Thank you to those who made North Dakota’s general election run smoothly. I participated as a voter and a League of Women Voters of North Dakota election observer. The poll workers I encountered carried out their duties diligently and professionally. Without their hard work and that of those behind the scenes, November’s election would not have been possible.

By participating as an election observer, I had the awe-inspiring experience of seeing Fargoans come together and cast their ballots. The election observer program is an important initiative of LWVND, a non-partisan organization dedicated to safeguarding voting rights. It enhances the transparency of North Dakota’s elections and aims to identify areas for improvement. In November, more than 60 volunteers monitored election sites throughout the state. Their feedback was then compiled and submitted to county auditors.

Fortunately, the LWVND election observers found few major issues, and election inspectors addressed several of those problems on Election Day. Resolving these issues reinforced the integrity of the election process and allowed those legally eligible to vote.

As the election observer program expands, I encourage you to volunteer for the general election in 2026. Visit the LWVND website (

www.lwvnd.org

) to see how. Or sign up at the Secretary of State’s site (

www.sos.nd.gov/elections/voter/be-poll-worker

) to be a poll worker.

Kate Bladow lives in Fargo.

Members of Legislative Management meet on Nov. 13, 2024. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)

(North Dakota Monitor) – North Dakota will start the new year with a lot of unfinished business from 2024.

Many of the state’s biggest stories from last year — including those related to taxation, abortion and incarceration — remain unsettled. State leaders could reignite public discussion of these issues as early as the 69th legislative session, which starts Tuesday.

Here are five state government stories to watch this year:

Property taxes

The ballot measure to eliminate property taxes based on assessed value put a spotlight on the property tax issue in 2024. Although it failed in the statewide vote, Measure 4 got the attention of legislators.

Expect several bill drafts related to property taxes in the 2025 legislative session that starts Tuesday. In November, Legislative Council reported it had already received dozens of requests to prepare bill drafts related to property taxes. Gov. Kelly Armstrong has also repeatedly said that property tax reform will be one of his administration’s top priorities.

Abortion

A judge last year struck down North Dakota’s law banning most abortions, declaring it unconstitutional.

In a September order, South Central Judicial District Court Judge Bruce Romanick found that women in North Dakota have a right to seek abortions until the point of fetal viability.

Summit pipeline

In 2024, Summit Carbon Solutions successfully obtained permits for the portion of its carbon dioxide pipeline and storage area planned for North Dakota. But the Iowa-based company still faces appeals from two North Dakota counties and a group of landowners.

Higher education

Bismarck State College, Dickinson State University and Lake Region State College will all be looking for new presidents in 2025, and the North Dakota University System also will be looking for a new leader.

Chancellor Mark Hagerott, who oversees the 11 colleges and their presidents, is stepping down at the end of 2025.

Inmate population

North Dakota’s prison system has been over its capacity for men since July 1, 2023, resorting to using county jails and a waiting list for some prisoners to get into a state facility.

BISMARCK — Hess Corporation kicked off the 2024 Hess Toy Truck and STEM curriculum donation to schools across North Dakota, starting with a demonstration involving third and fourth grade students at Roosevelt Elementary School in Bismarck.

Forty students along with teachers, staff, Department of Public Instruction and Hess personnel were on hand to try out the STEM education kits and the 60th anniversary fire truck with car and motorcycle.

This is the sixth straight year that Hess will donate trucks to every elementary school in North Dakota, with nearly 50,000 trucks donated since the education initiative began. Hess has once again partnered with the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction to find new opportunities for interactive teaching and learning.

The STEM curriculum guide designed by Baylor College of Medicine’s Center for Educational Outreach uses the 2024 fire truck combined with eight lessons designed to ‘”gnite learning” with a focus on the science and math of firefighting and fire trucks. Each year the STEM curriculum guide is custom designed to match the features of the newest Hess Toy Truck, creating a learning tool that introduces elementary age students to different STEM concepts in a fun and engaging way.

Hess will ship the toy trucks to each elementary school in North Dakota, and the STEM curriculum will be available for

download

or will be distributed electronically. Teachers will be able to use the materials as part of their curriculum going forward. The Hess Toy Truck has been a holiday tradition since 1964 and is one of the longest running toy brands in the U.S.