Port: These legislative bullies should spare us the whining about vetoes
MINOT, N.D. — This Legislature in Bismarck has spent much of its session bullying librarians, teachers, trans kids, gay kids, and anyone else not in lock-step with the populist, big-government pieties of the MAGA movement.
So it has been entertaining, in the closing weeks of this session, to watch certain lawmakers, some of them the most ardent proponents of the aforementioned agenda, portraying themselves as the victims of Gov. Doug Burgum and his veto pen.
“I’m getting sick and tired of vetoes,” House Majority Leader Mike Lefor thundered as his chamber failed to override Burgum’s veto of a school choice bill. “I feel our branch has been disrespected — we’re not asking for a lot here.”
Right. Just some book bans and stuff. What’s the big deal?
“Less than two-thirds of you trust the collective wisdom of our chamber in consultation with the other chamber. That’s sad,” whined Rep. Ben Koppelman, a Republican from West Fargo. “That shows that we’ve lost our way as a body. We no longer believe in a legislative branch.”
