The State Bar Association of North Dakota Winter 2015 Gavel Magazine | Page 15

Representative Lawrence Klemin Representative Lawrence Klemin has served Bismarck’s District 47 for 16 years, with this session being his ninth. He sits on the Judiciary committee and chairs the Political Subdivisions committee. In this session, Klemin, a Republican, is sponsoring and co-sponsoring 13 bills each. He also serves on the North Dakota Uniform Law Commission. He practices law with the Schweigert, Klemin and McBride law firm in Bismarck. Representative Mary Schneider Representative Mary Schneider was elected to the House of Representatives in November from District 21 in Fargo. A Democrat, she is serving on the Finance and Taxation and Government and Veterans Affairs committees. She practices law in Fargo, and is the mother of Senator Mac Schneider. Representative Mary C. Johnson Representative Mary C. Johnson is serving her first term representing District 45 in Fargo. She was elected in November. Johnson is a graduate of the UND School of Law and is the controller for Valley Bus in Fargo. A Republican, she is serving on the Government and Veterans Affairs and Judiciary committees. Representative Tom Kading Representative Tom Kading is serving his first term representing District 45 in Fargo. He was elected in November. A civil engineer and attorney who also has an MBA degree, Kading specializes in handling crop insurance dispute resolution and real estate law at the Kading & Weibolt Law Firm in Fargo. A Republican, Kading sits on the Agriculture and Finance and Taxation committees. He has sponsored a bill that would require the primary election ballot to note if that candidate was endorsed by his political party. As an entrepreneur, as well as a lawyer, Kading says he is focused on the impact of the oil price drop on state finances and how it affects his district and community, as well as North Dakota. “As a lawyer, I am trained to be detail minded and ensure that those details are correct,” says Kading. “In the Legislature, it is important to read the entire proposed bill and understand all the ramifications if the legislation should be passed into law.” Representative Kylie Oversen Representative Kylie Oversen serves District 42 in Grand Forks. She was first elected in 2012, and this is her second legislative session. She is serving on the Human Services and Political Subdivisions committees. Her areas of interest are legislation aimed at strengthening economic security for families, including reduction of TANF asset limits for low-income families and wage and workplace-related issues. She is supporting legislation that provides additional financial support to North Dakota veterans seeking educational and training opportunities, and that strengthens the state’s behavioral health system. A Democrat and Killdeer native, Oversen is also interested in seeing that Western North Dakota receives additional support. Oversen is a second-year law student at the UND School of Law. “My training in law school has shown me how important it is to have individuals with a legal background, beyond our legislative council, involved in the legislative process,” says Oversen. “Lawyers bring such a different perspective to the work we are doing and the laws we are crafting. I believe having a diversity of educational and career backgrounds in the legislature is vital, and lawyers play a particularly important role in shaping good, effective public policy.” Contacting Members of the North Dakota Legislative Assembly North Dakota legislators can be reached by phone, email or with letters that are addressed to them at 600 East Boulevard Avenue, Bismarck, ND 58505. Their email addresses can be found at www.legis.nd.gov. Phone messages can be left at the legislative telephone message center at 888-635-3447 or 701-328-3373. The State Bar Association of North Dakota has compiled a list of legislative bills of interest to North Dakot