ND Legislature – TheMinotVoice.com

‘No manual on how to do this’: How is ND preparing for sweeping changes to property taxation?

Summary: MinotVoice | Article: Peyton Haug, Grand Forks Herald

North Dakota’s property tax overhaul is reshaping local budgets, and rural communities are feeling the squeeze. While homeowners are set to receive substantial relief — credits that could wipe out tax bills for some — cities and counties face tight new limits on how much they can raise. Rural areas, especially dependent on property taxes,

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North Dakota schools finalize phone-free plans ahead of fall deadline

Summary: MinotVoice | Article: Ryan McNamara, InForum

North Dakota’s schools are heading into a new era this fall: bell-to-bell cell phone bans. From Casselton to Devils Lake, superintendents like Morgan Forness and Ned Clooten are working out the logistics — where to store phones, how to manage exceptions, and how to enforce the rules fairly. The goal behind this law is clear:

Read & Share sourced from: InForum

State-imposed tax cap creates challenge for some entities

Summary: MinotVoice | Article: Jill Shramm, Minot Daily News

Minot and other local governments are feeling the squeeze from a new state mandate capping property tax increases at 3%. City Manager Harold Stewart says the cuts needed to stay under the cap — from staff reductions to deferred equipment and infrastructure projects — will catch up quickly, with deeper impacts expected by 2028. Leaders

Read & Share sourced from: Minot Daily News

Minot to give first run to new ballot process

Summary: MinotVoice | Article: Jill Schramm, Minot Daily News

Minot’s upcoming mayoral race isn’t just about choosing a leader—it’s a test run for a major change in how North Dakotans vote absentee. For the first time, ballots must arrive by Election Day, not just be postmarked. Secretary of State Michael Howe says it’s about legal alignment and avoiding future uncertainty—but the implications go deeper.

Read & Share sourced from: Minot Daily News

North Dakota lawmakers to hold hearing on security concerns after Minnesota attacks

Summary: MinotVoice | Article: Michael Achterling, North Dakota Monitor

In the wake of a horrifying act of violence against public officials in Minnesota, North Dakota lawmakers are rethinking what it means to be accessible—and safe. With a list of potential targets found in the suspect’s car, and victims lured by someone posing as law enforcement, the threat feels chillingly real. As North Dakota prepares

Read & Share sourced from: North Dakota Monitor

City council struggles to hold line on taxes in 2026

Summary: MinotVoice | Article: Jill Schramm, Minot Daily News

Minot’s city leaders are staring down a $1.7 million gap in next year’s budget—and a new state law capping property tax increases isn’t making the math any easier. As budget talks heat up, ideas are on the table: tapping reserves, slowing street maintenance, rethinking outside agency funding, and potentially redirecting existing sales tax toward public

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North Dakota removes lawmaker addresses from website in response to shooting

Summary: MinotVoice | Article: Jeff Beach, North Dakota Monitor

Last weekend’s violence in Minnesota sent shockwaves across state lines — and North Dakota responded swiftly. Within hours of the shooting that left one lawmaker dead and another wounded, legislative staff removed home addresses from the state’s official website. It was a quiet but decisive move aimed at protecting lawmakers in a moment that laid

Read & Share sourced from: North Dakota Monitor

North Dakota governor’s veto ‘clear and unambiguous,’ attorney general says

By: Mary Steurer, North Dakota Monitor

North Dakota’s attorney general said Wednesday Gov. Kelly Armstrong’s veto was “sound,” dismissing a differing conclusion by legislative staff that his intent was unclear and the Legislature should hold a special session to fix the error. The opinion by Attorney General Drew Wrigley means $35 million for housing programs Armstrong’s office unintentionally crossed out in

Read & Share sourced from: North Dakota Monitor

Political players in Fargo ask city commissioners for election changes

Summary: MinotVoice | Article: Melissa Van Der Stad, InForum

Fargo voters are once again at a crossroads in how they choose their leaders. After the state shut down the city’s use of approval voting, residents are pushing for a return to local control—this time by proposing primary elections for mayor and commission races. Advocates say it’s about fairness and majority rule, arguing that no

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‘Prudent remedy’ for veto error is special session, Legislative Council advises

Summary: MinotVoice | Article: Michael Achterling, North Dakota Monitor

A $35 million housing veto that wasn’t meant to be has landed North Dakota’s branches of government in unfamiliar territory. Governor Armstrong calls it a markup error. Legislative Council says it’s legally binding. Attorney General Wrigley insists it’s none of their business. At stake: funding for housing programs, the boundaries of executive power, and whether

Read & Share sourced from: North Dakota Monitor

Port: NDGOP to consider resolutions censuring Armstrong, Legislature over property taxes and book ban

Summary: MinotVoice | Article: Rob Port, InForum

The loudest voices in a political party don’t always speak for its voters—but in North Dakota, that gap may be widening into a chasm. With new leadership elections looming, the state’s Republican Party is poised to move further toward its most populist faction, raising questions about whether it still reflects the broader base that’s long

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North Dakota Legislative Council to prepare briefs on potential special session scenarios

Summary: MinotVoice | Article: Grant Coursey, Bismarck Tribune

North Dakota lawmakers aren’t packing away their notebooks just yet. Senate Majority Leader David Hogue has asked for a full briefing on five possible scenarios that could trigger a special session—ranging from redistricting fallout and veto disputes to oil market shocks and lost federal funding. While the regular session left six unused legislative days on

Read & Share sourced from: Bismarck Tribune

Governor vetoes parts of funding project for ND State Fair, no impacts to this year’s event

Summary: MinotVoice | Article: Kyona Rivera, KMOT

A funding request for restroom upgrades at the North Dakota State Fairgrounds just got flushed—at least for now. Governor Kelly Armstrong vetoed the $350,000 line item, calling it a case of legislative logrolling tacked onto an unrelated bill. Fair organizers say the veto won’t affect this year’s event, and other funding—nearly $1.6 million for campground

Read & Share sourced from: KMOT

Armstrong signs remaining bills, uses vetoes to protect budgeting process, executive authority

By: Mary Steurer, Amy Dalrymple and Michael Achterling, North Dakota Monitor

Gov. Kelly Armstrong issued seven line-item vetoes on six bills Monday, with many objections focused on policies he felt lawmakers “shoehorned” into budget bills or encroached on executive authority. One line-item veto was of a section of the Ethics Commission’s budget bill meant to protect lawmakers from being prosecuted for conflicts of interest — though

Read & Share sourced from: North Dakota Monitor

North Dakota’s 140-year-old State Hospital gets $300M green light for rebuild

Summary: MinotVoice | Article: Peyton Haug, InForum

For nearly 140 years, the State Hospital in Jamestown has stood as a symbol of North Dakota’s evolving approach to mental health care—sometimes hopeful, sometimes haunting. Now, with a $300 million investment from the Legislature, that history is entering a new chapter. A modern, trauma-informed facility will replace the aging campus, promising better care, more

Read & Share sourced from: InForum

Transit agency says rides could end without new dollars

Summary: MinotVoice | Article: Jill Schramm, Minot Daily News

For some Minot residents—many older, disabled, or simply without other options—the ability to get to a doctor’s appointment, job, or grocery store could vanish on July 1. That’s when a federal funding shift cuts off support for the demand-response rides provided by Souris Basin Transportation. The city must now decide whether to step in and

Read & Share sourced from: Minot Daily News