Two bills focused on supporting North Dakota's rural regions see forward motion in Bismarck
Both bills, and the legislative session in general, have drawn eyes to North Dakota's rural areas and the councils that serve them, said Dawn Mandt, executive director of the Red River Regional Council.
"I feel like we're finally finding a seat at the table and trying to be a part of those conversations," she said.
House Bill 1524, sponsored by Rep. David Monson, R-Osnabrock, has most recently received an amendment by the Senate Appropriations Committee to alter the nature of its funding to regional planning councils. The bill initially asked to provide $8 million to the North Dakota Department of Commerce to fund regional planning councils, before the funding was reduced to $2.4 million. On Wednesday, April 9, Senate Appropriations amended the bill from specific funding to instead say the commerce department may "award grants to regional planning councils ... to support local and regional implementation of state-authorized programs and initiatives."
The amendment was introduced by Sen. Michael Dwyer, R-Bismarck, from the Senate Appropriations Government Operations Division Committee.
"We understood the sentiment behind providing some additional support to the regional councils so they could be the local entity to implement all of the grant programs that the Department of Commerce has," he said.
The amendment passed unanimously, and the bill received a "do pass" recommendation with a vote of 14-2.
Senate Bill 2390, which has been seeking to create a rural catalyst committee, grant program and fund to support small North Dakota towns, was introduced to House Appropriations on Monday, April 7. Sponsored by Sen. Terry Wanzek, R-Jamestown, the bill was introduced by Rep. Donald Longmuir, R-Stanley. Longmuir said the bill would create a rural catalyst committee consisting of one member from each of the eight regional councils, two members at large from the rural communities appointed by the governor, one member of the Legislative assembly, the governor or his designee and the commissioner of commerce or his designee. The committee would have $5 million to support North Dakota towns of 8,500 or fewer, with 50% of the funds having to go to towns of less than 1,500, and the maximum amount of money that can be given through a grant would be 500,000.
Longmuir and members of the House Appropriations Committee compared SB 2390 to Senate Bill 2097, which relates to creating a rural community endowment fund and committee, and Senate Bill 2225, which relates to creating a housing for opportunity, mobility and empowerment program. When asked which bill Longmuir preferred, he voiced support for them all, though said if he had to pick, he'd choose SB 2390.
"I think 2390 has a better structure to it, in that it's already maintaining some of the things that we already have in place, so we're not creating a new level of bureaucracy," he said. "We're working with assets we already have in place, so we're not tripping on toes."
House Appropriations decided SB 2390 will be discussed more at a later date.
Mandt, who has provided testimony on both SB 2390 and HB 1524, said it's time to leave the bills in the hands of Appropriations.
"We've been on pins and needles," she said.
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