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Letter: Taking stock of the first half of North Dakota’s legislative session

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Letter: Taking stock of the first half of North Dakota’s legislative session


The North Dakota 68th Legislative Meeting accomplished 35 days of session as we headed into crossover break final week (when Home payments go over to the Senate and vice versa). A number of important themes have arisen from this session together with tax reduction, pension reform, vitality and agriculture laws, training, and how you can responsibly handle our price range surplus.

North Dakota Senate Majority Chief David Hogue, R-Minot

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There are presently six tax reduction payments in consideration, together with a property tax buy-down, homestead tax credit, two flat earnings tax proposals, earnings tax credit, and a “path to zero earnings tax” primarily based off the standing of the overall fund. Ultimately, we hope to supply a mixture of significant tax reduction that can profit the most individuals in the simplest approach.

State worker pension reform can be a significant focus this session. Each the Home and Senate moved payments to deal with the present $1.9 billion unfunded legal responsibility presently on the books. That is debt owed by the state that should be paid and revised going ahead or the plan will proceed to accrue liabilities and will turn into bancrupt. Our objective is to make sure that each greenback promised to present employees and retirees will likely be met, whereas taking the rising value burden off the present and future taxpayers of North Dakota. There is no such thing as a easy answer, however we imagine we now have the data essential to get the state on the best path.

Vitality and agriculture proceed to be main points for the state. Most likely most important is HB 1371, which might permit these taken with animal manufacturing to kind a enterprise construction that mirrors the enterprise constructions widespread in different states. It utilized solely to beef, swine, dairy and poultry manufacturing and limits these operations to 10 shareholders proudly owning a most of 160 acres. This positively impacts the financial system by rising the worth of native grains, offering higher utilization of marginal floor to develop feed, and creating pure fertilizer. We additionally hope to see a rise in feed mills, development jobs, and within the turnover of recent cash locally.

Schooling additionally continues to be a high precedence. The Home handed HB 1532, which establishes an academic reimbursement program for folks who enroll their youngster in a personal faculty situated in North Dakota, in addition to a invoice for dyslexia screening and intervention. The Senate handed out a significant Okay-12 training funding invoice, which incorporates elevated {dollars} for on-time funding and per pupil funds.

As well as, each chambers have labored onerous to go laws that advantages regulation enforcement and first responders in North Dakota, together with an appropriation to the Legal professional Normal for a “again the blue” grant program and growth of employees compensation for regulation enforcement and firefighters, which offers a retroactive clause to cowl the case of West Fargo Police Officer Tim Brown (who was beforehand denied protection as a consequence of a spot in statute that didn’t acknowledge service outdoors the state). This invoice handed each homes unanimously and was signed by the governor.

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As we begin once more after crossover, we stay up for doing the work earlier than us of crafting coverage and managing sources for the advantage of our residents. We’re lucky to benefit from the high quality of life that we do and grateful for the folks throughout our state that make that occur.

David Hogue, R-Minot, is majority chief of the North Dakota Senate and Mike Lefor, R-Dickinson, is majority chief of the North Dakota Home of Representatives.

This letter doesn’t essentially mirror the opinion of The Discussion board’s editorial board nor Discussion board possession.





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North Dakota

West Fargo, two North Dakota tribes awarded $28 million

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West Fargo, two North Dakota tribes awarded $28 million


WASHINGTON (KMOT) – The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded more than $28 million to West Fargo, Spirit Lake Tribe and the Three Affiliated Tribes.

The majority of the funds went to West Fargo for the installation of a road-rail separation with pedestrian, bike and ADA accommodations.

The Tribes were given partial of the funds to design road maintenance and address drainage issues, road widening, and parking accessibility for all.

The money comes from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity, or RAISE, grant program.

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North Dakota University System Chancellor moving to another job

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North Dakota University System Chancellor moving to another job


BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – North Dakota University System Chancellor Mark Hagerott will be moving to other job opportunities.

The chancellor released this statement about his work for the state: “It has been wonderful to be the chancellor and lead the North Dakota system for almost a decade. I am proud of the work we have done as a system during my tenure. I look forward to ensuring the continued success of the students we serve by assisting the Board during the upcoming legislative session.”

Hagerott said he will continue to serve the state of North Dakota as a professor of artificial intelligence and human security.

State Board of Higher Education Chair Tim Mihalick said the State Board of Higher Education is thankful for his leadership: “He has provided a systemwide vision to higher education that is student-centric and fiscally responsible. We look forward to continuing our work together through the next year and a half, to include the upcoming legislative session, and persisting in our shared systemwide higher education goals.”

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He said his transition to teaching will be beneficial to the state in the future.



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Doug Burgum net worth: How North Dakota governor made his millions

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Doug Burgum net worth: How North Dakota governor made his millions


Analysts think Doug Burgum could be named as former President Donald Trump’s running mate, sparking widespread interest in the North Dakota governor’s life, career, background and finances.

The 67-year-old has governed the state since 2016, but before entering politics he was a well-known businessman and led a software company that was acquired by Microsoft for more than $1 billion. Other business interests boosted his bank balance too; he spent millions on his own White House bid last year, briefly trying to run against Trump before dropping his plans and throwing his weight behind the former president.

Now Burgum’s name has been cited by several political commentators compiling lists about who may be chosen as Trump’s for Republican vice presidential candidate and bookmakers have said the odds are firmly in his favor. Being awarded the role would automatically create a favorite for the 2028 Republican nominee for president if Trump were to win and complete his second allowed term.

North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum visits “The Big Money Show” at Fox Business Network Studios on June 13 in New York City. Burgum could be named as former President Donald Trump’s running mate, sparking widespread…


Steven Ferdman/Getty Images

With just weeks to go until the GOP convention, political news outlet The Hill said Burgum was in the top three “most likely” contenders, along with senators J.D. Vance of Ohio and Marco Rubio of Florida.

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Business magazine Forbes estimated last November that Burgum is a worth $100 million “at least.” The magazine said he is worth much more than his financial disclosures would suggest, though, because some of his riches are likely to have been disbursed in trusts for his three grown children.

The governor had relatively humble beginnings, working in his family’s grain elevator business through school and college at North Dakota State University, then becoming a chimney sweep before entering an MBA program at Stanford University.

Following the $1.1 billion sale of Great Plains Software in 2001 to the tech giant, Burgum became a senior vice president at Microsoft and was awarded more than 1.7 million Microsoft shares, which then were worth roughly $100 million, according to Forbes. He later left the firm and over the coming decades sold stock regularly as well as undergoing a costly divorce from his first wife, meaning that today the Microsoft stock is just a tiny fraction of his overall portfolio and is worth up to a $1 million.

But Burgum branched out into a string of other business ventures. He has also worked in real estate development and venture capital.

Some analysts have said money is a key factor playing to Burgum’s advantage because he appears to have been modeled in Trump’s own image. He has “two things Trump wants: a fat wallet and thick hair,” Bloomberg columnist and former political reporter Patricia Lopez joked in an opinion piece on Sunday.

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While the Associated Press said: “Trump likes rich people. North Dakota’s two-term governor is most definitely rich.” Burgum and his wife, Kathryn, who are said to be extremely friendly with Trump and his team, would bring “money and rich friends to the table.”

Burgum has remained tight-lipped about the VP situation, but he has been a regular face on TV screens as he campaigns for Trump.

Trump told reporters in Philadelphia this weekend that he had chosen who he wanted to join him on the Republican ticket for November’s election but added that he had not yet revealed his choice to anyone.

Newsweek has reached out to Burgum via the governor’s office seeking further information and comment.

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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.



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