North Dakota

Measure 3 aims to enhance Legacy Fund

Published

1 year ago

October 21, 2024

The rapid growth of the Legacy Fund and a potential opportunity to expedite that growth even further has led the North Dakota Legislature to offer Measure 3 to voters.

The measure on the Nov. 5 ballot would change some of the rules and definitions surrounding the Legacy Fund, established by voters in 2010 as a trust fund for 30% of the state’s oil and gas production taxes.

“It’s grown faster than we anticipated,” said Rep. Corey Mock, D-Grand Forks. “We didn’t think the Legacy Fund would hit a billion dollars for at least 10 years.”

The Legacy Fund currently holds more than $10 billion.

Under terms established when the fund was created in 2011, the Legislature can spend up to 15% of the principal with a two-thirds vote. The expectation was that 15% would amount to $150 million in 10 years. Given the size of the fund today, the Legislature has proposed to reduce the eligible spending of principal to 5%, which comes to $500 million, said Mock, a sponsor of the legislative resolution creating the constitutional change in Measure 3.

The reduction in principal that can be spent is one piece of Measure 3. Another piece deals with the fund’s earnings.

Earnings from the Legacy Fund could not be tapped for the first seven years, but now, earnings automatically go into the general fund on June 30 of every odd-numbered year.

A technical change in Measure 3 eliminates the June 30 distribution and replaces it with language stating the earnings will go into a Legacy earnings fund, which can be invested. Currently, earnings aren’t being invested.

Mock said market fluctuations make tying distributions to a particular date problematic. The market could be bullish or it could be the opposite, forcing the state to sell assets at a loss, he said.

“Because we were calculating everything on a specific date, it made it very difficult for the managers to budget, to predict and to invest wisely. But it’s the only fund where we do it this way,” Mock said, noting other state funds use a rolling average.

In addition to the Measure 3 resolution, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 2330, which defines Legacy earnings as 7% of the rolling five-year average of the fund balance.

“That can be liquidated and maintained in a cash account for the transfer without the risk of penalty. We’re not jeopardizing our stock positions. We’re not having to change our investment strategy because of the timing,” Mock said. “It’s far more predictable. We already know what we’re going to have for earnings next year.”

A fiscal analysis prepared by the Legislative Council using inputs from state investment managers showed the impact of the changes associated with Measure 3 and SB 2330 are significant, Mock said.

Under the current earnings definition and the fund’s 5.5% return, by 2035, the Legacy Fund would contain about $20 billion, with earnings of about $1.3 billion. By 2045, the fund would have just over $30.3 billion, with earnings of $2 billion. In 2055, the fund would have $41.3 billion, producing $2.8 billion in earnings.

With the proposed changes to principal spending and the earnings definition, as well as a 7.2% return, by 2035 the Legacy Fund could contain more than $24.6 billion, producing $1.4 billion in earnings, or about $100,000 more than not making the changes. However, by 2045, the fund would be expected to grow to $43 billion, generating earnings of more than $2.6 billion, and in 2055, the $65.5 billion fund would generate more than $4 billion.

Mock said the investment board views the 7.2% return as realistic, but even scenarios using lesser returns generate significantly more earnings than currently.

The numbers used in the projections also forecast a declining amount of oil revenue going into the fund. The projections are based on input from the North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources, Mock said.

SB 2330 passed the House and Senate without dissent. House Concurrent Resolutions 3033, which created Measure 3, passed the Senate 45-1 and House 92-1.

Voters will decide on Nov. 5 whether they also want to support the changes to the Legacy Fund in Measure 3 with a “yes” vote.

“The bill went through a lot of variations and we brought forward what we think is a very, very responsible measure,” Mock said. “People really understand the Legacy Fund is an important asset, and this minor change can have a meaningful impact.”

Measure 1 replaces

outdated language

North Dakota voters will decide on replacing outdated language in their state constitution with new definitions in Measure 1 on the Nov. 5 ballot.

Measure 1 was placed on the ballot by the 2023 Legislature.

The measure replaces “school for the deaf and dumb of North Dakota” with “school for the deaf and hard of hearing” in its constitutional reference. A “state hospital for the insane” would become “state hospital for the care of individuals with mental illness.” An “institution for the feebleminded” would become “facility for individuals with developmental disabilities,” and a “state hospital for the mentally ill” would change to “state hospital for the care of individuals with mental illness.”

A “yes” vote on Measure 1 would make those changes.

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North Dakota

Griffins Add Former North Dakota Senior | Detroit Hockey Now

Published

1 hour ago

April 12, 2026

Press Room

Griffins Add Former North Dakota Senior | Detroit Hockey Now

The Grand Rapids Griffins are adding another new face to the room at the end of their regular season. Dylan James is joining the team on an amateur tryout for after signing a two year entry level contract with the Red Wings beginning with the 2026-27 season.

The now 22-year-old forward was named rookie of the year in the USHL after a standout season in his draft year, and was taken by the Red Wings 40th overall in the 2022 draft. James joins a handful of other Red Wings second round picks in Grand Rapids, including Trey Augustine (42, 2023) and Eddie Genborg (44, 2025) as they make their Calder Cup Playoff run.

