MINOT — The Democratic-NPL State Convention is being held in Minot.
Delegates nominated two candidates on Friday afternoon, one for PSC and one for AG Commissioner.
Melanie Moniz, from District 4A, was nominated unanimously for PSC. In her nomination speech, she stated that she would take care of the health of the land of North Dakota.
“I will do my best in this position, if you allow, to learn all that I can, and to show up, with a good heart, in a good way, and bring some change to North Dakota,” said Moniz.
Fintan Dooley, from Devils Lake, was nominated for the AG Commissioner position. He was nominated by Rep. Marvin Nelson, D-Dis. 9, and Rep. Ruth Buffalo, D-Dis. 27.
Rep. Nelson said that Dooley would defend landowners from having their land “decimated by industrial developments.” He continued, “[Dooley] has spent much of his own time, much of his own money fighting for the land of the people of North Dakota, and not his own. What a contrast.”
Rep. Ruth Buffalo stated, “Our candidate for ag commissioner is a very good steward of the land, and he puts the people first, and that’s what we need in our state.”
The nomination for Dooley also passed unanimously.
In Dooley’s acceptance speech, he made arguments against the oil industry.
“Oil wells are passing the poison of the creped operations onto the land, and for all of you Republicans, all of you Constitutionalists, that constitutes a taking of private property and giving it to the oil companies, free of charge, to dispose of unpermitted solid waste,” said Dooley.
Three other positions that were on the agenda for Friday were tabled to Saturday, which includes another PSC position, the Attorney General position, and the Tax Commissioner position.
After lengthy discussion and debate, delegates passed the 2022 North Dakota Democratic-Nonpartisan League Party Platform & Resolutions.
Some of those discussions included wording on the support for a state-owned bakery, the addition of support for anti-racist education, and the addition of a data privacy amendment, that stated “exploitation of people by any entity that claims the human experiences as free raw material for any commercial practices, and the extraction for addiction and sales.”
Saturday’s agenda includes nominating candidates for Secretary of State, U.S. House Representative, and U.S. Senator.
