Latest news with #JeffMagrum
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
North Dakota Senate adds funding for local wastewater projects to replace federal cut
About $1.9 million in federal funding was approved for the Fessenden wastewater lagoon but rescinded with the cancellation of FEMA's Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program. (Photo provided by Wells County Emergency Management) The North Dakota Senate this week added funding to a budget bill to help communities that lost federal grants for infrastructure projects. Sen. Jeff Magrum, R-Hazelton, who introduced an amendment to House Bill 1577 on the Senate floor Thursday, said he's noticed some 'hiccups' involving federal fund distribution. The Federal Emergency Management Agency canceled about $20 million in grants designated for North Dakota projects. The pulled federal grants announced earlier this month were from FEMA's Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program, designed to help state and local governments with projects that reduce risks to hazards. Loss of $20 million in FEMA infrastructure grants 'devastating' to North Dakota communities 'They had gotten these grants and they were ready to build their projects and the money was pulled out from under them,' Magrum said. The amended bill authorizes the state-owned Bank of North Dakota to issue up to $9.7 million in loans through the Department of Environmental Quality for wastewater projects affected by the funding cuts. Two wastewater projects that lost funding are a $7.8 million wastewater treatment project in Lincoln and a $1.9 million wastewater lagoon erosion project in Fessenden. The bill directs the Department of Environmental Quality to seek state funding in 2027 to repay the loans. If federal funds are restored to the projects, the bill requires those funds to be used to pay back the loans. The bill does not address the other FEMA grants that were cut, which included $7.1 million for a water intake project in Washburn. Lawmakers plan to add funding for the Washburn project in another bill, said Sen. Brad Bekkedahl, R-Williston, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Sen. Tim Mathern, D-Fargo, told lawmakers that backfilling the projects with state-backed loans is a major decision to help those communities. He pointed out that the state Department of Health and Human Services also lost federal funding that has not yet been replaced by the state. 'Get prepared for a special session because there will be a load of these,' Mathern said. The bill also includes the option for the interim Legislative Management Committee to conduct a study on the potential creation of a wastewater project fund for the state. The study would be presented during the 2027 legislative session and include input from cities, counties, townships and water resource districts. The bill returns to the House. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
North Dakota Senate tosses out kratom regulations in favor of study
Sen. Jeff Magrum, R-Hazelton, advocates for a study of the plant kratom during a North Dakota legislative session on April 15, 2025. (Jeff Beach/North Dakota Monitor) The path of kratom legislation took another turn in the North Dakota Legislature Tuesday as the Senate changed a bill that sought to regulate the plant and turned it into a study. Kratom is a plant native to Southeast Asia that is related to the coffee plant. Some people consider it an energy booster, like caffeine, or use it to manage pain. Kratom also has been used to wean people off drugs such as fentanyl and heroin with some people reporting withdrawal symptoms. Earlier this session, lawmakers considered versions of legislation that proposed to ban kratom, require state regulation by two different agencies or various study proposals. On Tuesday, Sen. Jeff Magrum, R-Hazelton, proposed an amendment to turn House Bill 1566 into a study by Legislative Management. The amendment and the final bill passed on 31-15 votes. Pain relief or a problem? North Dakota lawmakers hear kratom debate The journey isn't over yet for the kratom bill. It will be returned to the House, which passed a version giving the Agriculture Department regulatory authority and about $600,000 for two employees. Magrum said the wide-ranging attempts to regulate kratom by the Legislature, with its members largely unfamiliar with the plant, showed that a study made more sense. Kratom-related products are available to consumers, largely through online sales. Sen. Todd Beard, R-Williston, opposed the study amendment, noting that the kratom industry is advocating for regulation to combat adulterated products. Some products that contain kratom also include synthetic ingredients that enhance the opioid-like effects of kratom. The North Dakota Board of Pharmacy advocated for adding mitragynine, derived from kratom, to a list of controlled substances under state law. The proposed study would look at potential uses for kratom and potential regulations on the production and sale of kratom products. Magrum said after the vote that he has used kratom on a couple of occasions to treat back pain. He said the first time he made the mistake of taking it on an empty stomach, which made his stomach hurt so much he forgot about his back pain, he joked. 'At least people are learning about it,' Magrum said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
