North Dakota’s eight commercial airports saw a 52 percent drop in boardings in 2020, compared with 2019.

The state's Aeronautics Commission said 572,093 people boarded commercial airplanes in 2020. That's a decrease of 619,476 passengers ffrom 2019.

The reason: COVID-19.

North Dakota Aeronautics Commission director Kyle Wanner said it could have been worse.

"We saw a 95%  decrease in passenger numbers back in April," Wanner said. "That's the worst-case scenario."

Wanner said since that time, there has been a recovery.

A bill pending in the North Dakota Legislature would lengthen the amount of driver’s training for teens before they could get a driver’s license.

A Bismarck state senator has introduced a measure to provide some money to families who have out-of-pocket education expenses as a result of schools being locked down and going to distance learning because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sen. Mike Dwyer’s (R-Bismarck) bill would set aside $12 million from the next round of COVID relief money for those grants.

Dwyer said he got the idea because he has two children who are teachers, and they have children. Dwyer said the school closed, and so did their day care, and the two were expected to work from home.

The executive director of the National Sunflower Association said USDA’s annual production report for sunflowers shows 2020 was a "fantastic year" for the crop.

John Sandbakken said growing conditions were nearly perfect for sunflowers last year.

North Dakota tops the nation in sunflower production.

"North Dakota set a brand-new state record high for oil sunflower production, at 1,880 pounds," Sandbakken said. "That beat the old record by 230 pounds. It was just a fantastic year for sunflower oil."

A project is in the works to use ethane from Bakken wells to generate electricity.

Bakken Midstream Natural Gas has announced a large-scale, baseload power plant will be built near Williston. It will be called the Williston Basin Energy Center.

Natural gas is a byproduct of drilling Bakken oil wells. Ethane is a natural gas liquid.

Bakken Midstream CEO Mike Hopkins said ethane has a high-heat content, and there isn’t much demand for it.

A West Fargo lawmaker believes some parts, at least, of the two Interstate highways serving North Dakota should have an 80-mile an hour speed limit.

Rep. Ben Koppelman (R-West Fargo) said in other states with an 80 mph limit, their number of fatalities have actually dropped at a higher rate than North Dakota’s have dropped.

"I believe what we can take away from that is, cars are becoming safer, highways are patrolled better, and people are driving safer," Koppelman said. "That allows us to go up with the speed limit."

A Berthold lawmaker  wants to limit initiated state Constitutional amendments to one subject.

Rep. Clayton Fegley (R-Berthold) said this is in response to an initiated amendment that would have, among other things, established open primaries, ranked-choice voting and a change in redistricting procedures. It was Measure 3 on the November ballot – but was thrown out through court action.

"Each section of Measure 3 should  have been bvoted on individually," Fegley said. "People wouldn't have to pick and choose."