After yesterday’s Legislative Management Meeting, the agenda is now set for the upcoming special session on September 2.
It’s the second special session of this biennium, the first being held to deal with new federal money coming in for improving rural health care.
The upcoming session was called by Gov. Kelly Armstrong to address the regulation of kratom. Two measures are proposed: One would regulate kratom itself, limiting sales to people over 21. The other measure would ban synthetic substances. Those synthetics have been labeled as Schedule One drugs by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration.
Lawmakers will also be asked to approve a line of credit at the state-owned Bank of North Dakota for the new Military Gallery near the Heritage Center on the state Capitol grounds. Construction stopped earlier this year due to a lack of expected donations.
Another issue on the agenda would prohibit governments from signing non-disclosure agreements with developers of large projects, such as the construction of data centers. This would only be in effect until the end of the biennium in 2027. A proposed moratorium on data center construction was not approved for introduction in this session.
There is also a technical correction proposed to the primary residence property tax credit. It would not change the credit itself, but it makes a change to how counties apply a 5% discount to homeowners who file for that credit early.
50th State
This week, as I was at the Capitol for the Legislative Management Meeting, I overheard a man at the desk where tours of the Capitol originate. He said he and some others finally made it to their 50th state, and 50th capitol. I approached him and asked if he could do an interview.
He and his companions were from Des Moines, Iowa. He wanted to come to North Dakota and see the new Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora – and he said that when he visits a state, he needs to visit the seat of government. After visiting North Dakota, the group was headed to Winnipeg. I enjoy when I can work on feel-good stories like this one.
