Janne Myrdal

Janne Myrdal is a Republican member of the North Dakota Senate, representing the 10th district. Myrdal was first elected in 2016, defeating Democrat Quentin Wenzel.

Janne Myrdal
Member of the North Dakota Senate
from the 10th district
Assumed office
2017
Preceded byJoe Miller
Personal details
BornSkien, Norway
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)Mark
ResidenceEdinburg, North Dakota
ProfessionHomemaker

Personal life

Myrdal was born in Telemark, Norway in 1962 where she lived until completing high school. She then decided to travel to Texas for a year to do humanitarian work as a Christian to help refugees. There she met Mark, an American farmer from North Dakota, who she married in Skien, Norway in 1994. They have three children who they raised on the family farm in rural Edinburg where Myrdal is a homemaker.[1]

Politics

Her political life started after she began to speak out against abortion and for centers to help pregnant women. After working for some years among other things to help women in prostitution she was horrified how some of them used abortion almost as contraceptive.[2]

In January 2017, Myrdal cosponsored House Bill 1185, which would have classified all internet-connected devices as "pornographic vending machines" that must make unavailable any "obscene material and obscene performances" unless the end user of such a device requests an opt-out in writing and pays the state a $20 opt-out fee.[3] Facing international ridicule, the cosponsors dropped the bill from further consideration.[4]

Also in January 2017, Myrdal posted to her personal Facebook page a rainbow flag that had been defaced with a swastika. The post linked to an article that criticized LGBT opposition to then-president-elect Donald Trump.[5]

In January 2019, Myrdal cosponsored a bill to require physicians to tell women that it is possible to reverse a drug-induced abortion. Myrdal said the bill was about providing options to pregnant women, but the head of the state's sole abortion clinic said the claim was not backed by science.[6] The bill did become law, but was blocked by a federal judge on the grounds that it required doctors to lie to their patients.[7]

In November 2020, Myrdal was re-elected to a second term in the Senate with 74% of the vote.[8]

References
  1. Knudson, Pamela (November 8, 2016). "Myrdal wins District 10's North Dakota Senate seat". Grand Forks Herald. Forum Communications. Retrieved January 17, 2017.
  2. Pedersen, Ruben (Nov 3, 2020). "Norske Janne (58) er senator i USA". dagbladet.no. Retrieved Feb 5, 2021.
  3. Thomson, Iain (January 11, 2017). "Anti-smut law dubs PCs, phones 'pornographic vendor machines', demands internet filters". The Register. Retrieved January 17, 2017.
  4. "Comments: ND 1185 | 2017-2018 | 65th Legislative Assembly". LegiScan. Retrieved January 17, 2017.
  5. Glass-Moore, Adrian (January 17, 2017). "ND Legislator Shares Gay Nazi Flag". Mean Read. Retrieved January 17, 2017.
  6. Hageman, John (January 21, 2019). "Committee hears two North Dakota abortion bills in packed room". Bismarck Tribune. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
  7. Hageman, John (September 10, 2019). "Judge blocks new North Dakota abortion law". The Bismarck Tribune. Forum News Service. Retrieved December 31, 2019.
  8. "North Dakota Secretary of State". Retrieved January 12, 2021.
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