North Dakota
Domestic violence surges in the state as federal funding declines
DICKINSON — Each year, the North Dakota Council on Abused Women’s Services (CAWS), gathers data from 19 victim advocacy centers across the state, compiling annual fact sheets that provide a snapshot of how many victims of domestic violence (DV) and sexual assault (SA) reach out for help and what kinds of abuse they face.
CAWS annual statistics, published in April, revealed that advocacy centers served 6,131 victims of DV and 1,288 victims of SA in 2023, a 21% increase since 2022 where 6,128 victims served.
Women and girls made up the majority of victims, with 83% of DV cases involving females. Among SA victims, at least 1,042 were women. People with disabilities were also notably impacted, comprising 18% of DV victims and nearly one-third of SA victims.
Seth O’Neill, Executive Director of CAWS North Dakota, emphasized the statistics highlight a troubling reality: “The 7,419 total victims served is a shocking reminder of the prevalence of violence in our communities.” He noted that many incidents go unreported, indicating the true number is likely much higher.
Advocacy centers provided over 20,000 services to SA victims and assisted with 431 emergency protection orders in 2023. However, North Dakota’s advocates are preparing for a significant decline in federal funding over the next two years, even as violence rates rise. Lawmakers are expected to receive budget requests for additional state funding to offset the anticipated loss of federal support.
Liz Schneider, executive director of the McLean Family Resource Center, warned of increased lethality in violent incidents post-COVID, stating, “The level of violence is almost unfathomable.”
With federal funding from the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) dropping from an average of $5.2 million to $2.4 million, organizations are calling for increased state funding.
Challenges in rural areas
Darianne Johnson, executive director of Dickinson’s DV and Rape Crisis Center (DVRCC) discusses how the decrease in federal funding is already being felt in Stark County.
Photo Courtesy of DVRCC.
“We are really feeling it here, the decrease in funding is hard to wrap your head around for several reasons —One being yearly increases in victim numbers and then there’s the rising costs of everything from groceries and gas to services,” Johnson said. “It has been increasingly hard to understand especially when it comes time to assess the budget.”
DVRCC spans all of southwestern North Dakota including the counties of Adams, Billings, Bowman, Dunn, Golden Valley, Hettinger, Slope and Stark. Overall, these funding challenges pose a serious risk to the safety and well-being of domestic and sexual violence victims in southwest rural North Dakota, necessitating attention and action from state lawmakers and community leaders.
With only one DV shelter in southwestern North Dakota serving the entire area can significantly impact the community and the effectiveness of support services. Shelters may struggle to offer a comprehensive range of services, such as counseling, legal assistance, and advocacy, due to resource constraints.
North Dakota has seen an rise in domestic violence-related homicides, which account for 30%-40% of the state’s total homicides in recent years, according to CAWS. Many of these incidents occur in rural areas with limited access to support services.
Geographical barriers in remote or rural areas often force individuals to travel long distances, which deters many and further isolates those most in need.
Reduced funding could lead to potential implications:
- Increased Vulnerability: Fewer resources for victims, complicating the access for support, increasing their risk.
- Limited Accessibility: Increased wait times for services could delay their access to critical support.
- Service Gaps: Organizations may struggle to meet rising demand leaving victims without help.
- Staffing Challenges: Funding cuts can reduce the ability to hire and retain skilled staff, affecting service quality.
- Impact on Prevention Efforts: Less funding weakens violence prevention programs, worsening the cycle.
- Increased Pressure on State Funding: Reduced federal funds shift the burden to state budgets, risking cuts elsewhere.
- Rising Crime: Less funding and more violence could lead to higher crime rates.
- Local Program Strain: In rural areas, funding cuts leave critical gaps in support where services are already limited.
CAWS urges anyone experiencing domestic or sexual violence to seek help through their 24/7 confidential services. For assistance, individuals can visit the Find Help page on CAWS North Dakota’s
website
.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence they can reach the National Domestic Violence hotline at:
- 1−800−799−7233
- TTY 1−800−787−3224
- Local Hotline 1-888-225-4506.
