Merrill Piepkorn in 2024 ND Governor's race
On Civil Rights:
Would have vetoed anti-transgender legislation
Piepkorn also said that Burgum should have vetoed several bills targeting LGBTQ North Dakotans during the 2023 legislative session. Burgum signed a handful of bills related to transgender people, including measures that criminalize gender-affirming care
for minors, prevent transgender people from using bathrooms that align with their gender identities in schools and some state-owned living facilities, and that forbid transgender girls and women from playing in female K-12 and college sports.
Source: KFGO 790AM on 2024 North Dakota Gubernatorial race
May 22, 2024
On Drugs:
Rated B by NORML: medical marijuana ok
NORML Politician Info: rated B - Candidate: Merrill Piepkorn (D - ND): Holds office State Senate District 44; Candidate in race for Governor on Tuesday, November 5, 2024
- Votes:
- 2021: Expands the
Number of Caregivers, HB 1359: voted Yes
- 2019: Authorizes Access to Medical Marijuana, HB 1283: voted Yes
- 2017: Establishes Guidelines for Medical Marijuana, SB 2344: voted Yes
Source: NORML "Smoke the Vote" on 2024 North Dakota Governor race
Aug 8, 2024
On Crime:
Increase funding for mental health: primary root of problems
Piepkorn said he supports increasing funding for mental health, addiction and alcohol services, especially in the western part of the state. "My thinking is that a primary root of problems, whether they be crime,
or drunk driving, or just kind of unexplainable acts of violence or law breaking, is due to mental illness or addiction to alcohol and drugs," Piepkorn said.
Source: North Dakota Monitor on 2024 North Dakota Gubernatorial race
Oct 3, 2024
On Education:
Expand apprenticeships and paid internships to students
Armstrong emphasized the importance of drawing in young people and retaining them after graduation, according to the North Dakota Monitor. "Our best workforce recruitment tool is our higher ed system," Armstrong said.Piepkorn agreed, pointing out
that with state support in recent years, businesses have been expanding apprenticeships and paid internships to students. "Our Legislature does not always put as high a priority on higher education as we two gubernatorial candidates do,"
Piepkorn said. He added local unions have ramped up their apprenticeship training programs geared toward younger workers to get them into high-paying career fields sooner.
Armstrong said he doesn't have the "silver bullet" to fix complicated workforce
issues, but addressing housing, health care and educational needs would be a good start to drawing more potential to the state.
Source: Bismarck Tribune on 2024 North Dakota Governor race
Sep 13, 2024
On Education:
Would have vetoed the state's book banning bills
Armstrong said much of [school board culture wars] comes down to local control. "I don't think any governor in Bismarck should be making decisions that are uniformly accepted across all counties to all degree," Armstrong said. "We elect school boards, we
elect city commissions, we elect county commissions, and we elect them for a reason, and I am not sure we should be dictating down to them what to do on those things."Piepkorn said he would have vetoed the state's book banning bills and the state's
abortion ban. "In some of these things, they are making an issue out of things that are not an issue," Piepkorn said. "I think some of these things are being brought into the Legislature from outside sources, national organizations, who have pinpointed
the Legislature to carry forth this agenda." He said in the year since the book banning bill went into effect, only one complaint was made against one book, after it was reviewed by the library board, the book remained in the children's section.
Source: Bismarck Tribune on 2024 North Dakota Governor race
Sep 13, 2024
On Education:
Money for vouchers means less money for public education
[Democratic State Senator Merrill] Piepkorn said the state should increase its funding commitments for public education before any extra funding is allocated for a school choice program. "Taking money away, right now, from public education for vouchers,
any money you take and send in that direction, is going to mean less money for the public education we have now," Piepkorn said.[Republican U.S. Rep. Kelly]
Armstrong said he believes in school choice but doesn't think vouchers would be a good approach because private schools could raise their tuition to take advantage of the new state money. "It doesn't need to be either-or,"
Armstrong said. "We can fund our public school system and we can have the best public school system in the country, and we can still allow for significantly more parental autonomy in school choice."
Source: North Dakota Monitor on 2024 North Dakota Governor debate
Oct 10, 2024
On Families & Children:
Attract young people by avoiding "culture war" issues
Piepkorn said the Legislature passing "bad bills" such as a ban on abortion and laws affecting transgender people has kept people away from North Dakota. "That is what makes national headlines and that does not attract younger people to our state, but
rather makes them think twice about coming to North Dakota," Piepkorn said.Armstrong said he would want to see metrics on whether those types of bills are keeping people away from the state. He also said he thinks people should need to show proof of
age to enter a pornographic website. "I'm very less worried about what books my kids see in a library as to what they can get on their phone," said Armstrong, referring to book ban bills that were discussed in the past session. Armstrong said he gets
frustrated when people say "culture war issues" with a negative connotation. "I've talked to a lot of people over the course of the last six months in North Dakota and those issues are really, really important to people."
Source: Bismarck Tribune on 2024 North Dakota Governor race
Sep 13, 2024
On Government Reform:
More transparency, accountability and trust in government
When asked how Republicans can win back trust after [two State Legislators were convicted of crimes], Armstrong said trust needs to continuously be built through actions. Without mentioning his name, Armstrong said it was a "worthy endeavor" to expel
former U.S. Rep. George Santos, R-New York, after he was charged with misusing campaign funds.Piepkorn said his election as governor would "automatically" lead to more transparency, accountability and trust in government. "With the
supermajority in the Legislature, with 30 years of Republican governors--it's just led to an environment of entitlement," Piepkorn said. "There's probably more headlines right now in the Republican Party because there are five times as many of them as
Dem-NPLers in state government."
He also said it's easy to point out differences, or faults, in a person with opposing viewpoints, but it's up to him and other elected leaders to look beyond that.
Source: Bismarck Tribune on 2024 North Dakota Governor race
Sep 13, 2024
On Gun Control:
Banning binary triggers doesn't restrict 2nd Amendment
Armstrong and Piepkorn disagreed on banning binary triggers, which can change a semi-automatic firearm into a faster, automatic-like firing style. Piepkorn said, if the Legislature sent him a bill as governor that banned the device, he would
sign it. "I would think that after seeing the results of it, similar to a bump stock, that they would realize that it isn't necessary and it is harmful," Piepkorn said. "In no way does this restrict your Second Amendment rights to own a firearm."
Armstrong said "triggers never pull themselves," and said he's spent six years in Washington pushing back against lawmakers who do want to ban guns that are used in
North Dakota for hunting and recreation. He added gun control legislation proposed by Democrats in Washington "is going after the guns."
Source: North Dakota Monitor on 2024 North Dakota Governor debate
Oct 8, 2024
Page last updated: Oct 31, 2024