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The 2019 Legislature will likely consider creating a “skilled workforce scholarship program.”

It would be similar to the “Build Dakota” program created in South Dakota.

The Public Service Commission has dismissed a complaint filed against an oil refinery project planned for Belfield.

The complaint was filed by environmental groups and individuals concerned about how close the proposed Davis Refinery would be to the Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

The PSC accepted the ruling of an administrative law judge

Meridian Energy proposes a refinery that would process 49,500 barrels of oil every day. But state law says the PSC does not get involved in siting refineries unless it would process over 50,000 barrels a day.

Two hundred 24 of 296 state employees who applied for the “Voluntary Separation Plan” have been accepted.

This is the second year of that volunteer program.

The state employees who were accepted had two options.

"The first option was for the worker to receive three months of wages and the cost of health insurance paid out in a lump sum," said Human Resource Management Services interim director Becky Sicble. "The second option keeps them 'on the payroll' for three months after they separate, so they get paid the same as if they were coming to work, but they're not."

The North Dakota Association of Counties is opposing Measure 3 – the measure that would legalize recreational marijuana.

Association executive director Terry Traynor said the group took that step at its convention this week in Bismarck.

"We don't think North Dakota is ready (for recreational marijuana)," Traynor said in an interview.

Traynor said the measure is flawed.

North Dakota school superintendent Kirsten Baesler says she has a goal – to make sure no North Dakota student enters college needing remedial courses.

"We have an 89.7 percent graduation rate," Baesler said. "But we have a remediation rate of about 27 percent."

Baesler wants to accomplish this within 5 years.

With less than one month to go before Election Day, organizers of ballot measure number three say it’s “full speed ahead” but there is still work to accomplish… Prairie Public reporter Todd McDonald has details…

The state Employee Compensation Commission is recommending state workers receive what amounts to two percent pay raises in each year of the 2019-2021 biennium.

State budget director Joe Morrissette chairs that Commission. He said the recommendation is to hand out the raises based on performance.

"It would be in a range of one to three percent to each employee, based on actual performance," Morrissette said in an interview.

In addition, one percent would be added in the first year to address compression issues.