BISMARCK — A constitutional ballot measure to amend the state’s term limits law as proposed by the Legislature will not appear on November’s ballot, the North Dakota Supreme Court ruled Thursday, siding with petitioners who argued the Legislature exceeded its authority and violated the state constitution in proposing the changes.

“The people’s voice was heard,” Grand Forks County Commissioner Terry Bjerke said in reaction to the news.

Bjerke was a member of the sponsoring committee behind the successful 2022 effort to pass a term limits initiative, which amended the state constitution by capping legislative term limits to eight years in the House and eight years in the Senate. The amendment, which became article XV of the state constitution, also included a clause barring the Legislature from making constitutional changes to term limits.

During the 2025 session, however, lawmakers narrowly approved Senate Concurrent Resolution 4008, in which the legislature proposed Constitutional Measure 1, a ballot measure to amend the term limits language to allow legislators to decide in which chamber they want to serve their 16 years, and to repeal the clause limiting the legislative assembly’s authority to propose an amendment to alter or repeal term limits.

Bjerke and former Minot legislator Oley Larsen brought the lawsuit challenging the validity of the Legislature’s action in January, and the state Supreme Court

heard oral arguments in the case

this spring.

“Those term limits may only be altered by a measure proposed by the people rather than the Legislative Assembly. And yet a few years later, the Legislative Assembly is doing what they are prohibited from doing,” attorney Zachary Wallen argued on Bjerke and Larsen’s behalf.

The Legislature’s attorneys argued the clause prohibiting legislative proposals to alter the constitutional term limits language “infringes on our republican form of government” by “limiting the people’s ability to vote on amendments proposed by their elected officials.”

Justice Jon Jensen seemed skeptical of that argument during the April 2 hearing, questioning whether a second vote was appropriate.

“The public did speak on this. The public spoke on it when it passed the original constitutional amendment and they said, ‘Legislature, you don’t even get to propose a change.’ They have already spoken on it,” Jensen said. “You want a second shot, or a second bite at the apple, not a first one, a second.”

In Thursday’s ruling, all five justices sided with Bjerke and Larsen.

“We … conclude the Legislative Assembly’s adoption of S.C.R. 4008 violated N.D. Const. art. XV … and declare S.C.R. 4008 and Constitutional Measure 1 void … We enjoin the Secretary of State from placing Constitutional Measure 1 on the November 2026 general election ballot,” the ruling said.

Bjerke thanked the legal team that worked on behalf of their lawsuit, and said he was grateful the court reached the conclusion it did.

“I’m thrilled that what the people voted on and approved has been validated,” Bjerke said.

He added that the Legislature had “multiple opportunities” to address term limits prior to 2022’s initiated measure and chose not to, and gave a nod to the country’s coming milestone and the process by which voters expressed their support for term limits.

“We’ve lasted 250 years,” Bjerke said. “I have two words for those elected leaders who think they aren’t: everyone’s replaceable.”

COLUMBUS, Ohio — It’s almost America’s 250th birthday, and many Ohioans may already be planning their celebrations.

Many of those celebrations may include the use of fireworks. Prevent Blindness Ohio is warning about the potential dangers associated with the colorful explosives in light of its sixth annual Fireworks Safety Week, which runs from June 28 through July 4.

In a press release, the organization cites the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in noting that there were 15 fireworks-related deaths and 13,000 injuries reported in 2025.

Most of the injuries were to hands and fingers, followed by the head, face and ears, with burns being the most common of all the injuries.

“The American Academy of Ophthalmology states that in the most severe eye injury cases, firework accidents can rupture the globe of the eye, cause chemical and thermal burns, corneal abrasions and retinal detachment — all of which can cause permanent eye damage and vision loss,” the release reads. “Fireworks-related eye injuries can combine blunt force trauma, heat burns and chemical exposure.”

The organization said it supports a ban on fireworks for all except licensed operators during public displays.

“We are thrilled to celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary. We urge all Americans to celebrate safely by avoiding consumer fireworks,” said Amy Pulles, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness Ohio. “Accidents happen even during firework displays conducted by licensed professionals, so please use caution when attending those as well.”

For those who decide to use fireworks during their celebrations this year, the National Safety Council has the following safety tips:

• “Never allow young children to handle fireworks

• Older children should use them only under close adult supervision

• Never use fireworks while impaired by drugs or alcohol

• Anyone using fireworks or standing nearby should wear protective eyewear

• Never hold lighted fireworks in your hands

• Never light them indoors

• Only use them away from people, houses and flammable material

• Never point or throw fireworks at another person

• Only light one device at a time and maintain a safe distance after lighting

• Never ignite devices in a container

• Do not try to re-light or handle malfunctioning fireworks

• Soak both spent and unused fireworks in water for a few hours before discarding

• Keep a bucket of water nearby to fully extinguish fireworks that don’t go off or in case of fire

• Never use illegal fireworks”

Unless prohibited by local laws, Ohioans can discharge legal fireworks from 4 to 11 p.m. on July 3, 4 and 5, as well as the weekends before and after.

For more information on firework rules in Ohio, click here.

Interested in finding a Fourth of July fireworks show near you? Check out our list here.