North Dakota House removes new Ethics Commission position from budget, adds 6-month deadline

North Dakota lawmakers are looking to speed up ethics investigations — and tighten the reins on the commission handling them. The House passed a bill Monday setting a 180-day deadline to resolve complaints and scrapping a new staff position focused on ethics education. Supporters say the move addresses a growing backlog and protects public officials from drawn-out accusations. Critics argue the deadline could derail investigations and undercuts the commission’s constitutional independence. The Senate will now decide whether to send the measure to the governor’s desk. Mary Steurer with North Dakota Monitor has the full story.