Governor Dalrymple made it official this afternoon. The surge funding for the oil-impacted west is on the way, construction projects will be able to get underway this spring. The bill includes $32 million for Minot. The full news release from the Governor’s office is below.
— Official News Release, Governor Dalrymple —
Gov. Jack Dalrymple today signed into law Senate Bill 2103, making $1.1 billion in state funding immediately available for infrastructure projects and other critical needs, primarily in North Dakota’s oil-production region. The funding package includes $972 million for Oil Country and another $128 million for counties and townships outside the state’s oil-production region.
“I applaud our legislative leaders for making this funding bill a priority and all legislators who helped make this funding immediately available,” Dalrymple said. “It was clear that we would again need to fast track a funding bill so that we can take full advantage of the upcoming construction season and this major funding package accomplishes that.”
Legislative leaders fast tracked the bill and included in the bill’s language an emergency clause to make the $1.1 billion immediately available for appropriation. Without priority action, the funding would not be available until after June 30 and well into the 2015 construction season.
“Some say $1.1 billion is a lot of money to put into roads, streets, sewer, water towers and homes,” said Senate Majority Leader Rich Wardner. “But the fact is that until you have this infrastructure in place for people to live, you cannot find providers that will move to these areas to work.”
Senate Bill 2103 was sponsored by senators Kelly Armstrong, Nicole Poolman and David Rust, as well as representatives Scott Louser, Mike Schatz and Blair Thoreson. The House passed the amended bill Friday 90-2. The Senate voted 46-0 to pass the funding bill on Monday. The bill’s emergency clause required a two-thirds majority to pass.
“For the long-term economic benefit to our state, there’s no better investment than investing in our infrastructure needs, and we think the Surge Bill does just that,” House Majority Leader Al Carlson said.
Senate Bill 2103 includes $450 million for state highway improvement projects throughout the oil and gas region. The bill also includes:
- $240 million for the state’s top 10 oil-producing counties.
- $172 million for the cities of Williston, Watford City, Dickinson and Minot.
- $112 million for counties outside the state’s oil production region.
- $100 million for other cities within the top 10 oil-producing counties.
- $16 million for townships outside the state’s oil production region.
- $10 million for cities within eligible counties bordering the Oil Patch.
