North Dakota
Port: Over 100 attorneys sign letter protesting North Dakota state bar distancing itself from LGBTQ seminar
MINOT — A letter signed by 129 lawyers is protesting the State Bar Association of North Dakota’s decision to distance itself from a continuing education seminar aimed at helping lawyers serve clients from the LGTBQ community.
The seminar was not canceled. It’s now being hosted by a legal aid nonprofit. Tony Weiler, the executive director for SBAND, announced that his association
had withdrawn as a sponosor of the event
due to an executive order signed by President Donald Trump targeting state bar associations, among other groups, for promoting diversity, equity and inclusion, or “DEI,” initiatives.
“We see no legitimate reason SBAND ended its involvement in hosting the CLE webinar,” the letter states.
“SBAND advertises and maintains CLE webinars on a variety of topics for the benefit of its members,” the letter continues. “We are deeply concerned with SBAND taking a political stance pursuant to a Federal Executive Order by removing a CLE aimed at serving the legal needs of LGBTQ+ North Dakotans. This type of CLE is no different than one aimed at serving the needs of the poor, the disabled, or other underserved groups.”
Among the signatories of the letter are some prominent names, including former U.S. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, state ethics commissioner Murray Sagsveen, former U.S. House candidate Cara Mund, former U.S. Attorney Mac Schneider, former U.S. Attorney Tim Purdon and current state House Minority Leader Rep. Zac Ista.
“LGBTQ+ individuals deserve our respect. SBAND’s recent decision sends a disappointing message to our colleagues, our clients, and the community. It also calls into question what other important CLE topics or SBAND sections might be at risk. We request that SBAND reconsider its position, because a CLE addressing the legal needs of LGBTQ+ individuals certainly improves the practice of law,” the letter concludes.
Bismarck-based attorney Katie Winbauer organized the letter. “SBAND’s response was focused on an Executive Order targeting bar associations that promote DEI efforts. If members do not speak up, I am deeply concerned with how far this decision could go,” Winbauer told me. “I am proud to stand alongside 128 other attorneys from across the state who said ‘this is not acceptable.’”
By way of justifying its decision, SBAND has referred to an executive order
Trump signed on Jan. 21
that directs the creation of “A plan of specific steps or measures to deter DEI programs or principles (whether specifically denominated ‘DEI’ or otherwise) that constitute illegal discrimination or preferences.”
“As a part of this plan, each agency shall identify up to nine potential civil compliance investigations of publicly traded corporations, large non-profit corporations or associations, foundations with assets of 500 million dollars or more, State and local bar and medical associations, and institutions of higher education with endowments over 1 billion dollars,” the order continues.
But the order doesn’t currently have the force of law. It is
currently enjoined
by a federal court in Maryland. What’s more, it’s not clear that SBAND receives any federal funding (Weiler has previously declined any further comment on this matter).
The association does have an official role in regulating North Dakota’s legal profession that is sanctioned by state government. Attorneys who operate in North Dakota must pay dues to the bar association. In 2015, SBAND was subject to a lawsuit from an attorney who objected to the use of mandatory dues payments in pursuit of political objectives, including opposition to a ballot initiative. Weiler has cited that case in defense of SBAND’s decision to distance itself from the LGBTQ seminar, but the situations seem dissimilar.
Using revenues from mandatory dues to take political positions is one thing, but the seminar at the heart of this controversy was a voluntary offering among a plethora of options North Dakota attorneys have available to obtain the continuing education credits their licensing requires.
MCHENRY, N.D. — A 58-year-old man was seriously injured in a motorcycle crash Saturday, May 30, south of Devils Lake.
According to the North Dakota Highway Patrol, a Neche man was riding a 2017 Harley Davidson Tri Glide Ultra Trike eastbound on Highway 15 at an unknown speed, 11 miles northwest of McHenry. The trike struck an area of broken payment and rolled over.
The driver was not wearing a helmet and was seriously injured. He was taken by air ambulance to Sanford Medical Center in Fargo.
The Highway Patrol is investigating the crash.
McHenry is located in Foster County, roughly equidistant between Jamestown and Devils Lake.
Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of “staff.” Often, the “staff” byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.
“The LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.” Genesis 12:7
These verses have been used to justify all kinds of land disputes in the Middle East. Indeed, I have heard people in Christian circles in our own country use this verse to justify their support for Israel in wars to preserve “their” God-given land, because the Israelites were the children of Abram (later called Abraham).
While that is true, Abraham was the father of two sons: Ishmael and Isaac. Jewish and Christian believers consider themselves descendants of Abraham through Isaac. Muslim believers consider themselves descendants of Abraham through Ishmael. Therefore, the land God gave to Abraham, and his descendants is not Jewish land, Muslim land or Christian land. It belongs to all of these “cousins” who believe in God/Yahweh/Allah (etc.….).
