Last week’s special Legislative session was an historic one — one reason being that this was the second special session in the same calendar year. Secondly, lawmakers finished in fewer than three days.
The special session was called by Gov. Kelly Armstrong to review a ban on kratom in all its forms. Ultimately, the Legislature decided to ban synthetic forms of kratom, but did not ban the natural kratom. Instead, lawmakers put age restrictions on the natural kratom, and said they wanted to treat it like medical marijuana, putting regulations in place.
The Legislature also extended a $20 million line of credit at the Bank of North Dakota for the new Military Gallery, which is being built on the Capitol grounds. Construction on the museum was halted after donations didn’t meet expectations, but supporters of the museum say they are still confident donations will cover the $20 million loan.
Other issues were dismissed, including a ban on non-disclosure agreements between governments and developers of large industrial projects, such as data centers. Those who opposed the ban said the state already has open records law, and those should cover any agreements.
Lawmakers also turned down a $9 million appropriation for child care assistance. Supporters of that proposal said the Legislature underfunded that assistance program, and there is a waiting list for assistance. But other lawmakers said this could be addressed in the regular session, which begins in January.
Governor’s Budget
Gov. Armstrong will, as per custom, present his budget proposal to the Legislature’s organizational session in December. Before that happens, there will be a new budget forecast issued by the Office of Management and Budget. There are a lot of variables in the forecasting — including higher than expected oil tax collections, as well as effects from inflation and tariffs.
By the way, this will be the 28th regular Legislative session that I’ve covered. It seems like the first was only yesterday.
