Plain Talk: For the first time in decades, a new appropriations chairman in North Dakota’s Senate

MINOT, N.D. — For the primary time in many years, the North Dakota Senate has a brand new chairman of its appropriations committee.

Why does that matter? The chairs of the appropriations committees within the Home and the Senate are answerable for reconciling all of the spending the Legislature is making an attempt to do within the subsequent two-year finances cycle with the quantity of income the state expects to gather. The 2 individuals who maintain these positions are most likely essentially the most highly effective politicians in North Dakota that you’ve got by no means heard of.

Within the Senate, third-term Sen. Brad Bekkedahl, a Republican from the Williston space, is taking on the job from Sen. Ray Holmberg, one of many longest-serving public servants in nationwide historical past, who opted to not run for re-election this cycle.

On this episode of Plain Discuss, Bekkedahl spoke with co-host Ben Hanson and me about taking on that job.

Probably the most urgent points earlier than this session is a selection lawmakers can have between yet one more property tax discount plan, and a giant earnings tax reduce — an elimination of the tax for many North Dakotans — that has been touted by Gov. Doug Burgum.

Burgum “makes a really compelling case” that his tax plan is “a greater solution to get aid into the palms of the taxpayers,” Bekkedahl mentioned, although he added that almost all taxpayers most likely really feel extra burdened by their property tax payments than the earnings tax.

What his committee makes of these proposals will likely be as much as the committee.

Bekkedahl can be taking on this job after voters accredited eight-year time period limits for state lawmakers. “We’ll dwell by way of this,” Bekkedahl mentioned, although he added that he does not “suppose it may be good for the state.” He praised Holmberg and different long-time lawmakers for the institutional data they dropped at the Legislature, and he additionally identified that the voters had been already doing a fairly good job of sending new individuals to the legislative chambers each election cycle.

What does Bekkedahl make of North Dakota getting a brand new lieutenant governor simply as a brand new legislative session goes to start? “I used to be stunned by the timing of the announcement,” he mentioned, noting that outgoing Lt. Gov. Brent Sanford labored properly with the Legislature, however he was very constructive about incoming Lt. Gov. Tammy Miller too, noting that she’s “proved herself properly” each as a member of Burgum’s cupboard and a businesswoman.

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