One of the most alarming trends in the world of faith is the rise of religious nationalism. According to Wikipedia, “religious nationalism is the fusion of national identity with religious beliefs, where a nation is defined by a shared faith, and religion serves as a central pillar of its political and social life. It seeks to align government policies and laws with religious doctrines.” This happens among all of the cousins of Abraham’s descendants. There are Islamic nationalists, Jewish Zionists, and Christian nationalists, and they are all dangerous.
In the same way Zionists will claim the Middle East as given to them by God, religious nationalists use the beliefs and texts (Bible, Koran) out of context to rationalize their political views, policies and even wars. They attempt to convince people that one political viewpoint supports their faith, and others do not. In the United States, Christian nationalism is on the rise. Politicians repeatedly use scripture to support their policies and ideals, attempting to convince us that what they are doing is the “Christian” thing to do, when, in fact, quite often these policies and ideals not only have nothing to do with the Christian faith, but they also occasionally go completely against it.
I once heard a state politician say, “It’s my God-given right to carry a gun.” Say WHAT??? God did not give anyone the right to carry a gun. Period. That’s just foolishness. And nobody even commented about it, which tells me it doesn’t bother us to hear people say things like that.
Our faith in God, no matter which branch of the family tree we come from, should “inform” our political and ethical views, but we cannot become like other countries and base our laws on one religious belief or another. Especially in a country where we are diverse in our religious beliefs. This is not a “Christian” nation, a “Muslim” nation or a “Jewish” nation. It is a nation of people who come from all kinds of faith traditions, and we are promised the freedom to practice our religion, no matter what it is.
God gave the descendants of Abraham – all of the descendants of Abraham — blessings too numerous to mention. We can be grateful for those blessings without trying to claim all of them as our own.
Rev. Janel F. Kolar is the pastor at First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ in Dickinson, North Dakota.
BISMARCK — Fargo Shanley shined in a battle of unbeatens Saturday afternoon at Sanford Sports Complex, while unseating the defending state champion.
The Deacons got goals from Carly Hulstein, Emma Rohrich and Annie Yablonski to earn a 3-0 victory against Mandan for the North Dakota girls soccer state championship.
Shanley completed its unbeaten season, while shutting out defending champ Mandan for the first time this spring.
“The girls were excited to play Mandan, two undefeated teams and someone had to come out as the winner,” Deacons head coach Ryan Christianson said. “Whoever worked the hardest was going to come out champions, our girls were hungry.”
Tanner Ecker / Bismarck Tribune
The Deacons (13-0-4) won their first state crown since 2019 and third overall. Mandan (17-0-1) fell one win shy of a repeat.
“Tough game, I felt like we controlled the game, to be honest,” Mandan head coach Aaron McElwee said. “We knew they would be dangerous on set pieces and that’s what they created.”
Shanley converted on a corner kick in the opening half for what proved to be the game-winning goal. Hulstein got a late head touch on a corner off the foot Rohrich, giving the Deacons a 1-0 lead with 16 minutes remaining until halftime.
“The first goal in the first half, that sparked momentum,” Christianson said. “Coming off of last year, we scored a bunch of corners, but this year I think we only had one or two. To make it count in the state championship game, I’ll take it.”
Tanner Ecker / Bismarck Tribune
The first insurance goal for the Deacons came with less than 18 minutes left in the second, as Rohrich scored off a rebound.
“That second goal was a hustle effort by Emma with an awesome finish,” Christianson said. “Emma was locked in from yesterday’s game, two goals sparked the fire and led into today. She deserved that one.”
Yablonski, a freshman, scored her first varsity goal for a 3-0 lead with 1 minute, 31 seconds remaining, as Mandan tried to apply pressure late.
“Annie with the cherry on top with the deep ball after the goalie was pushed up to help her team,” Christianson said. “That’s a way to start off your varsity career. She was close earlier in the game with a shot that went wide of the post, but that was a heads-up play by her, noticing the goalie was out.”
Tanner Ecker / Bismarck Tribune
Mandan’s best chance came from senior Sarah Helderop, off a corner kick in the second half, but Shanley goalkeeper Kailey Ottmar knocked the ball down and grabbed the rebound before any Braves players could arrive.
“Kailey was focused from the beginning of the game, usually I talk to her a bit, but she wanted to be by herself,” Christianson said. “She didn’t have to do too much, but there was a corner, a free kick. She was heads-up and had a good handle on the ball.”
Ottmar finished with six saves to earn the shutout. Gabby Frohlich had three saves for Mandan.
“Congrats to Shanley,” McElwee said. “We were close.”
Tanner Ecker / Bismarck Tribune
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