Vicki Voldal Rosenau, Valley City, N.D., letter: Bill benefits Big Tobacco at N.D.’s expense

VALLEY CITY, N.D. — Something malicious is afoot in our state Capitol. At least six Republican legislators are abusing their supermajority status to tyrannically overturn a vote of the people.

In a stunning display of arrogance and disrespect, they have sponsored House Bill 1353, which aims to completely overturn the people’s 2008 general election vote to adopt Initiated Measure 3.

State Sens. Judy Lee, R-West Fargo; Ray Holmberg, R-Grand Forks; and Tom Fischer, R-Fargo as well as State Reps. Robert Skarphol, R-Tioga; Bill Devlin, R-Finley; and Robin Weisz, R-Hurdsfield, have revealed their utter disdain for the democratic process.

Their bill flouts the stated will of their constituents by nullifying Measure 3, wherein the people mandated that a specific, small portion of the state’s tobacco settlement be used to fully fund a proven-effective statewide program to fight our leading cause of preventable death, disease and healthcare costs: tobacco addiction.

Ludicrously, in North Dakota newspapers just two days ago, Holmberg made the self-congratulatory claim: “I believe in a system of government that allows for the most participation from its citizens.” Wow, just how stupid does he think the voters are?

HB 1353 kills Measure 3 by removing all dollars from the tobacco prevention/cessation program and pouring them into another building on the UND campus, a cause for which abundant surplus dollars exist in the state’s oil-swollen general fund.

With HB 1353, North Dakotans’ future health and longevity would be harmed, tax and health-cost savings wiped out and participatory democracy undermined. If enacted, it will benefit only Big Tobacco — and its North Dakota cohorts.

Vicki Voldal Rosenau

Tags: in the mail, hb 1353, medical school, opinion, health, smoking, legislature, politics, und