Plain Talk: Bismarck woman says she was humiliated during the legislative process

MINOT, N.D. — When Andrea Rebson, a Bismarck citizen, came to the most recent session of the North Dakota Legislature, she had a deeply personal story to tell. She was sexually assaulted as a teenager and suffered years of harrowing mental health challenges afterward. Her issue, which she pursued at the Legislature, was with the statute of limitations for criminal and civil cases.

She wanted the law to give victims like her more time to come forward. And she made some progress on that issue, but on this episode of Plain Talk, she talks about her experiences in the legislative process, which weren’t positive.

She says one lawmaker demeaned her, and misrepresented her arguments, and she’s got the video and committee transcripts to prove it. She’s even gone so far as to file an ethics complaint against a specific lawmaker.

She argues that, while the democratic process is going to create disagreements, naturally, the citizens shouldn’t have to fear humiliation for engaging in the process.

Also on this episode, my co-host Ben Hanson and I discuss the on-going fight over control of the North Dakota Republican Party, which will come to a head next month, in June, when the party elects new leadership.

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