North Dakota
North Dakota House passes campaign finance bill changing deadlines, donor disclosures
BISMARCK — The North Dakota House of Representatives on Friday, April 18, passed a number of changes to campaign finance disclosures.
Senate Bill 2156 was introduced by Sen. Sean Cleary, R-Bismarck, but has been amended by both the Senate and House since its introduction.
The version passed by the House solidifies reporting deadlines for political candidates, district parties and committees so they are based on dates — May 1, Oct. 1, and Jan. 1 — instead of a certain number of days before or after an election, with the exception of special elections.
It also raises the bar for when a contributor must be disclosed by a political candidate from those who donated $200 to those who have donated over $250 in aggregate during a reporting period. However, it makes it so the contributor no longer needs to be identified by their name and full address. Instead, they simply need to be identified by name, city and state.
The bill adds two new expenditure categories that can be used in reports — political donations and volunteer appreciation — and it changes fines for failing to submit a financial report on time. The fines for missing the first two deadlines were unchanged from Century Code, but the fine for filing over 11 days late would be raised by $300.
Candidates who file up to six days late would be fined $25; those who file between six and 11 days late would face a $50 fine; and filings more than 11 days late would result in a $500 fine.
The fine increase adopted by the House is less severe than the $100, $200 and $500 fines for failing to file on time passed by the Senate, and far less severe than the $100, $500 and $1,000 fines proposed originally by Cleary.
Rep. Vicky Steiner, R-Dickinson, said information on those who fail to pay their fines would be made publicly available as part of an incoming update to the Secretary of State’s website.
“We thought, ‘If there’s public disclosure, perhaps there would be pressure for that person to pay their fine,” Steiner said.
The changes to the reporting system would take effect on Jan. 1, 2026.
“This is going to make things much easier for us filers, much easier for contributors, and most importantly, easier for the public to look at our system that I believe is antiquated,” Rep. Scott Louser, R-Minot, said on the floor.
The bill passed the House in a 85-5 vote. It previously passed the Senate with a unanimous 45-0 vote. It now goes back to the Senate for a vote of concurrence. Louser indicated on the House floor that the bill would likely be going to a conference committee.
North Dakota
FOMO 10/40 Creamery to bring ice cream to small business across North Dakota
BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – A grant from the North Dakota Department of Agriculture is helping a small business in Bismarck expand.
FOMO 10/40 Creamery, located in the central part of the city, is planning to sell its ice cream wholesale at other small businesses across the state.
For owner Andrew Hershey, consistent quality is important, so he doesn’t expect to sell his ice cream in grocery chains quite yet.
“We want to really support the small, local businesses to help them keep open, but also give them the opportunity to sell our product first. I think local North Dakota ice cream sold locally, within a local business, means more to me,” said Hershey.
With the grant, FOMO will also be doing a brand refresh by updating its space.
The business started as an ice cream trailer in 2019.
Copyright 2026 KFYR. All rights reserved.
North Dakota
Case of measles reported in western North Dakota county
MANNING, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — One case of measles was reported in Dunn County, increasing North Dakota’s total number of cases to 36 this year, the Department of Health and Human Services said Friday.
The Dunn County case was believed to have been contracted out of state, health officials said.
North Dakota’s 36 total measles cases confirmed this year now equals the state’s total measles cases reported in 2025, according to the department’s measles dashboard.
Measles cases have been reported across six other counties in North Dakota this year: 23 cases in Pembina County; six cases in Ransom County; three cases in Grand Forks County; and individual cases reported in Traill, Walsh and Williams counties. Five people who contracted measles in 2026 needed to be hospitalized.
Previously, Molly Howell, immunization director of HHS, said being vaccinated against measles is critical to prevent the spread of the disease. She said people with two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine are 97% protected against contracting the disease.
Cases of measles continue to be reported across the U.S. and Canada, the department said, and people should monitor for symptoms.
Measles symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose and eye irritation, followed by a widespread rash, according to the department. People can transmit the disease for up to four days before a rash develops, according to HHS.
People who believe they may have contracted measles should call a healthcare provider before arriving at a medical clinic for treatment so precautions can be taken to protect other patients and medical staff, HHS said.
As of April 30, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 1,814 cases of measles across 36 states in 2026.
North Dakota
Minot veteran says Honor Flight trip memorable
Submitted Photo
U.S. Air Force veteran Jim Clifford of Minot is shown with the Lincoln Memorial in the background during his trip to the Washington, D.C., area with the Western North Dakota Honor Flight.
U.S. Air Force veteran Jim Clifford of Minot said his recent trip to the Washington, D.C., area with the Western North Dakota Honor Flight was a memorable one.
“The honor is so great,” he said.
Clifford was among more than 100 veterans on the trip from Bismarck, Sunday, April 26, and returning, Monday, April 27. Besides Clifford, several other Minot veterans made the trip.
He said he was very impressed with the N.D. Western Honor Flight organization and the coordination of the trip.
“The coordination is unbelievable. We had a police escort from our hotel room in Arlington, Virginia, to the Capitol. It was right at rush hour,” he said. He said the group of veterans traveled in four buses.
When they arrived at Washington Dulles International Airport, people with signs were standing to the side to greet them.
“It was just unbelievable,” he said. When they left the Bismarck airport, he said, the lobby there was full of people. He said Bismarck comes out really well for the veterans going on these trips and it was the same when the Western N.D. Honor Flight was out of Minot for the first time in April 2025.
Clifford was active duty in the Air Force from 1971-75. For 10 months he served in Taiwan but his Air Force time before and after was at Minot Air Force Base with the fire department.
“My first fire chief was Ken Gillespie,” he said. Gillespie’s son, Ken Gillespie aka Dizzy the Clown, is well known in the Minot area.
After discharge from the Air Force, Clifford continued civil service with the base fire department from 1976-2008, retiring as fire chief.
During the Honor Flight trip, Clifford said, they visited many highlights — veterans’ memorials including World War II, Korean and Vietnam, the U.S. Capitol and the Dulles Air and Space Museum. Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak, R-ND, and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum met with the group during their visit.
The veterans also visited Arlington National Cemetery.
“We got to see the Changing of the Guard and see them laying two wreaths,” he said.
At a banquet held that night for the veterans at their hotel, the Hyatt Regency in Arlington, he said the sentinel, the lead person for the Changing of the Guard, spoke to them.
“It was a very worthwhile trip. If you’re a veteran, you need to sign up for it,” Clifford said of the Honor Flight.
The Western North Dakota Honor Flight will be the grand marshal of the 2026 North Dakota State Parade Saturday, July 18, in Minot.
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