North Dakota
Senate Armed Services Committee Passes FY2023 with North Dakota Wins
WASHINGTON
– U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) issued the next assertion right now after
he and his Senate Armed Companies Committee (SASC) colleagues voted to advance
the Fiscal 12 months 2023 (FY23) Nationwide Protection Authorization Act (NDAA) out of
committee:
“The
Nationwide Protection Authorization Act is an funding in nationwide safety, our
courageous service members and their households, and our homeland. It incorporates funding
for North Dakota’s army belongings and missions in Minot, Grand Forks, and
Cavalier along with help for our state’s Nationwide Guard and your complete
North Dakota army group. This 12 months’s NDAA supplies help for members
of our armed forces, invests in rising applied sciences to make sure we hold tempo
with our adversaries, rightly emphasizes nuclear modernization applications, and
protects our strategic deterrent. It makes vital inroads to stop the
Biden Administration from implementing its woke, left-wing social agenda on the
Division of Protection,” stated Senator Cramer.
“My
thanks go to Senator Cramer for his laborious work on this 12 months’s Nationwide Protection
Authorization Act. He has been a robust voice for our Navy and Marine
Corps as the highest Republican on the Seapower Subcommittee, and he has championed
efforts to modernize our nuclear deterrent and enhance crucial intelligence,
surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities – making our army stronger now
and into the long run,” stated SASC Rating Member Jim Inhofe (R-OK).
FY23
NDAA Topline Provisions:
The
FY23 NDAA – which handed by SASC overwhelmingly with a vote of 23-3 and
now awaits motion from the total Senate – is a $857.6 billion invoice to offer
for the nationwide protection of the US. Particularly, this NDAA:
- Helps
the DoD in its mission to satisfy the targets of the 2022 Nationwide Protection
Technique, together with defending the U.S. homeland; deterring adversaries;
prevailing in long-term strategic competitors; and constructing a resilient
Joint Drive. - Strengthens
the all-volunteer drive and improves the standard of lifetime of the women and men
of the overall drive (Energetic Obligation, Nationwide Guard, and Reserves), their
households, and DOD civilian personnel as they fulfill their solemn oath to
the Structure of the US. - Supplies
our army providers and combatant commanders with the sources wanted
to hold out the Nationwide Protection Technique and out-compete, deter, and, if
crucial, prevail towards near-peer rivals. - Enhances
deterrence by recapitalizing and modernizing the U.S. nuclear triad;
making certain the security, safety, and reliability of our nuclear stockpile,
supply techniques, and infrastructure; growing capability in theater and
homeland missile protection; and strengthening nonproliferation applications.
Be taught
extra right here.
North
Dakota Tasks and Priorities:
As
the first-ever North Dakotan to serve on an Armed Companies committee in
Congress, Senator Cramer has used his seat on SASC to safe funding
authorization and language for missions each immediately and not directly benefiting
North Dakota’s army group. This 12 months’s invoice absolutely funds nuclear
modernization efforts, helps efforts to develop elevated intelligence
capabilities, grows the Area Drive, and authorizes a number of North Dakota
army tasks.
Minot
Air Drive Base (AFB):
- Supplies
$2.6 billion for Sentinel (Floor-Primarily based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD))
modernization. - Since
turning into a member of SASC, Senator Cramer has been a vocal supporter of
the nation’s nuclear triad and has pushed army leaders on the highest
ranges to maintain GBSD funded and on-time. - Supplies
$770 million for B-52 industrial engine alternative program (CERP) and
radar modernization. - Supplies
$39 million for the Nuclear Command, Management & Communication (NC3)
program, which is able to modernize the communications gear used at Minot
AFB. - Limits
the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) rely to a minimum of 400
whole defending our nuclear deterrent. - Directs
the Secretary of the Air Drive to submit a report on the feasibility of
Bomber Agile Fight Employment (BACE).
