House Committee Rushes Income Tax Elimination Bill

At 9:00 am on February 5th, the House Finance and Tax Committee heard HB 1530 which would create a “legacy income tax reduction fund” using the voter-approved Legacy Fund to lower and eventually eliminate state corporate and personal income taxes. That afternoon, after a minute and a half of discussion, the committee rushed and approved the […]

Coincidence or Business as Usual?

How North Dakota is artistically presented has been a point of contention over recent years. Remember the uproar when the new design for the license plates was revealed? The latest dispute over design comes because of the new North Dakota logo. What at first seemed like a battle over artistic differences may have spilled into […]

“Why, then, is a legislator held to a lower standard than a part-time filing clerk?”

The special committees on ethics to implement Article XIV of the North Dakota Constitution met for the first time on January 30th. Though no action was taken, it is clear the desired direction of lawmakers and certain lobbyists. Water down what voters passed in an attempt to keep business as usual in Bismarck. The special […]

After Passage of Measure 1, Lawmakers Turn to Taxpayers for Free Meals

With lobbyists pulling back from buying legislators’ meals and drinks, lawmakers are turning to taxpayers to pick up the tab. HB 1505 is a bipartisan effort that would allow legislators to be reimbursed by taxpayers for their meals during session. The price tag is estimated to be $401,496 over two years. Not only is the […]

Legislators Looking to Tax Senior Citizens in Nursing Homes

North Dakota Legislators are again looking to create a “provider assessment for nursing homes” to pay for services. The latest attempt in SB 2349 to create what is essentially a tax on nursing home patients comes after Governor Doug Burgum offered a 1% inflationary adjustment instead of the necessary 3% in his Executive budget. With […]