North Dakota
Armstrong issues first veto as North Dakota governor
BISMARCK — North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong issued his first veto since assuming office Friday, citing concerns over the constitutionality of Senate Bill 2261.
The legislation sought to establish a prison industries workforce development tax credit — a non-refundable tax credit equal to 10% of the cost of purchased components of final manufactured products or labor from prison industries.
In his statement on the veto, Armstrong said the credit would have potentially created an incentive to purchase components from Rough Rider Industries – a self-sustaining state agency at the State Penitentiary which qualifies as a prison industry providing final manufactured products.
He said the bill creates an “uneven playing field” by giving Rough Rider Industries an unfair competitive advantage over out-of-state manufacturers. That would potentially violate the Dormant Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits states from enacting laws that discriminate against or unduly burden interstate commerce.
“Tax credits, when given to micro-segments of the economy, decrease state revenue and further saddle those still paying taxes with a higher percentage of the tax burden,” Armstrong said in his statement. “Any tax policy that creates this type of carve-out must be tied to a significant outcome that benefits the state’s economic interests. This bill does not do that. Combined with the aforementioned legal concerns, the juice in this case is quite simply not worth the squeeze.”
North Dakota Office of the Governor
The bill passed the Senate in a 43-3 vote and passed the House of Representatives on a 56-33 vote.
To override the veto, both chambers of the Legislature vote and both need to reach a two-thirds majority in favor of the override. A two-thirds majority is 63 votes for the House and 32 votes for the Senate.
FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) -A North Dakota woman is facing a federal involuntary manslaughter charge after a deadly crash on an American Indian reservation last fall.
A federal grand jury indicted Brittany Renne Laverdure on April 22, 2026, accusing her of killing a person while driving under the influence of multiple substances on or about Sept. 21, 2025, in Indian country in North Dakota.
Because the incident occurred in Indian country, the case falls under federal jurisdiction, specifically under 18 U.S.C. § 1153, which gives the federal government authority to prosecute certain crimes committed by Native Americans on tribal lands. The indictment identifies Laverdure as an Indian under that statute.
According to the indictment, Laverdure acted with “wanton and reckless disregard for human life amounting to gross negligence.” Prosecutors say she attempted to make a U-turn and pulled into oncoming traffic while impaired, without due care for the safety of others.
The victim’s name is not being reported at this time and court documents did not provide any further details on the incident.
An arrest warrant was issued April 23, 2026 and a special agent with the FBI arrested Laverdure on April 28, 2026, in Grand Forks.
Laverdure is scheduled to stand trial June 23, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Peter D. Welte in Fargo. The trial is expected to last four days.
Involuntary manslaughter under federal law carries a maximum sentence of eight years in prison.
Copyright 2026 KVLY. All rights reserved.
BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – North Dakota has a new junior duck stamp winner.
On Saturday afternoon, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service held an awards ceremony for the state contest at the Heritage Center in Bismarck. 900 kids submitted entries.
16-year old, Gabe Coleman, from Baldwin, took first place overall with his entry which is an acrylic painting of a pair of blue-winged teal. Gabe has been entering the contest since he was in kindergarten, but this year is the first time he took best of show.
“For all my nine years, this is what I have been trying to do, and I finally achieved it this year. To win it is actually amazing”, said Coleman, who is a homeschooled sophomore.
Coleman has another reason to celebrate. As the top finisher in the state, his winning artwork advanced to the national competition. He ranked among the top 15 out of 13-thousand entries in the national contest.
Runner-Up Best of Show (Second Place) in the North Dakota contest this year went to first time-entrant Kamryn Nissen from Grand Forks. Kamryn, a sophomore at Thompson Public School, used colored pencils to design her entry of a mallard drake in eclipse plumage.
The Conservation Message winner was Brandi Agnew, a seventh grader from Menoken, with her message: “Protect the prairie; preserve the hunt.”
The call for entries is an educational program that uses science and art to encourage students to explore wildlife, conservation, and recreation.
Copyright 2026 KFYR. All rights reserved.
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