LeAnn M. Stasiowski is the Community Pulse reporter for The Dickinson Press, covering education, business and cultural events. She profiles local businesses and entrepreneurs, reports on economic trends and educational developments, and highlights arts, entertainment and dining in the region. From attending school board meetings to reviewing local festivals and restaurants, LeAnn provides comprehensive coverage that celebrates and informs the community.
North Dakota
North Dakota Supreme Court reverses dismissal of contractors’ lawsuit against city of West Fargo
WEST FARGO — A lawsuit against the city of West Fargo will continue after the North Dakota Supreme Court on Thursday, June 25, reversed a 2025 dismissal.
In December, the Associated General Contractors of North Dakota and the American Concrete Pavement Association–North Dakota Chapter, Inc. appealed the dismissal judgment filed in favor of the city of West Fargo.
The North Dakota Supreme Court determined in its Thursday, June 25, ruling that the district court made an error by
dismissing these claims as “moot,”
with the reasoning that the construction project is completed and can’t be undone, and the court additionally erred by denying the plaintiffs the opportunity to amend their complaint “on grounds the association lacks standing to challenge a city ordinance.”
The dismissal was reversed, so the case will continue. The attorney for the plaintiffs/appellants, Nicholas Surma, said his team is very pleased with the outcome.
“(We) look forward to a decision on the merits whether the city can continue to substitute itself for private contractors or whether projects must be competitively bid to achieve the law’s intended purpose — allowing the free market to provide the best quality at the best price for West Fargo’s taxpaying citizens,” Surma said in a written statement.
David Samson / The Forum file photo
Rachel Richter Lordemann, director of communications for the city of West Fargo, said the city doesn’t comment on ongoing litigation.
The plaintiffs, collectively referred to as the “association,” originally filed a claim against West Fargo in May 2025, arguing the city violated competitive bidding requirements for a public improvement project by delegating some tasks to city staff rather than putting them up for bid.
North Dakota Century Code at the time stated the threshold for bidding the construction of a public improvement project was $200,000, according to Thursday’s Supreme Court ruling. The project in this case was expected to exceed that cost.
The plaintiffs asked the court to enter a judgment saying the city can’t self-perform any public improvement that exceeds $200,000, and violated state law by doing so in the Improvement District No. 2290 mill and overlay project. They also asked the court to prohibit West Fargo from self-performing work on that project and future projects required to be publicly bid on under state law.
West Fargo approved a contract for the project in June 2025, and the project was completed in September. After the project was finished, the city adopted an ordinance allowing the city to self-perform routine street maintenance with available funds, regardless of the estimated value, if the city feels it’s in its best interest to internally handle the job.
After the ordinance passed, the plaintiffs filed a motion to amend their complaint to include, among other things, a request for a declaration that the ordinance is invalid. The district court allowed the case to be put on hold while the plaintiffs gathered information, but denied their challenge of the ordinance.
“The court reasoned the association lacked standing to challenge the ordinance because the association had not alleged ‘an actual or threatened injury stemming from action under the ordinance’ or that ‘the City has exercised authority under the ordinance,’” the Supreme Court ruling said.
After oral arguments, the claims were dismissed without prejudice or costs awarded to either party.
Dismissals without prejudice can rarely be appealed, since plaintiffs can simply refile their case, however, the Supreme Court found an appeal was appropriate because the association has no ability to seek the relief it was when originally filing the case. The project can’t be undone.
The Supreme Court determined the public interest exception to mootness applies in this case, because “competitive bidding laws are designed to protect the public, and a decision will guide public officials administering political subdivisions across the state.”
The Supreme Court also disagreed with the district court’s ruling that the association had no ability to challenge the ordinance. It said the association has alleged facts that demonstrate the ordinance presents a threat to the interests of its members.
GRAND FORKS — A North Dakota composer’s dream is turning into a statewide invitation.
Williston-based musician Emily Black-Driscoll was chosen as the North Dakota Music Teachers Association’s commissioned composer for 2026. She’s preparing an original composition that will premiere in August.
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North Dakota
Challengers declare victory after ND Supreme Court rules against Legislature’s attempt to alter term limits
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.
Tanner Ecker / The Bismarck Tribune
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.”
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