Latest news with #HouseBill1300
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
House kills term limit start date bill after conference committee stalemate
Rep. Ben Koppelman, R-West Fargo, speaks about term limits during a committee hearing on Jan. 23, 2025. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor) A bill clarifying the state date for North Dakota's term limits law failed in the House on a 61-28 vote Monday. The bill was debated over multiple conference committee meetings in recent days. The Senate version contained a Jan. 1, 2023 start date for the term limits, while the House version advanced a Nov. 7, 2022 start date. North Dakota voters in 2022 approved a ballot measure that limits lawmakers to serving up to eight years in each chamber. Previously, Rep. Ben Koppelman, R-West Fargo, chief sponsor of House Bill 1300, said the bill was to provide clarity on the start date for term limits approved by the voters. Term limits bill reconsidered, headed to North Dakota conference committee Rep. Steve Vetter, R-Grand Forks, said the House reconsidered its actions after previously voting against the bill and sent the measure to a conference committee to see if senators would agree to the House's start date. 'It didn't look like we kept our position, so I'd ask for a red vote,' Vetter said before voting against the bill. The failure of the bill in the House leaves Senate Resolution 4008, which passed both chambers of the Legislature, as the only term limit resolution passed by lawmakers during the 2025 session. If approved by the Secretary of State's Office as a valid resolution it would go to the voters as a ballot measure during the 2026 general election. The resolution would allow lawmakers to serve four terms, up to 16 years, in a single legislative chamber. It also clarifies that a partial term does not count against the limit. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Term limits bill reconsidered, headed to North Dakota conference committee
The North Dakota House of Representatives hold a floor session. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor) The North Dakota House on Tuesday reconsidered its actions on a bill that seeks to clarify the start date for legislative term limits. The House on Monday concurred with Senate amendments to House Bill 1300 but ultimately defeated the legislation. On Tuesday, the House revived the bill and instead rejected the Senate amendments, sending the bill to a conference committee. North Dakota voters in 2022 approved a ballot measure that limits lawmakers to serving up to eight years in each chamber. It's caused some confusion related to how it applies to lawmakers in even-numbered districts who were halfway through a term when the measure passed. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Ben Koppelman, R-West Fargo, clarified that the clock starts on term limits on Nov. 7, 2022. The impact of that change would mean lawmakers in even-numbered districts elected in 2020 and reelected in 2024 could be eligible to serve up to 10 years in one chamber. Without the change, they'd only be able to serve six years. Term limits changes revived for possible statewide vote in North Dakota The Senate version, however, starts the clock on Jan. 1, 2023. That means lawmakers in odd-numbered districts elected in 2022 could potentially serve up to 12 years in one chamber. The bill will now head to a conference committee made up of Senate and House members to resolve the differences between the two versions of the bill. Separately, Senate Resolution 4008 passed both chambers of the Legislature and could be put on the 2026 general election ballot, if approved by the Secretary of State's Office as a valid resolution. If approved by voters, the resolution would allow lawmakers to serve four terms, up to 16 years, in a single legislative chamber. It also clarifies that a partial term does not count against the limit. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
House votes down bill clarifying term limit start date
Rep. Ben Koppelman, R-West Fargo, speaks on the House floor on Jan. 24, 2025. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor) A bill that sought to clarify the start date for North Dakota's legislative term limits failed in the House Monday on a 48-42 vote. House Bill 1300, sponsored by Rep. Ben Koppelman, R-West Fargo, aimed to clear up confusion about the term limits initiative passed by North Dakota voters in 2022. Under the bill, which was amended in the Senate, the clock would start on lawmaker term limits for appointments or elections after Jan. 1, 2023. The original version of the bill had a Nov. 7, 2022, start date and would have given lawmakers elected in 2020 in even-numbered districts an additional two years in the Legislature. The Senate version also would have increased the terms for legislators in odd-numbered districts elected in 2022. Term limits changes revived for possible statewide vote in North Dakota Under the term limits section of the state constitution, each lawmaker is able to serve up to two, four-year terms in each chamber of the Legislature. The law also limits the members of the Legislature from amending or repealing the term limits section of the constitution, which can only be amended by an 'initiative petition of the people.' Senate Resolution 4008 passed both chambers of the Legislature and could be put on the 2026 general election ballot, if approved by the Secretary of State's Office as a valid resolution. The resolution would allow lawmakers to serve four terms, up to 16 years, in a single legislative chamber. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Term limits resolution narrowly fails in North Dakota House; reconsideration vote possible Wednesday
A voter fills out a ballot at the Hillside Aquatic Complex in Bismarck on Election Day, Nov. 5, 2024. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor) A resolution to change North Dakota's term limits law failed in the House on a narrow 46-43 vote Tuesday, but could be reconsidered on Wednesday after five people were absent during the vote. The resolution received a majority of the votes in the chamber, but failed to cross the elected majority threshold of 48 votes to be passed. Senate Resolution 4008, sponsored by Sen. Michael Dwyer, R-Bismarck, would allow lawmakers to serve four complete terms, a total of 16 years, in either chamber of the Legislature. It also clarifies a partial term of a lawmaker would not count against the term limit. North Dakota voters in 2022 passed a measure that put term limits for state legislators into the North Dakota Constitution. Lawmakers are now limited to serving up to eight years in the House and up to eight years in the Senate. On Monday, the House Government and Veterans Affairs Committee gave the resolution a do not pass recommendation on an 8-5 vote. Changing term limits targeted in North Dakota Senate resolution Rep. Lori VanWinkle, R-Minot, urged lawmakers to reject the resolution. 'I don't know how we're going to justify overrunning the will of the people,' VanWinkle said. 'The power reserved to changing term limits is reserved to the initiative process.' Rep. Steve Vetter, R-Grand Forks, said all the measure does is keep lawmakers in the same chamber without needing to change chambers after eight years. 'The senators don't want to become representatives,' Vetter said. 'That's really what this bill is because that's all it does.' Rep. Bernie Satrom, R-Jamestown, said he's spoken with people who believed they were signing a petition and voting on term limits for members of the U.S. Congress in 2022, not the state Legislature. 'I think there's a question on whether this was the will of the people,' Satrom said. 'There was questions about many of the signatures. There was questions about how it was advertised and promoted … We shouldn't be afraid to put this before the people.' The resolution passed the Senate in March on a 24-23 vote. If reconsidered and passed by the House, the resolution would be put to the voters during the 2026 general election. Another term limit bill, House Bill 1300, passed the Senate on March 28, however the bill was amended and would need to be approved by committee chairs in the House or go to a conference committee between the chambers. The amended House Bill 1300 clarifies the start date of the legislative term limits to begin with lawmakers elected after Jan. 1, 2023. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
