The House has passed a bill to study how the Capitol and other state building are utilized – and whether the state needs to build more office space.
The study would include space off the Capitol grounds that the state rents for certain agencies – and it would look at whether the existing judicial wing can accommodate the needs to the state Supreme Court – which has asked for more space.
Rep. George Keiser (R-Bismarck) says this needs to be a comprehensive study of the space needs – and how much space is rented.
"The Insurance Department has buildings all over the city that they're renting," said Keiser. "Is that good or bad from a business perspective? I don't think any one of us can answer that. "
The bill passed 66-28. It will now be returned to the Senate, which will look at the changes made by the House.
