A long-term vision for rural North Dakota didn’t survive the legislative gauntlet — but lawmakers didn’t walk away from the issue entirely. Senate Bill 2097, a bold plan to create a $50 million endowment fund, was scrapped after House members balked at[...]
Tag: ND Legislature
News |
North Dakota House passes bill establishing rural grocery store grants to governor’s desk
Rural grocery stores are more than shelves and checkouts — they’re anchors of community life. But in North Dakota, many are struggling to survive as corporate chains like Dollar General expand into small towns. Senate Bill 2228 aims to push back, offering[...]
News |
North Dakota Rep. VanWinkle paid for vacation week, draws criticism from House leadership
Minot Rep. Lori VanWinkle is facing scrutiny after missing a week of the North Dakota legislative session for a family vacation — and still receiving taxpayer-funded pay for the days she was gone. State law entitles legislators to daily pay during session,[...]
News |
North Dakota Senate passes bill to standardize election laws, remove power from localities
North Dakota is moving to put all elections under one rulebook — the state’s. A new bill advancing through the Legislature would prevent cities and counties, even those with home rule authority, from setting election laws that conflict with state standards. Supporters[...]
News |
North Dakota Senate rejects bill for annual legislative sessions
North Dakota’s Legislature will stick with its every-other-year schedule — at least for now. The Senate voted down a bill Monday that would have required lawmakers to meet annually, reviving a debate that’s surfaced nearly every session since 1979. Supporters argued the[...]
Subscribe!
It's free and it helps us grow and provide better information ForMinot!
Commentary |
Port: This is what a lack of integrity looks like
Columnist Rob Port isn’t pulling any punches. In his latest piece, he calls out Minot Rep. Lori VanWinkle’s week-long vacation from the Legislature — not just as bad judgment, but as part of a broader habit on the populist right: playing the[...]
News |
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[...]
News |
Library content bill narrowly passes North Dakota House
A bill requiring school and public libraries to relocate content deemed “sexually explicit” passed the House on a 49-45 vote Monday after nearly 90 minutes of debate. Senate Bill 2307, sponsored by Sen. Keith Boehm, R-Mandan, would allow people who challenge library[...]
Curio |
Today in History: Senate votes to make Minot State a university
The team at Forum Communications has taken a queue from our “On This Day” column, and they’ve begun mining their own historic content for news from the past that’s meaningful or interesting in our own time. And in today’s edition, the topic[...]
News |
North Dakota’s Legislative Council slammed by calls on controversial issues
If you’ve tried calling North Dakota’s Legislature lately, you might have unknowingly rung the wrong bell. The nonpartisan Legislative Council — a behind-the-scenes office of researchers and bill drafters — has been swamped with phone calls about hot-button issues like term limits[...]
Subscribe!
It's free and it helps us grow and provide better information ForMinot!
News |
North Dakota Senate fails bill to cut breast cancer screening costs for state employees
A bill aimed at reducing out-of-pocket costs for breast cancer screenings fell short in the North Dakota Senate on Friday. House Bill 1283 would have made mammograms, MRIs, and other diagnostic exams free for state employees covered by the Public Employees Retirement[...]
News |
Legislature Sides with Hunters in Deer Baiting Debate
North Dakota lawmakers on Friday sided with hunters in the debate over whether the state Game and Fish Department can restrict using bait when deer hunting on private property. The House passed Senate Bill 2137 after rejecting a proposed amendment. The bill[...]
News |
North Dakota Senate moves forward bills defining gender, altering school bathroom rules
North Dakota lawmakers moved one step closer this week to tightening restrictions around bathrooms in public schools and how gender is defined in state law. The Senate advanced two high-profile bills — one banning all-gender bathrooms in K-12 schools and another defining[...]
News |
North Dakota legislators debate price tag of bill targeting state library content
A new proposal at the North Dakota Legislature is stirring up debate over who pays when state rules land in local libraries. Senate Bill 2307 would require school and public libraries to move “offensively sexual” materials out of easy reach of minors[...]
News |
Port: Controversial Minot lawmaker apparently takes a vacation during closing weeks of the session
Most lawmakers know there’s a time to debate and a time to take a break — and the final weeks of a legislative session usually aren’t the latter. But in Bismarck, while state leaders wrestle with billion-dollar decisions, Rep. Lori VanWinkle of[...]
Subscribe!
It's free and it helps us grow and provide better information ForMinot!
News |
Resolution raising constitutional ballot measure threshold to 60% passes North Dakota Senate
A bill raising the public vote threshold to 60% to approve constitutional ballot measures in North Dakota passed the Senate Wednesday on a 33-13 vote. House Resolution 3003, sponsored by Rep. Robin Weisz, R-Hurdsfield, would require a 60% threshold to pass both[...]