North Dakota Legislature: Several bills including book bans, sex ed and virtual enrollment get green light

(Bismarck, ND) -- Several bills are moving forward after making the rounds in their respective chambers in Bismarck.

North Dakota lawmakers are moving forward with bills targeting books with sexual content.

The Senate has advanced a bill with amendments that would ban books with explicit sexual content from libraries with a veto-proof majority. The bill is headed back to the House for concurrence on Senate amendments. The House Judiciary Committee advanced a similar bill, which is headed to the House floor.

The State Senate has also approved a plan to look for rare earth elements in coal.

The bill provides a tax exemption for companies to build coal processing centers. Supporters say the plan will help the U.S. compete with China. Some rare elements in North Dakota are used to create stronger metal alloys.

North Dakota lawmakers are also moving forward with a bill changing the way sex education is taught in schools.

The bill would require schools to show students a high-definition ultrasound video that is at least three minutes long showing fetal development. The superintendent of public instruction is charged with ensuring that schools teach the material.

And lawmakers are also moving forward with a bill allowing open enrollment for families wanting their kids to learn virtually.

Lawmakers approved a new authority Wednesday for the Center for Distance Education. The bill would move the school back under the authority of the Department of Public Instruction, complete with its own director, staff, and budget.  The state Senate must still approve the total budget request for the school.