Letter to the Editor
We’ve heard and been directed to some articles put out by an officialsounding legislative oversight committee. This is a deceiving title as there is no North Dakota code setting out this committee.
Apparently, failed District 24 House candidate, Madeline Luke, is heading up this endeavor. Alan Adams, former Chairman of District 24 Democrats is listed as spokesperson. No other members of this group are listed. The committee of "non-partisan" participants seems very concerned with Legislative District 24 meetand-greet schedules.
Luke has complained about the schedule our D-24 legislators have developed and posted for public meetings. Yes, Madeline Luke, you can hold all the meetings you want to, but what makes you think you can interject your own schedule of meet and greets/ forums on our legislators when they already agreed upon a schedule and disseminated that to constituents?
We attended the Lisbon Legislative Forum held January 28. Others in attendance were a Ransom County Gazette reporter, Enderlin, Lisbon, and district 24 residents. Madeline Luke was not present at the Lisbon meeting. Many bills of the legislative session were discussed.
This was one of five meet-and-greets put on this legislative cycle by our team of legislators. That same morning the legislators attended another meeting in Litchville which, from what we hear, had a good turnout. In addition to the public meetings that our legislative team has already participated in Valley City, Litchville, Lisbon, two more meetings are coming up, one in Enderlin and a final one in Valley City.
Face-to-face meetings are a good thing and encouraged by our legislators to engage in public discourse, which they are doing. In addition to meeting in person, our District legislators are available by phone and email. Which is a more convenient option to many, considering travel time, expense, conflicting schedules, and illness.
My concern is with the misinformation driven by an obvious leftwing attack from a highly partisan group: the socalled “legislative oversight committee”. The voters of District 24 voted down Madeline Luke for many reasons, which were made public to the voters.
Madeline Luke's misguided posts should be letters to the editor or paid political advertising noting the author. Instead, they are in the paper as factual news. Sheryl Dagman, Lisbon, ND