North Dakota Legislature: Anti-tracking Gun Legislation, study of racial taunting in sports discussed

(Bismarck, ND) -- North Dakota Senators are advancing legislation that would prohibit the tracking of gun purchases by credit card companies.

The bill is a response to three major credit card companies' proposed decision to apply new merchant codes to track people buying guns and ammunition. The bill details the process for reporting alleged violations, as well as the process of assessing fees toward entities that violate the bill.

In the meantime, lawmakers are considering studying the behavior of fans at school sporting events.

Both chambers of the legislature have passed a resolution calling for a legislative study of the role of educational officials, school districts and athletic regulators in promoting appropriate spectator behavior at sporting events. The study would include a "clarification of (spectator) expectations and consequences for violating those expectations."

And the State Senate is advancing a bill that would punish those who force or convince a woman to have an abortion against her will.

The new bill would charge a person committing the act with a Class C felony. The bill would also prohibit threatening to harm a woman or her unborn baby. The Senate passed the bill by a nearly unanimous vote.