North Dakota

North Dakota lawmaker introduces bill to invalidate certain out-of-state driver's licenses

Published

1 year ago

January 31, 2025

North Dakota lawmaker introduces bill to invalidate certain out-of-state driver's licenses

BISMARCK — Out-of-state visitors to North Dakota may have to remember their passport or other identification beyond their driver’s license to drive through the state under a proposed bill.

House Bill 1501

would make driver’s licenses from states that issue them without requiring proof of citizenship invalid in North Dakota without a secondary form of identification that proves citizenship such as a passport, birth certificate or certificate of naturalization. This means those with a driver’s license from 19 states that do not require proof of citizenship to issue licenses could be charged with driving without a license if pulled over in North Dakota.

The bill is not intended to be a primary offense, according to the bill’s primary sponsor Rep. Keith Kempenich, R- Bowman, meaning law enforcement could only cite someone if they were pulled over for a separate offense.

Kempenich said the bill is in response to issues brought up in the last presidential race, specifically media attention surrounding claims of immigrants’ actions in Springfield, Ohio. He said driving is a privilege reserved for citizens.

“Other states are basically just flaunting — flaunting the idea that this is a privilege to have this,” Kempenich said. “And some of these states think that this is a good idea to just let whoever, basically get a driver’s license out of a Cracker Jack box.”

Members of the House Transportation Committee raised concerns over the hassle this would cause law-abiding citizens who come from these 19 states. The legislators said it is not common to have a passport or other secondary piece of identification on someone at all times.

“I mean, these are documents you usually have, you know, stored away somewhere safe until you need to produce them,” said Rep. Dan Ruby, R-Minot. “So that’s my only concern, is that — what we would be doing to legitimate populations that are traveling to our state that now are going to be considered guilty until proven innocent.”

Rep. Daniel Johnson, R-Kathryn, asks a question during a hearing about House Bill 1501, a bill focusing on the use of out-of-state operators’ licenses and nonoperator identification cards for identification and motor vehicle operation, at the North Dakota Capitol on Friday, Jan. 31, 2025.

Tanner Ecker / The Bismarck Tribune

Kempenich said the bill is designed to cause complications to start a conversation around other states’ decisions not to require proof of citizenship for driver’s licenses. He said, “it wouldn’t impact any North Dakotan” or any driver from the 31 states that require proof of citizenship to issue driver’s licenses.

There were questions raised about the bill’s constitutionality, with legislators concerned that it may violate the Interstate Commerce Clause. Kempenich said the clause only refers to citizens but recognized that the bill may spark a conversation about how to interpret the clause.

Cody Schuler, a lobbyist with the American Civil Liberties Union, said the bill is constitutionally suspect under the Full Faith and Credit Clause of the Constitution, which requires states to recognize the legal documents and precedents from other states.

He also said that enforcement of the bill would be cumbersome, especially along the densely populated parts of the Minnesota border. Under this bill, some Minnesota driver’s licenses would be invalidated.

“This bill is troubling because (it) is blatantly anti-immigrant and does not seem to have any other purpose than to send a clear signal that immigrants are not welcome in North Dakota,” Schuler said in an email to the Tribune.

Ruby said he could not see voting for the bill as it currently stands, but would give Kempenich and the committee time to consider amendments that could make the bill viable.

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North Dakota

Today in History, 1943: 2 North Dakota men die in separate Army plane crashes

Published

2 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Today in History, 1943: 2 North Dakota men die in separate Army plane crashes

On this day in 1943, two North Dakota army officers, Second Lieut. Arthur B. Kuntz and First Lieut. Bernard A. Anderson, were killed in separate medium bomber training crashes in Florida and Georgia.

Here is the complete story as it appeared in the paper that day:

Army Plane Crashes Kill Two N. D. Men

Two North Dakota officers in the army air forces were killed Sunday in bomber crashes during training flights, Associated Press dispatches revealed Monday.

Second Lieut. Arthur B. Kuntz of Harvey (Wells county) was killed with 10 others from the Avon Park, Fla., army bomber base when two medium bombers collided during a routine formation flight. Both planes crashed and there were no survivors.

First Lieut. Bernard A. Anderson of Warwick (Benson county) was one of six killed when a medium bomber from MacDill field, Tampa, Fla., crashed near Savannah, Ga. Lieutenant Anderson was co-pilot of the plane.

None of the other victims of either accident was from the Dakotas or Minnesota.

Lieutenant Kuntz, son of Mr. and Mrs. Roy Kuntz of Harvey, was graduated from the army air force navigation school at Hondo, Texas, as a second lieutenant last October, and received his wings as a navigator.

See more history at Newspapers.com

An ad featured in The Forum on March 2, 1943. Newspapers.com

Kate Almquist is the social media manager for InForum. After working as an intern, she joined The Forum full time starting in January 2022. Readers can reach her at kalmquist@forumcomm.com.

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North Dakota

Presidential Searches at 3 North Dakota Colleges Narrowing

Published

15 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Presidential Searches at 3 North Dakota Colleges Narrowing

(Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)

(North Dakota Monitor) – Two North Dakotans are semifinalists for the Bismarck State College president’s job as North Dakota State University narrows its presidential candidate list.

