The Legislature’s Commission to study the initiative measure and referral process have succumbed to partisan maneuvering by Rep. Ben Koppelman and Rep. Al Carlson in the final weeks of the session. Throughout the life of SB 2135, many different commission models were discussed. The final product created by amendment in conference committee should raise some […]
State Senator Oley Larsen (Republican, Minot) offered an amendment on the North Dakota Senate floor that would eliminate Medicaid Expansion in North Dakota. The move would have kicked approximately 20,000 North Dakota residents off of health insurance. It is estimated as many as 35,000 individuals are eligible for the coverage. Medicaid Expansion was contentiously approved […]
A recent poll released from Morning Consult indicated U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp has earned approval from 60% of North Dakota voters. The results place Heitkamp in the top seventeen regarding favorability of the nation’s Senators according to their constituents. North Dakota’s U.S. Senator John Hoeven earned 65% from North Dakota voters, placing him at number ten. I can’t […]
It must not get lost on anyone what the Legislature tried this week. The leadership in the North Dakota House used 250 nursing students as leverage to place themselves in an agreement they didn’t like. Placing professional development of our state’s youth in jeopardy with a power grab by legislators is an outrage. Diplomacy be […]
An amendment to the Higher Education budget in the House Appropriations Committee has caused quite a controversy over the past twelve hours. The amendment to SB 2003 would close the NDSU Nursing Program in Bismarck. The program, an approved partnership since 2014 between NDSU and Sanford Health, was created to address the nursing shortage our […]
In a series of public responses to a press conference held by Democratic legislators, House Majority Leader Al Carlson, Republican of Fargo, admitted the budget situation is his party’s responsibility and the minority was not welcome to be involved in crafting a solution. If you’ve followed the news at all over the last year, you […]
Efforts to combat human trafficking have taken a more visible role in public policy discussions over the passed few years. U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp has been a strong leader in this anti-trafficking effort, holding numerous roundtables across the state and sponsoring federal legislation to combat this horrendous industry. However, federal efforts alone will not stomp […]
During the State of the State address to a joint session of the Legislature, newly elected Governor Doug Burgum declared the state will no longer pursue the 12% property tax buy-down. Legislative leadership was open to the shift in policy because they said, they would provide permanent property tax reform through a state takeover of […]
During the State of the State address to a joint session of the Legislature, newly elected Governor Doug Burgum declared the state will no longer pursue the 12% property tax buy-down. Legislative leadership was open to the shift in policy because they said, they would provide permanent property tax reform through a state takeover of […]
The Legislature is trying to force the sovereign Three Affiliated Tribes into adhering to the legislative oil tax rates after they cut the tax in 2015. To accomplish this, they are amending the oil and gas tax agreement structure. The move adopted by the Senate on March 27th would place the Legislature between the Governor […]