Two state lawmakers -- one Republican, one Democrat -- have introduced a Constitutional amendment to get rid of the office of state Treasurer.
"This certainly isn't a new idea," said the measure's lead sponsor, Rep. Mike Nathe (R-Bismarck). "But I do think it's a new environment, with the challenges we face today, and with the big movement to get serious about making government smaller."
The co-sponsor – Sen. Tim Mathern (D-Fargo) – unsuccessfully ran for Treasurer in 2016 on a platform of eliminating the office.
"The reason? End duplication and save money," Mathern said. "In fact, the more I have looked into the detail here, the more I've come to the conclusion that we should actually just end the activities of the officer, rather than transfer activities."
A companion resolution calls for an interim study on how the duties of the treasurer could be split among other agencies. Mathern and Nathe say the Office of Management and Budget, the Bank of North Dakota and the Tax Commissioner could handle the duties.
If it passes the Legislature, voters would have their say in 2018. The measure calls for the office to be eliminated after the 2020 election, when current Treasurer Kelly Schmidt finishes her term.