Sen. Tim Mathern (D-Fargo) is calling for special hearings to look at what impact federal budget cuts will have on the state.
"The rationale is to begin to develop a base of material to help us make decisions about our state budget," Mathern said. "It also helps citizens prepare for the future, and to begin to inform the federal government, as to our concerns, and giving some feedback, giving some pushback, maybe."
Senate Majority Leader David Hogue (R-Minot) said he thinks Mathern's concerns ae legitimate.
"That's another reason why I'm committed to trying to get our session done, where we would have time to come back, if we felt there was a fiscal impact that we don't know about today that could arise from federal government action," Hogue said. "Or some economic event or geo-political event, like an OPEC announcement they intend to increase oil production, that would have an impact, or downward pressure, on the price of oil."
No decision has yet been made on special hearings.
