake has people snatching up some very expensive million-dollar cabins. You can’t even find a cabin for sale on my lake. According to swnewsmedia, there’s no link between a drop in property values and zebra muscles.

Zebra mussels will actually clear up the water they infest.

This might improve the fishing, depending on the lake. Species like Smallmouth Bass, Perch, Walleyes, and even panfish are known to gorge on zebra mussels. You might catch bigger fish because of this.

With cleaner water means you will have more sunlight and more vegetation in the lake. Again, this is thought to improve the size of the fish. Fish will have more places to hide and grow bigger. It may cause anglers to adapt to new strategies to catch fish. In some cases, it could make fishing more difficult.

As far as whether zebra mussels will destroy the ecosystem of lakes?

I’m going to come right out and say it. I think this is highly exaggerated. I’m not a biologist and don’t claim to be one.

Zebra mussels have been in the Great Lakes since the 1980’s. The Walleyes and Smallmouth Bass have never been bigger. People are still catching fish and lakes are still alive.

Zebra mussels have been in Minnesota lakes now for decades and the cabin owners I know say nothing has changed except a little extra cleaning on the docks when they pull them out each year.

Lakes like Lake of the Woods, Mille Lacs, and all of the lakes around Detroit Lakes are still alive and well.

Let’s face it: Even the highly prized Walleye is an invasive species to lakes in our area.

In conclusion:

When zebra mussels reach your favorite lake it will certainly change the ecosystem. Your “lake life” will likely have to adapt to some necessary changes.

However, will zebra mussels turn your lake into a barren wastewater? I don’t think so. Adapt or die. That’s life in a nutshell.

Do I want zebra mussels in our lakes? No, of course not. However, I’m being realistic. Sometimes you have to look for the good with the bad.

North Dakota’s Top 11 Lakes According To Our Fans

Plant Some Of These In Your Garden to Keep Mosquitoes Away

As we previously told you, mosquitoes are the most dangerous creatures on earth. If you want to keep them away from you’re yard, these plants can help!

Gallery Credit: Michelle Heart

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