New legislative districts approved

It's official - Legislative District 23 as we know it, which has contained Eddy County for nearly two decades, will be dissolved in less than a month.

Following a five-day-long special session in the state's capital, legislators have agreed on a new apportionment of the state's legislative districts, setting the stage for significant changes in both Eddy and Foster County.

On December 1, 2021, most of Eddy County will officially be encompassed by District 14, a massive district that begins with Kidder County and runs as far north as Pierce County. At 7,306 square miles, District 14 will become the largest district in the state.

Meanwhile, the northeast chunk of Eddy County comprising the Spirit Lake Reservation will join Ramsey County in District 15, and the number 23 will be assigned to a separate district in western North Dakota.

District 29, meanwhile, will grow to encompass much of what used to be District 23, creating the fifth largest district in the state. The changes were largely forced by North Dakota's continued growth out west and in its largest cities, leading to the creation of large districts that give less representation to rural communities.

Despite their district being dissolved, all of District 23's legislators will continue to serve out the full length of their terms, which expire on December 1, 2022. However, District 23 Democratic senator and New Rockford resident, Joan Heckaman, will be forced out of the legislature entirely.

Section 5 of the N.D. Constitution states that legislators must live in the district they represent, meaning Sen. Heckaman will have to run for office in District 14 should she seek reelection. However, District 14 doesn't hold its legislative elections until 2024, leaving Heckaman no opportunity to run for reelection once her term expires.

Meanwhile, District 23 representatives Bill Devlin and Don Vigesaa, both Republicans, will be forced to run in District 29 if they seek re-election. District 29's legislative elections are held in 2022, but re-election wouldn't be easy, as District 29's current legislators are well established and share the same political party.

The elimination of District 23 also means that most Eddy County residents will go six years without casting a vote for the North Dakota legislature, and will therefore be represented by individuals they did not elect beginning in 2022.

District 14's current legislators, until 2024, are Senator Jerry Klein, Representative Jon O. Nelson and Representative Robin Weisz. All three are Republicans and all three have been serving their region as legislators since 1997.

Other significant developments from last week's special session include bills, now signed by Governor Doug Burgum, that ban the teaching of critical race theory, place limits on vaccine mandates, and provide a $350 income tax credit for North Dakotans who file an income tax return for 2021 and 2022.

The N.D. legislature also appropriated the state's $1.1 billion in federal coronavirus aid from the American Recovery Plan Act. Investments include a $150 million natural gas pipeline, which will stretch from the Bakken oil fields to eastern North Dakota, $45 million for broadband infrastructure grants, $317 million for road and bridge projects approved by the legislature last spring, and much more.

"Combined with tax relief, these strategic investments will benefit North Dakota taxpayers right now and for generations to come," said Gov. Burgum. "Making these investments will grow and diversify our economy, make our state more competitive, improve the efficiency of government services, avoid inflationary costs and create long-term cost savings for North Dakota taxpayers."