N.D. Senate Recap- May 6, 2019

We finished the 66th Legislative Session around 10 p.m. Friday, April 26 with the passage of SB 2015 which is the budget for the Office of Management and Budget. This is usually the last bill passed. I joined leadership on the conference committee. We only needed two meetings to complete our work on this budget.

Some of the bills defeated this week were:

• HB 1513- This bill would have removed some of the tax credits currently in law that North Dakota residents can use to reduce their tax liability. The conference committee could not come to a resolution, so the Senate defeated this. Tax credits will remain as they do in current law.

• SB 2172- This bill was a carve out allowing more people to conceal carry weapons in public places. The conference committee was able to remove HB 1206 that was amended in to the bill in the House. HB 1206 was defeated in the Senate and came back as an amendment in SB 2172. The Senate soundly defeated it a second time.

• SB 2346- This bill would have moved the authority over grain, grain buyers, warehousing and warehousemen from the Public Service Commission to the Agriculture Commissioner's office. After some floor debate, the Senate defeated this on a vote of 3 Yes to 44 No. The focus of this bill was later amended into the Agriculture Commissioner's agency budget, giving the Commissioner authority over grain buyers, warehousing and warehousemen while providing for some funding to pay the Public Service Commission to complete an investigation on grain buying that is in progress.

• HB 1533- This bill would have offered more incentives to the gaming industry to place e-pull tab machines across the state. The number of machines across the state has increased incrementally since their inception. The study that was in the bill will be amended into another bill before session is over.

Some of the bills passed this week:

• HB 1171- This bill appropriates $3 million for skilled workforce student loan repayments. It also appropriates $3 million for a skilled workforce student scholarship fund to attract students to North Dakota to prepare for entry into the skilled workforce. The rules for these funds will be coordinated between the North Dakota Workforce Development Council and North Dakota Job Service.

• SB 2205- This is the agency budget for the Treasurer's Office. I voted NO on this bill because it gave the Treasurer an 8 percent salary increase. That is much above the 2 percent other state employees received.

• SB 2345- This bill restricts local control by townships on zoning and permitting, especially pertaining to animal feeding operations. I opposed the bill based on the taking of property rights from local townships.

• HB 1012- This is the agency budget for the Department of Transportation. One big item in this is the legislative intent to provide seasonal winter services at the Mayville, Hillsboro, Courtenay, Gackle, New England, Litchville and Finley section sites. That is important not only for people to get to their jobs, it is also important for the safety of our school children to have safe roads for buses.

• SB 2001- This is the funding bill for the Governor's office. I don't have a problem with the portion of the bill that appropriates funding for the salaries and operations of the office. I spoke in opposition to this bill because in Conference Committee, the Theodore Roosevelt Library funding and authorization was amended into the bill. I also voted against the bill because there is a stand-alone bill (HB 1320) that passed earlier in the Senate (I voted against that bill too) that funded the library. Now SB 2001 has authority for $50 million from the State of North Dakota for an endowment to finance the yearly expenses and upkeep for the library. Fifteen million dollars is an outright appropriation from the General Fund. Thirty-five million is a loan from the Bank of North Dakota that must be paid back. However, there is no indication how this money will be paid back to the bank, how many years it will take or what the interest rate will be.

• SB 2297- This bill provides an appropriation for various state departments and institutions to issue and sell bonds of indebtedness for capital building projects. A total of $100 million in bonding authority was passed in this bill. Those projects include $40 million for Dunbar Hall at NDSU, $30 million for a Fine Arts Building at VCSU, $20 million for an ag products development center at NDSU, $6 million for Gamble Hall and UND, and $4 million for Pulver Hall at DSU. Additional authority was provided for a variety of projects on campuses that will require raising the funds locally.

• HB 1194- I was a co-sponsor on HB 1194 that would garner more federal funds through a memorandum of understanding with our tribal health care partners. The additional federal funds would be split 60 percent to the tribal nations and 40 percent to the state for additional health care services where funding is short.

The Senate Minority Caucus focused on four main themes this session and were successful in moving these initiatives along.

GOOD PUBLIC SERVICE WHEN YOU NEED IT: We worked to ensure quality public services, including recruiting and retaining talented employees and supported raises for state employees. Our focus on good services, included supporting a strong EMS program and local snow removal services so we can travel safely on state, county and township roads. Our caucus supported the Prairie Dog Bill that funds infrastructure improvements as well as other infrastructure funding programs.

STRENGTHENING INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITIES: We supported programming for vulnerable citizens, an increase in funding for nursing homes and developmental service providers, and support for those needing a second chance.

We championed behavioral health program improvements for people of all ages with services that span prevention, treatment, peer support and recovery. Through our efforts, community and school based behavioral health services and targeted case management services will be improving.

We renewed Medicaid Expansion which will continue to provide 20,000 North Dakotans with health care coverage and sustain our rural health care system and critical care access hospitals.

And we led the effort on criminal justice reforms to rebuild lives and give people a better chance at employment.

HELPING YOU ACHIEVE YOUR AMERICAN DREAM: Our priority here was strengthening our education system from early childhood services through K-12 on to Higher Education. Education is the great equalizer, creating opportunities to achieve the American dream.

We increased funding to K-12 schools each year of the biennium. While the inflationary increase does not go as far as we hoped, it is a good step to keep property taxes in check.

We advocated to appropriately fund the higher education system. This included funding for facilities as well as supporting a sound scholarship program.

AN ECONOMY THAT WORKS FOR ALL: With 30,000 open jobs in the state, we focused on legislation to help recruit a skilled workforce as well as legislation to better support both employers and employees. We successfully championed a skilled workforce scholarship and loan reimbursement program to recruit and retain in high need areas.

MISSED OPPORTUNITIES: While much good work was done in the session, several opportunities to do more to help families in the area of child care and property tax relief along with our proposals to expand early childhood education and implement a paid family leave program were defeated.

As the Interim (next 20 months prior to the 2021 session) approaches, several studies will be selected to be assigned to around 25 committees that will meet quarterly to gather information about crucial topics important to the continued growth and development of North Dakota. I am a member of the 17-member Legislative Management Committee that will be meeting to select the studies. In mid-June, we will meet again to assign legislators to these study committees.

Until then, I look forward to visiting with you when I visit your communities.

You can contact me at [email protected] or by calling (701) 302-0355.

Have a great spring!