Jeff Beach/North Dakota Monitor
North Dakota legislative support staff on Saturday wiped legislators’ home addresses from the Legislature’s website in response to the shootings of two lawmakers in Minnesota.
John Bjornson, director of Legislative Council, said he made the decision Saturday morning hearing about the shootings that left one Minnesota legislator dead and another seriously wounded.
“I think everybody was shocked and shaken,” Bjornson said.
He said he received several messages from legislators thanking him for taking the initiative.
Website administrators and information technology staff were able to remove the address field from legislators’ bios and from a contact page quickly.
Bjornson said a more long-term policy will be discussed next week when legislative leaders meet during the Legislative Management Committee meeting.
“Security is something we too often take for granted until something like this happens,” said Senate Majority Leader David Hogue, R-Minot.
Bjornson said legislators have had the option not to include their home address or phone number with their bio.
Candidates for public office in North Dakota are obligated to provide information to the Secretary of State’s Office, which becomes a public record.
“Ultimately, we have to follow state law,” Sandy McMerty, deputy secretary of state said Monday.
While an address must be submitted to show eligibility to represent a legislative district or other geographic area, some candidates and officials use a post office box for a mailing address or for fundraising.
Sen. Ryan Braunberger, D-Fargo, said he has advised candidates considering a run for office about using a post office box and to consider their families when making that decision.
“I think it’s important that we balance our security over availability,” Braunberger said.
Sen. Janne Myrdal, R-Edinburg, said she and her family have taken safety precautions since she began serving in the Legislature, but Saturday’s shootings have likely shaken lawmakers around the country.
“It’s just shocking, but I guess that’s another reality we have to look at,” Myrdal said.
Braunberger said hearing the news of the shootings of the Democrats in Minnesota on Saturday morning did not make him hesitate to attend a No Kings protest that afternoon at City Hall in Fargo.
“It made me more vigilant about knowing my surroundings,” Braunberger said. He said he had no negative interactions at the protest. The event was interrupted briefly by a truck blaring its horn in the parking lot.
The suspect in Minnesota, Vance Boelter, was arrested Sunday. The Minnesota Reformer reported that Boelter had a list of potential targets — including Rep. Melissa Hortman who was killed along with her husband, and Sen. Steve Hoffman, who is recovering from gunshot wounds. Abortion providers and other Democratic elected officials from Minnesota and Wisconsin also were on the list.
Rep. Karla Rose Hanson, D-Fargo, who has sponsored bills supporting reproductive rights, said gun legislation she backed created the most negative reaction — including direct threats.
She also attended Saturday’s protest and reflected on the shooting in a social media post.
“The way to express political disagreement is through peaceful protests like today’s event and through the electoral process — never through violence,” Hanson said.