This week was a week of controversial rulings from the Supreme Court, and not surprisingly those rulings elicited a lot of emotional responses on social media. But one North Dakota lawmaker may have let his emotions get the best of him. Rep. Dwight Kiefert, a Republican from Valley City, took to his personal Facebook account after…
John Olsrud: When Bipartisanship Is The Right Way
Last week Rob Port had an article on this blog calling the actions of House Majority Leader Al Carlson petty when he opposed the action of a majority on Legislative Management to name a few Democrats to chairmanships and vice chairmanships of interim committees. I think a good case can be made that appointing minority…
Rod St. Aubyn: Will Governor Dalrymple Use Veto Power On PERS Budget Compromise?
UPDATE: Governor Jack Dalrymple did indeed sign this bill into law without using his veto power. The NDPERS appropriation bill (SB 2022) has been a hot potato for the legislature. As you will recall this is the bill that the conference committee could not resolve which resulted in the House deciding to adjourn Sine Die…
Senator Rich Wardner: Critics Of Oil Tax Reforms Fail Economics Test
By making North Dakota a great place to do business, our state has enjoyed unparalleled economic growth and job creation over the last 20 years. Virtually every sector of our economy has grown and provided new opportunities for the people across this great state. Unfortunately, Democrats like Senate Minority Leader Mac Schneider and House Minority…
Read It: Special Legislative Committee Issues Report On Disputed PERS Budget
The 2015 legislative session ended on an embarrassing, and potentially dangerous, note. They didn’t complete a budget for one of the state’s department. Specifically, the Public Employees Retirement System. The House and Senate were at odds over the decision by the PERS board to switch the state’s health insurance policy – the one covering all…
Attorney General: PERS Can Continue To Operate Without A Budget
In an embarrassing turn of events for the Republican majorities in the legislature, the 2015 legislative session ended earlier this year without a finalized budget for the Public Employees Retirement System. The Senate and House were at an impasse over legislation concerning a decision by the PERS board to move the health insurance policies from…
Three Affiliated Tribes Crying Wolf Over Oil Tax Changes
During the closing weeks of the 2015 legislative session lawmakers went to battle over a contentious reform to the state’s oil tax laws. With the possibility looming of a tax exemption triggered by low oil prices wiping out the 5 percent oil extraction tax entirely and blowing a multi-billion dollar hole in state tax revenues,…
Doug Leier: Reviewing Legislation Important To Outdoor Recreation
The 2015 North Dakota legislative session recently wrapped up. While the number of bills related to hunting, fishing, trapping and outdoor recreation was down somewhat from previous years, it was still a busy session as the North Dakota Game and Fish Department tracked 23 outdoors-related bills, 12 of which were passed by both chambers and…
64th Legislative Assembly – The Final Score
The 64th Legislative Assembly concluded April 29th, consuming 78 of their authorized 80 days for the biennium and leaving one bill in the unfinished business file. The session had unique elements, such as the drastic changes of revenue forecasts from the beginning of the session until the end, and the budget jockeying that had to…
John Olsrud: Does It Matter Where Legislators Live?
In the general election in 2016 the voters of North Dakota will be deciding whether to amend the state constitution to add language stating that a legislator must live in the district from which elected. This may seem like a simple idea, but there are ramifications we should consider. Most of the attention regarding this…