Keith Kempenich (born July 28, 1958) is an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

politician. He is a member of the North Dakota House of Representatives from the 39th District, serving since 1992. He is a member of the Republican party.

Legislation

In January 2017, Kempenich proposed a bill titled HB No. 1203 which would prevent a driver who unintentionally injures or kills a person intentionally obstructing a roadway from being held liable for any damages. He said the bill was in response to the

Dakota Access Pipeline protests The Dakota Access Pipeline Protests, also called by the hashtag #NoDAPL, began in April 2016 as a grassroots opposition to the construction of Energy Transfer Partners' Dakota Access Pipeline in the northern United States and ended on Febru ...

blocking a nearby highway. It was cosponsored by other state representatives and senators, and drew criticism on the grounds that it would violate the First Amendment rights of protestors. Opponents said it would effectively legalize running over protesters on the road, as long as

criminal intent Criminal intent refers to intention (criminal law), the subjective purpose or goal that must be proven along with criminal acts. It may also refer to: * ''Law & Order: Criminal Intent'', American television series * ''Criminal Intents/Morning Star' ...

cannot be demonstrated on the part of the driver. The bill was defeated by a 50–41 vote on February 13.

References

Living people 1959 births People from Bowman County, North Dakota Republican Party members of the North Dakota House of Representatives 21st-century American politicians {{NorthDakota-politician-stub