After being drafted by the Red Wings, James spent the next four years developing at the University of North Dakota, helping the Fighting Hawks to become the NCHC regular season champions twice in his college career, as well as reaching this year’s Frozen Four. James and the Fighting Hawks were knocked out by the Wisconsin Badgers in the quarterfinal, however.

The senior forward was named as one of the team’s alternate captains this year, and collected 32 points across 40 games with 21 goals and 11 assists, bringing his UND career totals to 89 points with 52 goals and 37 assists.

Standing at 6’1″ and 192lbs, James is known for his puck security and willingness to make the extra step as a defender in addition to his offensive capabilities. The Griffins, now with several Red Wings prospects on the roster, will look to get further than last year’s first round exit.

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North Dakota

North Dakota State’s Head-Turning QB Fact Amid Draft Dominance

Published

13 hours ago

April 11, 2026

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North Dakota State’s Head-Turning QB Fact Amid Draft Dominance

Getty

Carson Wentz was an exception among the quarterbacks drafted by NDSU and other top quarterback-producing schools in the past decade.

Much is being made of North Dakota State soon tying Ohio State, along with Alabama, for the most quarterbacks drafted since 2016.

NDSU will have five after the upcoming NFL Draft with Cole Payton poised for late-round selection. Alabama will have a fifth with Ty Simpson going sometime early in the draft. Ohio State won’t have a quarterback going this year since Julian Sayin is playing another year in Columbus.

Among those three schools, only NDSU has produced a quarterback who played a major role with a Super Bowl-winning team and contended for MVP. That’s former Bison quarterback Carson Wentz, who went No. 2 in the 2016 draft. He helped the Philadelphia Eagles earn the No. 1 seed amid 13 starts as a serious MVP candidate in 2017 before an ACL tear. The Eagles eventually won the Super Bowl that season with backup Nick Foles.

Only former Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe has been with a Super Bowl winner but as a backup with the Seattle Seahawks in 2025. No other quarterback drafted from those three schools has played for a Super Bowl winner. The only playoff quarterbacks include former Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud and former Alabama quarterbacks Tua Tagovailoa, Bryce Young, and Mac Jones.

Why NDSU is Producing NFL Quarterbacks Frequently

GettyCarson Wentz hoisted the Lombardi Trophy in 2018.

Every primary Bison starter from Wentz to Cam Miller has made it to the NFL, and Payton is next in line.

NDSU was an FCS program from 2004 to 2025 before the Bison moved up to the FBS. Smaller schools seldom produce one NFL quarterback. Past exceptions have included late Alcorn State star Steve McNair, former Northern Iowa star Kurt Warner, and former Eastern Illinois star Tony Romo.

The Bison were already a dominant Division II team when moving up to the FCS, but the Herd never produced an NFL quarterback before that move. Things took off with former Bison quarterback Brock Jensen, who led the team to three-consecutive FCS national championships between 2011 and 2013.

Jensen participated in the Miami Dolphins‘ training camp in 2014, but he didn’t make the team and opted for a career in the CFL. Wentz waited behind him for three seasons before he became the starter and ascended to a highly-touted draft prospect.

Behind the scenes, former NFL quarterback and Bison quarterbacks coach Randy Hedberg helped develop Wentz and the NFL-bound signal callers who came after him. NDSU also runs a pro-style offense, which has quarterbacks more ready for the next level versus other college offensive systems.

There likely could be more to come with NDSU playing the FBS. Current Bison quarterback Nathan Hayes will get his lone shot as the starter this fall in hopes to continue the draft lineage.

Top QB-Producing Schools Haven’t Produced Top QBs

GettyCarson Wentz became a career backup after failed attempts as a starter.

While the three aforementioned schools can claim the most quarterbacks drafted, they can’t claim the most successful ones.

Only Stroud and former Alabama quarterback Bryce Young are starters among quarterbacks from those schools. Former Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields didn’t pan out as a starter in his first three stops. Jones didn’t last in New England, Tagovailoa didn’t work out in Miami, and Wentz became a backup after three failed stints.

Former Bison quarterback Trey Lance also fell short with the San Francisco 49ers and has been a backup since. Fellow former Bison, Miller and Easton Stick, have only been backups, and Payton is projected to be a backup.

Former Ohio State quarterback Will Howard is a backup, Cardale Jones was a backup, and the late Dwayne Haskins Jr. was briefly a starter for the Washington Commanders before his untimely death.

Matthew Davis covers the NFL, WNBA and college sports for Heavy.com. As a contributing writer to the StarTribune, he has also covered Minnesota prep sports since 2016. More about Matthew Davis

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North Dakota

Man arrested in North Dakota six months after Durham County murder

Published

1 day ago

April 11, 2026

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Man arrested in North Dakota six months after Durham County murder

A man was arrested in North Dakota in connection with a November murder in Durham County.

Deputies said 28-year-old Alberto Flores died after he was shot on Sunday morning outside of a business on Guess Road.

Carlos Anuel Medina Robles was charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of Luis Alberto Flores. The Durham County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigative Division and the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and U.S. Marshals Service were able to track Robles down.

On Thursday, the U.S. Marshals Service found Robles in Ward, North Dakota. He was taken into custody.

Extradition proceedings are pending.

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