Latest news with #DavidHogue
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
North Dakota Legislature to put three ballot measures to voters in 2026
Voters cast ballots at the Mandan Eagles Club in Morton County on Election Day, Nov. 5, 2024. The Legislature advanced three statewide ballot measures North Dakota voters will consider in 2026. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor) North Dakota lawmakers passed three ballot measures during the legislative session that will go to voters in 2026. If passed by a majority of voters, the state could see a new 60% voter threshold for passage of future constitutional changes; a single-subject rule that limits the scope of future ballot petitions; and adjustments to legislative term limits. House Resolution 3003, sponsored by Rep. Robin Weisz, R-Hurdsfield, would require approval of 60% of voters to pass constitutional ballot measures. The new threshold would apply to both citizen-initiated petitions and constitutional changes advanced by the Legislature. Sen. Kristin Roers, R-Fargo, said the state's constitution should have a different standard than the Century Code. 'The constitution should be harder to amend,' said Roers, chair of the Senate State and Local Government Committee, which held hearings on the ballot measure proposals. Opponents of the resolution argued that bringing a citizen-initiated measure is not easy and the higher threshold undermines voters' rights. The ballot measure will be voted on during the November 2026 general election. Senate Resolution 4007, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Sen. David Hogue, R-Minot, would require the Secretary of State's Office to deny any citizen-initiated constitutional ballot petition that is 'comprised of more than one subject.' The single-subject rule would also apply to future constitutional amendments proposed by the Legislature. Mary Tintes, vice president of the League of Women Voters of North Dakota, said the organization does not support the ballot measure and has concerns that the language is ambiguous, leaving it open to interpretation. 'We're just afraid that it's going to be used as a tool against some of the initiated processes that we are using,' Tintes said. Lawmakers directed that the single-subject rule ballot measure appear on the June 2026 primary election ballot. Roers said the Legislature chose the primary so the general election ballot wouldn't be 'overloaded' with ballot measures. Some opponents of the resolution object to it being placed on the ballot of the June primary, an election that typically sees a lower turnout than the general election. Senate Resolution 4008, sponsored by Sen. Michael Dwyer, R-Bismarck, would amend North Dakota's term limits law that was approved by voters in 2022. The law limits lawmakers to serve no more than eight years in each legislative chamber. Under the new resolution, lawmakers would be able to serve for up to 16 years in one chamber. It also clarifies that partial terms, such as being appointed by a district executive committee to fill a vacant seat in the Legislature, would not count toward the term limit total. The resolution would also repeal Section 4 of the term limit law that prohibits the Legislature from amending, repealing or altering the term limits portion of the law, which has raised concerns about a potential lawsuit over the resolution, if it becomes law. Roers said members of an opposition group, U.S. Term Limits Foundation, testified against the resolution during the committee process and said it could be challenged in court. Tintes said the League of Women Voters has not taken a position on the term limits ballot measure, but she thinks voters may be getting annoyed with addressing the same things over and over again. 'It certainly doesn't require much of a memory to say, 'Didn't we already vote on term limits?'' Tintes said. The resolution will be voted on during the November 2026 general election. A sponsoring committee for a separate citizen-initiated ballot measure is gathering signatures that would eliminate window tint requirements for North Dakota vehicles. If the committee gathers and has more than 15,582 signatures verified by the Secretary of State's Office, the measure would be put to the voters in 2026. The committee must submit its signatures by Feb. 24, 2026. House Bill 1340, signed by Gov. Kelly Armstrong in March, decreased the amount of light required to pass through front vehicle windows from 50% to 35%. A group of citizens submitted a petition in February for a ballot measure focused on transparency of lawmaker records, legislative salaries and lobbying. It has not been approved for circulation. Secretary of State Michael Howe said his office is waiting for the committee to resolve some issues with sponsoring committee member affidavits. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lawmakers selected for committee that makes study decisions for next session
North Dakota Senate Majority Leader David Hogue, R-Minot, speaks in front of House Majority Leader Mike Lefor, R-Dickinson, on the House floor during a meeting of the Legislative Management Committee on Nov. 14, 2024. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor) With the 69th North Dakota Legislative Assembly finishing its business in the coming days, lawmakers elected members to the Legislative Management Committee to prepare for the next session and deal with any unfinished business. The Legislative Management Committee has three primary roles during the interim before the 70th Legislative Assembly meets in January 2027. The committee decides which studies will be completed before the next legislative session and assigns them to the appropriate committees. They will appoint lawmakers to at least eight mandatory interim committees and additional committees, such as the committee tasked with being the North Dakota version of the Department of Government Efficiency, that were approved during the session. Lastly, the committee will accept the reports compiled during the interim. John Bjornson, director of the Legislative Council, said up to 60 discretionary legislative studies and up to 15 mandatory studies are approved during each legislative session, and it will be up to the committee to whittle that down to a more manageable 45 studies in total and assign them. 'Then, they might not meet again for months,' Bjornson said. The Legislative Management Committee also has the power to reconvene the Legislature with a majority vote, using any unused days remaining from their 80-day allotment. If Gov. Kelly Armstrong calls for a special session, the Legislature would not need to use the remaining legislative days. It's anticipated that lawmakers may need to reconvene to address impacts from federal funding cuts. Speaker of the House Rep. Robin Weisz, R-Hurdsfield, said the committee also elects its own chairperson that would have additional responsibilities during the interim, such as approving requests from lawmakers to attend meetings requiring travel reimbursement and working with the Legislative Council. 'Legislative Management doesn't have any role in funding,' Weisz said. 'We have an Emergency Commission, a Budget Section that will deal with funding issues outside of session.' Bjornson said the Legislative Management Committee is expected to meet in June to decide which studies to pursue and make interim committee appointments. Members of the 2025-26 Legislative Management Committee are: Speaker of the House Rep. Robin Weisz, R-Hurdsfield House Majority Leader Rep. Mike Lefor, R-Dickinson Senate Majority Leader Sen. David Hogue, R-Minot House Minority Leader Rep. Zac Ista, D-Grand Forks Senate Minority Leader Sen. Kathy Hogan, D-Fargo Sen. Brad Bekkedahl, R-Williston Sen. Kyle Davison, R-Fargo Sen. Jerry Klein, R-Fessenden Sen. Janne Myrdal, R-Edinburg Sen. Ronald Sorvaag, R-Fargo Sen. Josh Boschee, D-Fargo Rep. Kathy Frelich, R-Devils Lake Rep. Jared Hagert, R-Emerado Rep. Dori Hauck, R-Hebron Rep. Jonathan Warrey, R-Casselton Rep. Glenn Bosch, R-Bismarck Rep. LaurieBeth Hager, D-Fargo
