BISMARCK -- The North Dakota Family Alliance has become associated with the national organization Focus on the Family.
Officials with the North Dakota group, which backed the 2004 North Dakota marriage amendment in the state Constitution, hopes the new affiliation will enable it to "boost other similar efforts to enact family-friendly public policy," they said.
The North Dakotans can tap into the "nationally recognized experts and resources" of "Focus," the group said in its news release. It intends to be active in the 2009 Legislature and has compiled a voters guide for the upcoming election.
Tom Freier is executive director of the Family Alliance, which has its state offices in Fargo. Steve Cates of Bismarck is president of its board of directors.
Candidate quiz
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The injured workers advocacy group North Dakota Work Comp Help sent questions to Gov. John Hoeven and challenger Tim Mathern recently and has posted the results on its Web site.
To see the full results, go to http://ndworkcomphelp.com and scroll to "Q & A from candidates for North Dakota Governor regarding WSI issues."
Deadline?Thursday
Thursday is the North Dakota deadline for candidates, political parties, groups opposing and supporting initiated measures and others to report their contributions and expenditures to Secretary of State Al Jaeger's office. It's for the period between Jan. 1 and Oct. 15.
Conrad in film
Sen. Kent Conrad appears in a new documentary film that some hope will become as famous as Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth."
This one, "I.O.U.S.A.," attempts to enlighten average Americans about the U.S.'s burgeoning national debt.
Conrad, who chairs the Senate Budget Committee, said in the film, "Obviously, if the public doesn't understand, there's going to be no sense of urgency and no pressure on our colleagues or on the White House to act."
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Dorgan on CBS
A video clip of Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., warning of a financial industry meltdown -- in 1999 -- recently kicked off a CBS News investigative piece.
Said Dorgan in a statement on the Senate floor in 1999, when Congress passed a law allowing the merger of investment and commercial banks: 'This bill, will, in my judgment, raise the likelihood of future massive taxpayer bailouts. ... If you want to gamble, go to Las Vegas. If you want to trade in derivatives, God bless you."
Endorsements
The United Steelworkers Local endorsed Democrat Cheryl Bergian for the Public Service Commission.
The National Community Pharmacists Association endorsed U.S. Rep. Earl Pomeroy, D-N.D.
Cole reports for Forum Communications Co., which owns the Herald.
