In First TV Commercial George Sinner Says He Wrote Bill He Didn't Actually Write

Democrat George Sinner is out with his first campaign ad of the cycle (see below), and it’s kind of funny. Not quite on par with accusing your opponent of missing days in Congress when you took a vacation during the state’s Legislative session, but still.

The ad touts Sinner’s background as a “small town banker” (he, uh, lives in Fargo and has for some time), as well as Legislation the ad describes as the “Sinner Bill” which addresses student loan debt.

According to Sinner, he “wrote” the bill, but a quick check of the bill in the Legislature’s database shows that’s not quite the truth. The bill in question is SB2361 which gives authority to the Bank of North Dakota to refinance all types of student loans. Not a bad bill, but not exactly the silver bullet for student loan debt that Sinner is claiming.

What’s more, he didn’t write the bill. If you take a look at the sponsors listed, the first listed is Senate Minority Leader Mac Schneider, meaning that he was the prime sponsor of the legislation. It’s originator.

And that’s how Democrats described as well. According to a press release sent out by the Senate Democrats Caucus, Schneider introduced the bill while Sinner was a co-sponsor.

Which isn’t to say that Sinner can’t take some credit for the legislation. But to claim that he wrote it? To re-brand it “The Sinner Bill?”

Maybe Senator Schneider won’t mind, but are Sinner’s achievements in the state Legislature really so modest that he needs to inflate this minor achievement into something much more grandiose?