243: LGBT conversion theraphy, gerrymandering, and filibusters

The Administrative Rules Committee approved a ban on LGBT conversion therapy asked for by the North Dakota Board of Social Work Examiners, which oversees licensing for social workers.

Some Republican lawmakers resisted the change. Was it the right move?

I'll talk about it with former Democratic-NPL executive director Chad Oban on this episode of Plain Talk.

This episode of Plain Talk will also feature, prominently, two of the most fun political words.

Gerrymandering.

Filibuster.

Now that the census is completed, the task of redistricting lays before North Dakota's lawmakers. Since North Dakotans mostly vote for Republicans, that means the process will be controlled by Republicans

Already, some of the state's Democrats are suggesting that the Republican plan will be an exercise in gerrymandering (whee!) which should be referred to the ballot and defeated by voters who would then also vote to approve a Democratic plan which could only be introduced at the ballot box because, again, North Dakotans mostly don't vote for Democrats.

Sound convoluted? It is.

Also, at the national level, Senator Joe Manchin, a Democrat from West Virginia, is the lone vote standing in the way of much of the Democratic agenda, including ending the filibuster (whoo!) and advancing sweeping election reforms.

Is he taking a stand for the wellbeing of our country? Or is this an exercise in self-serving politics?