General News

The Senate version of the bonding bill is now over $1 billion.

The House sent a $680 million bill to the Senate earlier.

Senate Majority Leader Rich Wardner (R-Dickinson) said the biggest new item is $250 million revolving loan fund for carbon capture and sequestration for the coal industry.

"We feel that, for the future of our state, and making sure the economy has the energy that it needs, we need to maintain and preserve coal fired electrical baseload," Wardner said.

The Department of Corrections is proposing a change at the Youth Correctional Center in Mandan.

The department is proposing to use part of it for a women’s minimum security facility.

"We have a couple of cottages there that are vacant right now," said  Corrections interim director Dave Krabbenhoft. "We think we can house 45 minimum custody women."

Krabbenhoft said the department will be able to provide some real intensive treatment and more services there that would be specifically appropriate for women.

The House has defeated a measure that would make North Dakota’s buckle-up law primary.

That means you could be pulled over for not wearing your safety belt.

The law is currently “secondary,” meaning you have to be stopped for another offense.

The House Transportation Committee voted 8 to 5 for a “do not pass.”

Rep. Robert Paulson (R-Minot) said seat belt use is up, even without a "primary enforcement" measure.

The state Senate has reversed itself, and killed a bill that would prohibit a Governor from suspending state law requiring that each county have a physical polling place on election day.

Gov. Doug Burgum issued such an order last year, because of the COVID pandemic.

The House had passed it 77 to 17. The Senate Government and Veterans Affairs Committee had recommended a “do not pass” on it, but the Senate last Friday passed it 25 to 20.

Sen. Kristin Roers (R-Fargo) recommended the Senate kill the bill.

For a second time, the state Senate has rejected a proposed Constitutional amendment regarding the legalization of sports betting in North Dakota.

HCR 3032 had already passed the House. But last Friday, it failed in the Senate 24 to 22.

If passed, it would put the question on the ballot next year.

A Senate committee is sending a measure that would permit the use of recreational marijuana by adults to the Senate floor without committee recommendation.

HB 1420 would allow adults to use a small amount of marijuana on their own property. It would not allow anyone to grow their own – and only allows established grow centers and “compassion centers” established for medical marijuana to grow and sell the product.

The measure’s supporters say this would hopefully head off a potential initiated Constitutional measure.

North Dakota schools have received, or will be receiving, a separate pot of money from federal COVID relief funds.

It’s called “ESSER,” which stands for "Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief."

State school superintendent Kirsten Baesler said the schools received $33 million in April, 2020, and $135.9 million in December, 2020, and will receive $305.3 million under the new American Rescue Plan.