Valley City State University also is searching for a new president, with an application period closing this month..

Kevin Black, chair of the State Board of Higher Education and co-chair of the North Dakota State University Presidential Search Committee, said the committee reviewed over 60 applications. The committee is planning off-site interviews with candidates March 9-10 and campus visits with semifinal candidates March 23-27.

“We’re really excited about taking the next step and there’s some very quality people in there,” Black said.

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North Dakota

After falling short a year ago, West Fargo United wins ND girls hockey state title

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

After falling short a year ago, West Fargo United wins ND girls hockey state title

FARGO — One season ago, a Cinderella run for the West Fargo United girls hockey team came up just short in the state championship game.

United, the No. 7 seed, fell to Legacy/Bismarck in the 2025 final.

This time around, the team had momentum swaying in its favor, riding nine consecutive wins into Saturday’s title game against Grand Forks at Scheels Arena.

Led by goals from a pair of senior captains, United capped its redemption season with a 10th straight victory, fending off the KnightRiders 2-1 to claim the North Dakota girls hockey state tournament championship.

“It just means everything,” said United’s Payton Stocker, whose goal at the 12:31 mark of the second period gave her team a 1-0 lead. “We’ve worked so hard and throughout the season, it’s just been such a battle. Winning and coming out on top is just such a great feeling.”

West Fargo United captains react as they are presented the team’s 2026 state championship hockey trophy after defeating Grand Forks on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, at Scheels Arena in Fargo.

Eric Hylden / Grand Forks Herald

Stocker was followed up in scoring by United captain Rachel Spanier. The defenseman fired a slap shot from the left point that beat Grand Forks goaltender Kylie Schmaltz to make it 2-0 with 35 seconds remaining in the middle frame.

Reagan Wilson locked things down in net for United, finishing with 23 saves and picking up an all-tournament team nod.

“This is my first year of high school hockey,” the sophomore goaltender said. “I can’t believe coming in here and winning a state title with all of these girls. I just love them so much.”

While it was the senior duo of Stocker and Spanier finding the net for United on Saturday, contributions were seen across the board.

Sophomore Emma Hassler also put forth an all-tournament campaign with five goals and an assist for six points over the three-day stretch.

030226 WFGOUnited3.jpg — Grand Forks’ Dustee Balek’s shot is blocked by West Fargo United goalie Reagan Wilson in the North Dakota girls hockey state championship game on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, at Scheels Arena.

Freshman Kaylee Augdahl finished the tournament with four points — including

a double-overtime winner

over Fargo North/South in Friday’s semifinals — and junior Liana Williamson added three assists.

“It wasn’t just us (seniors),” said Stocker, who joined Hassler and Wilson on the all-tourney team. “It was everyone collectively. Being seniors, it feels a lot better. It was a great feeling.”

United, the No. 5 seed this year, capped its season with a record of 17-9-0.

“These girls are awesome,” first-year United head coach Kennedy Blair said. “They’ve worked super, super hard since last April. Wake up early in the mornings, go into off-ice training, on-ice training and all that.

“This group of girls is really special. They’re a really close-knit group, and they trusted our coaching staff coming in as a first-year group.”

030226 WFGOUnited2.jpg — West Fargo United players pose for the camera as they wait for the 2026 state championship hockey trophy after defeating Grand Forks on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, at Scheels Arena.

Blair knows a thing or two about winning championships. She was a North Dakota state champion goaltender with the former Bismarck Blizzard co-op and also won an NCAA Division I national title with the Wisconsin women’s program in 2021.

Yet, she never imagined ending her first year as a high school varsity coach with a state championship.

“No, I didn’t,” said Blair, who also won North Dakota High School Coaches Association Coach of the Year honors. “But I had belief in these girls that we could get to the state championship again.”

It’s the United co-op’s first-ever state title — which consists of West Fargo, West Fargo Sheyenne and West Fargo Horace high schools.

Prior to Saturday, the last time a West Fargo girls program won the state title was in 2014 when it was still a standalone program competing as the Packers.

“It’s amazing considering United hockey has never won a championship game,” Wilson said.

Grand Forks, the tournament’s No. 2 seed, ended its campaign with a 21-5-0 record.

Ella Yahna’s fourth goal of the tournament — which came on a 2-on-1 rush with the assist from teammate Reese Meagher, put the KnightRiders within one shot with 8:17 remaining in the third.

Grand Forks, however, was unable to find the equalizer as its bid for a first state championship came up just short.

“I thought we came out in the first and we had a tough time,” Grand Forks head coach Kelly Kilgore said. “I felt we battled some nerves. I really liked our second period … We carried the play and tilted the ice a little bit back in our favor. The shots kind of started to really turn in our favor.”

Stocker said she wouldn’t have wanted to win a state title as a senior with any other group of teammates.

“(They mean) everything,” Stocker said. “We’re so tight and they’re all my friends. Leaving them is going to be hard. But they mean everything to me. We’re all so close and I love them a lot.”