North Dakota
North Dakota bill seeks to put the Ten Commandments in every classroom
FARGO — A bill has been introduced at the North Dakota Legislature requiring a new addition to every public classroom in the state: the Ten Commandments.
House Bill 1145 is proposing the display of the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom and every higher education classroom. That goes for all state educational institutions and public schools.
Ultimately, what’s being proposed is that the text of the Ten Commandments would be placed in every classroom, but some are worried about the message that would send to students and their families.
Those behind the bill claim North Dakota’s Constitution was based on values that derive from the Ten Commandments.
“It just seemed not only important and necessary, and it just kind of dovetailed into being able to put the Ten Commandments back into the public square,” Sen. Jose Castaneda, R-Minot, said.
And while North Dakota’s newest legislative session just got underway, the topic is not new to the state.
A similar discussion took place in 2021 in North Dakota, passing through the state House and Senate, but that bill didn’t require the text be posted. And the Ten Commandments monument in Fargo has long stirred controversy.
Castaneda argues placing the text of the Ten Commandments in every classroom will instill North Dakota’s values in children.
“It’s important for everyone to be able to see them, and where do children spend their time? It’s in the classrooms,” he said.
The commandments would need to be displayed on an 11-by-14 inch poster, and the state Board of Higher Education would be allowed to spend money to purchase the displays.
“To get a high degree of something, there needs to be a lot of repetition, and where children receive that on a daily basis — in the classroom,” Castaneda said.
But some are worried about whether the bill violates the separation of church and state section of the U.S. Constitution.
“Public schools are not Sunday schools, and they are not for religious instruction,” Cody Schuler, the North Dakota advocacy manager with the ACLU, said.
Those against the proposal say the words of the U.S. Constitution should matter in this discussion.
“Really, by the state putting into law mandating one particular version of a religious document, it is showing preference, and that would be a violation, in our opinion, of the separation of church and state,” Schuler says.
The bill has yet to be assigned to a committee.
A bill with similar language was passed last summer in Louisiana before being struck down by a federal judge.
A lawmaker in South Dakota is also proposing the Ten Commandments be posted and taught in public schools.
Isak Dinesen joined WDAY-TV as a reporter in September 2024. He previously worked as a multimedia journalist at WAOW-TV in Wausau, Wisconsin for three years. He graduated from NDSU in 2020, majoring in Journalism and minoring in Sports Communication at MSUM.
North Dakota
North Dakota voters to decide single-subject requirement for future constitutional amendments on June 9
BRECKENRIDGE — Coaches, teammates, friends and family gathered in the south parking lot of Breckenridge High School for another state tournament sendoff.
Corbin Abner Lee / Wahpeton Daily News
This year, it was Troy Berndt taking the ceremonial convertible ride. He is headed to St. Michael-Albertville High School for the Minnesota Class A State Track and Field Meet on June 4-6.
Corbin Abner Lee / Wahpeton Daily News
He will be running in the third heat of the 400-meter prelims, scheduled for 4:52 p.m. June 4. There are seven athletes in each heat, 21 total, and nine will advance to the finals at 6:20 p.m. June 5.
The top two finishers in each heat advance, along with the next three best times. Berndt’s personal best time of 50.67 has him seeded 13th, but the 10th-, 11th- and 12th-seeded runners are less than five hundredths of a second ahead of him. The eighth- and ninth-seeded runners are also close, at 50.33 and 50.39, respectively.
Berndt dropped nearly seven-tenths of a second from his previous personal best at the Section 6A West Subsection Meet on May 21, running 51.35, and shaved another 0.68 seconds off at the Section 6A Championships on May 28 with a time of 50.67. If he keeps lowering his time, he will have a shot at reaching the podium against the best runners in Class A.
Corbin Abner Lee / Wahpeton Daily News
Results and photos will be available online immediately following the race June 4 and in the June 10 print edition of the Wahpeton Daily News.
Corbin Lee is a sports reporter for the Wahpeton Daily News and Richland County News-Monitor. Corbin can be reached by calling (701) 291-3551 or emailing corbin.lee@wahpetondailynews.com.
On this day in 1971, Rugby repeated as North Dakota’s high school sand greens golf champion behind medalist Dwight Stempson’s winning performance.
Here is the complete story as it appeared in the paper that day:
Rugby Repeats As Sand Greens Golf Champion
RUGBY, N. D. — Rugby repeated as North Dakota high school sand greens golf champion here Wednesday, posting a four-man total of 293 strokes for 18 holes.
Led by medalist Dwight Stempson’s medalist 36-35 — 71, the Panthers were eight strokes ahead of runnerup Stanley, which had a 301. Following were Garrison 311, Beulah 315, Leeds 322, Ashley 323, Bottineau 328, Pembina 329, Tioga 332, Parshall 341 and Hettinger 342.
Stempson and teammate Bruce Carlson each had one-under par 71s, but Carlson was unable to be at the regional and wasn’t qualified for individual honors.
Rounding out the Rugby totals were Delwin Wilson 40-37 — 77 and Dennett Hutchinson 35-39 — 74. Gary Kirchoffner, 41-39 — 80, was Rugby’s fifth entrant with the best four-of-five scores counted.
Runnerup Stanley was led by Steve Springan’s 34-38 — 72 and Joe Springan’s 36-38 — 74. Their two-man total of 146 strokes was good enough for the doubles title. Two strokes back with a 148 was the duo of Stempson and Wilson. Stan Saathoff and Mike Stepina of Garrison each had 76s for a 152 total and the Ashley combo of Steve Maier (76) and Dave Kretschmar (78) was fourth with a 154.
Stempson was the driving contest winner with a distance of 280 yards. Chris Knutson of Garrison headed the pitch and putt competition.
Kate Almquist is the social media manager for InForum. After working as an intern, she joined The Forum full time starting in January 2022. Readers can reach her at kalmquist@forumcomm.com.
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