ND Senate passes anti-mask bill

MINOT, N.D. – House Bill 1323, sponsored by Rep. Jeff Hoverson, R-Minot, had passed the House 50-44. It goes back for House action on the amendment, added on the Senate floor, to give employers, local governments and schools the ability to require mask use in thier jurisdictions.

Legislators were heavily lobbied on both sides of the bill.

Sen. Howard Anderson, R-Turtle Lake, who presented the committee’s 6-1 recommendation to kill the bill, listed diseases with much higher death rates than COVID-19 and questioned whether the state wants the mask option off the table in any future epidemic.

He said the governor issued a mask mandate last fall after COVID-19 patients filled up the state’s hospitals and most medical professionals were asking for help.

“The executive branch needs to make decisions about the public’s good,” he said. “Decisions were made. Sometimes they might be wrong but, Mr. President, somebody has to govern.”

Senate President and Lt. Gov. Brent Sanford banged his gavel a few times to halt interruptions created by chamber gallery applause following arguments made by senators on either side of the issue.

Republican Sen. Brad Bekkedahl, a Williston dentist, said he wears a mask to protect others.

“Nobody can tell me that masks don’t help,” he said. “Sometimes in our society, we forget that we should care for others.”

Sen. Terry Wanzek, R-Jamestown, said the debate isn’t about whether masks work but whether common good should infringe on individual freedom. He suggested infringing on individual freedom isn’t necessary for people to do the right thing.

“I believe good people, when they are educated and informed, will make good decisions,” he said.

“Liberty always trumps safety, at least for North Dakota and its history,” said Sen. Janne Myrdal, R-Edinburg, a supporter of HB 1323. “I don’t think anybody that is against the mask mandate wants anyone to get sick or die. I think it’s just the reality of we don’t want to be bound by political powers to deal with medical issues in our lives.”

Sen. Jessica Bell, R-Beulah, offered the amendment to limit the prohibition to statewide officials and state health officer, calling the move a compromise to “help strike a balance between freedom and safety.”

The amendment passed 37-10 on a verification vote, in which the electronic voting board remains dark and individual votes are secret.

Sens. David Hogue and bill co-sponsor Oley Larsen, both R-Minot, voted for bill passage. Sens. Karen Krebsbach and Randy Burckhard, both R-Minot, voted against.

In the previous House vote, all Minot legislators supported HB 1323.

ND Senate passes anti-mask bill

Follow us on Google News

Follow us on Flipboard

Trending Slider

The Bismarck Police Department requests public’s assistance identifying individual

The City of Bismarck’s Human Relations Committee will host a Community Conversation Forum on November 14, focusing on fair and affordable housing and the challenges many residents face in the city

The Bismarck Police Department appreciated the Bismarck Parks and Recreation District and staff for opening the Wachter Wave Pool to K9 Units over the weekend

Local supermarket stepped up to aid local officers by generously providing coffee chews

Bismarck Copart extended a generous invitation to area K9 units, providing them with access to their facility for specialized training

BCSD is alerting citizens about ongoing scam attempts targeting community members

Follow us on News Break

Categories

ND Senate passes anti-mask bill

Related posts

Will the checks from the government ever stop?

Child welfare and behavioral health professionals will benefit from attending the 2023 North Dakota Family-Based Services Conference, state officials say

Ward County Commissioners vote to re-visit re-opening of Ward County facilities at June 2 commission meeting

A recent survey revealed that 77 percent of people polled across 16 nations around the world, express more confidence in Angela Merkel’s leadership than in Joe Biden’s

Federal government authorizes Minot’s flood control project to use federal funding

Childcare aid for Minot first responders amid COVID-19

Follow us on Google News

Follow us on Flipboard

The Bismarck Police Department requests public’s assistance identifying individual

The City of Bismarck’s Human Relations Committee will host a Community Conversation Forum on November 14, focusing on fair and affordable housing and the challenges many residents face in the city

The Bismarck Police Department appreciated the Bismarck Parks and Recreation District and staff for opening the Wachter Wave Pool to K9 Units over the weekend

Local supermarket stepped up to aid local officers by generously providing coffee chews

Bismarck Copart extended a generous invitation to area K9 units, providing them with access to their facility for specialized training

BCSD is alerting citizens about ongoing scam attempts targeting community members