5 things to know today: Anti-abortion law, Expanded authority, Learning gap, Next phase, Demolition delayed – INFORUM

1. North Dakota bill aims to make performing an abortion a felony

A team of ultra-conservative North Dakota lawmakers has thrown its weight behind a bill that would make getting an abortion in the state legally akin to murdering an unborn child. Anti-abortion advocates are withholding judgment on the new proposal, but Democratic lawmakers reject it, saying the state would end up spending hundreds of thousands of dollars defending an unconstitutional abortion bill.

Under House Bill 1313, someone found to have performed an abortion, unless the procedure is done to save the life of the mother, would be guilty of a Class AA felony, punishable by up to life in prison without parole.

Read more from Forum News Service's Jeremy Turley

Nearly a week after a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol, Gov. Tim Walz on Jan. 12, 2021 stands in front of the Minnesota History Center in Saint Paul, saying that Americans are witnessing history in the making. Sarah Mearhoff / Forum News Service

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and members of the Executive Council on Wednesday, Jan. 13, voted to extend the state's peacetime emergency for another 30 days, allowing the governor to continue his expanded emergency powers and the state to swiftly set in place protections against the coronavirus without legislative approval.

The five-person Executive Council on Wednesday morning agreed unanimously to allow the peacetime emergency, citing concerns about a new, more easily transmissible strain of COVID-19 in the state and noting that while vaccines are rolling out, their distribution is not yet widespread enough to allay concerns about disease spread.

Read more from Forum News Service's Dana Ferguson

Screenshot of Kirsten Baesler, North Dakota's K-12 superintendent. She testified Wednesday, Jan. 13, in Bismarck at a hearing of the House Appropriations Education and Environment Division.

In preliminary discussions, North Dakota lawmakers showed support for increasing the length of the K-12 school year due to the coronavirus pandemic hindering test performance and overall learning for many students.

State Superintendent Kirsten Baesler testified at a committee hearing of the House Appropriations Education and Environment Division on Wednesday, Jan. 13, and told legislators that K-12 student test scores have dropped in North Dakota.

About 27% to 28% of students who tested on par with their grade level in fall 2019 tested below their grade level in fall 2020 in reading, writing and math, Baesler said. She said a summer learning gap is normal and expected, but the pandemic and distance learning exacerbated the current setbacks the state is seeing.

Read more from The Forum's Michelle Griffith

Fargo Cass Public Health said Wednesday, Jan. 13, that it will soon begin vaccinating older individuals and those with underlying health conditions. Jeenah Moon/Pool via REUTERS

Fargo Cass Public Health said on Wednesday, Jan. 13, that it expects to start vaccinating older individuals and those with underlying health conditions, known as the Phase 1B priority groups, starting the week of Jan. 18.

The agency said it is nearing completion of vaccine distribution for what are known as Phase 1A priority groups, which include health care workers, first responders and long-term care residents.

Health care providers who are distributing COVID-19 vaccines will soon reach out to their patients with information about when individuals can schedule an appointment to receive the vaccine.

Read more From The Forum's Dave Olson

Property at 717 3rd Avenue North in Fargo. David Samson / The Forum

Fargo city commissioners appeared poised to allow demolition proceedings to go ahead on Monday night, Jan. 11, on a downtown historic home that was an office to one of city's early pioneer architects.

However, owner Ron Ramsay, who has been working with volunteer help from Kilbourne Group project manager Heather McCord, was given two weeks to provide more documentation to city officials on the progress they've made restoring the house, which is nestled in a residential block west of downtown's Sanctuary Events Center.

Read more from The Forum's Barry Amundson

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5 things to know today: Anti-abortion law, Expanded authority, Learning gap, Next phase, Demolition delayed - INFORUM