The left gets its way today in Bismarck
Whether directly or indirectly, it’s frightening to see how, in North Dakota (a state largely regarded as conservative), the left is continuing to get its way, as we wrote about previously, even today — in action which could be completed by tomorrow.
It now appears that all those on the left need to do is threaten and others, across much of the political spectrum, will rush to respond to give in to their demands.
This phenomenon is currently playing out in this week’s Special Session of the North Dakota Legislature.
Left leaning North Dakotans have used their favorite, newfound toy — initiated measures to bypass the Legislature and amend the Constitution to attempt to prevent the people’s elected representatives from dealing with an issue — (often with matters unworthy of constitutional import but far more suited to statutory consideration) in order to impose their will and enact liberal public policies.
Their recently announced intention to float an initiated measure forcing you to foot the bill for school breakfasts and lunches for all children, regardless of their families’ financial status has apparently rattled sufficient numbers of representatives to parrot the measure, which passed in the North Dakota House of Representatives today.
Apparently, many of our state legislators have become so fearful of the far left’s maneuvers that they’ll now pass whatever their ideological opponents propose, merely by them proposing it. Why not, instead, expose their tactics and oppose them?
Supporters of the bizarre action say that they did it to enshrine liberal policy in state law, rather than in the constitution, which far left advocates now regularly target. What misses the point is that the end result is the same and that the constitution can also be changed, by the same mechanism by which it may be amended.
What’s more, this misguided action does not prevent the feared initiated measure from still going on the ballot and becoming part of the constitution. In fact, proponents will likely pursue that end for the same reason they always do — the belief that it insulates their left-wing policies from being changed by the people’s elected representatives in the Legislature.
When fear begins dictating public policy, we should all hang on to our wallets and worry deeply about our freedoms.
The courageous reaction to the far left’s threats and antics would be to oppose them. The path chosen by the North Dakota House today, instead, is to yield to their wishes so quickly they’re saved the trouble of even officially proposing them.
This isn’t a completed action yet, but it may soon be. With the speed of a Special Session, the Senate will likely vote on it tomorrow.
North Dakota taxpayers may be less than 24 hours away from being forced to pay for feeding all students, even those from the state’s wealthiest families. This is not about caring for those in need. No North Dakota students currently go hungry, as free lunches are now available to all who cannot afford them. That’s not enough for far left advocates, of course, nor for their new allies among even some reputed to be more conservative, in the House. Whether the Senate will be as gullible will likely play out tomorrow. Let’s hope what’s often deemed ”the more deliberative” chamber lives up to that traditional monicker.