Grand
Forks AFB:
- Area
Improvement Company (SDA) - Will increase
the topline Division of Protection Senior Govt Service (SES)
allocation with a minimal of three SDA senior management positions. - Directs
the Secretary of Protection to evaluate and make a advice for SDA to
implement middle-tier acquisition authority (MTA) to permit them to
proceed fast acquisition. - Directs
the Secretary of the Air Drive to offer a briefing on the transition of
SDA to the Area Drive and efforts to make sure it may well use MTA and rent
crucial private at SES degree.
Cavalier
Area Drive Station and Perimeter Acquisition Radar Assault Characterization
System (PARCS):
- Provides
$5 million for PARCS modernization. - Directs
the Secretary of the Air Drive to offer a report on the feasibility of
upgrading PARCS, the results of not doing so, and the gaps that might
end result from a failure of the system.
North
Dakota Military Nationwide Guard and Air Nationwide Guard:
- Unmanned
Aerial Automobile Pilots Psychological Well being: Directs the Secretary of the Air
Drive to review the work-life stability of drone operators and their well being
and welfare. - Nationwide
Guard Promotion Enchancment: Supplies for the backdating of efficient date
of rank for reserve officers within the Nationwide Guard attributable to undue delays in
Federal recognition.
Key
North Dakota Tasks:
- Antibody
Improvement: Encourages the enhancement of and extra funding for the
Division of Protection’s end-to-end antibody growth program in gentle
of classes realized from the COVID-19 pandemic. This is applicable to the North
Dakota firm Genovac, which has been crucial in advancing antibody
discovery. - Intranasal
Ketamine: Recommends the Division of Protection conduct pre-clinical
testing and scientific trials of intranasal ketamine such that outcomes might
be used to facilitate FDA approval for acute ache administration. This
advances work achieved at quite a few North Dakota ketamine therapies clinics. - Swift
Water Coaching: Encourages the Nationwide Guard to make use of services that
present a secure, practical atmosphere to coach for flood rescues. - Authorizes
project pay or particular obligation pay for service members stationed in
excessive local weather places. - Psychological
Well being in Distant Areas: Directs the Secretary of Protection to offer a
briefing on a mannequin developed by the Protection Well being Company to find out
necessities for allocations of uniformed psychological well being suppliers to army
coaching services in distant places, in addition to the feasibility of
hiring civilian psychological well being suppliers. These efforts intention to enhance
psychological well being sources and accessibility for service members and their
households.
General
Priorities:
- Implications
of Eradicating Iran Sanctions: Directs the Protection Intelligence Company
Director and Commander of U.S. Central Command to offer a quick on the
extent to which they assess Iran will use sanctions reduction from the Iran
Nuclear Deal to bolster its help for terrorism, in addition to U.S. Central
Command’s necessities for defending towards better-funded Iranian
terrorist proxies. - Inflation:
Requires the Secretary of Protection to submit a report on the impression of
inflation at Army Exchanges. - Know-how
for Psychological Well being: Directs the Protection Well being Company to evaluate the
feasibility of leveraging present self-help apps to broaden psychological and
behavioral well being providers for army members and their households - Division
of Protection Ethics Statutes: Directs the Secretary of Protection to have a
federally funded analysis and growth heart conduct a research assessing
whether or not the 4 present DoD-specific statutory ethics necessities have had
an impression on the hiring or retention of personnel on the DoD, significantly
these with specialised expertise or coaching. - Threat
Evaluation for Unfunded Priorities: Requires an annual danger evaluation
which permits the providers the flexibility to higher articulate the chance they
are taking at a sure funds degree once they ship over their unfunded
priorities. - Investigating
Sexual Harassment Reprisals: Directs an investigation into reprisals made
towards Marine Corps service members who report sexual harassment. - Operation
Warp Velocity Refunds: Urges the Secretary of the Military to extend the contract
ceiling for the work that was achieved in help of creating the COVID-19
vaccine.
As
the Rating Member of the SASC Seapower Subcommittee, Senator Cramer was in a position
to assist safe further help for America’s naval fleet. Importantly, NDAA
consists of language prohibiting naval ships not but at their finish of service life
from being retired.
This
is the fourth NDAA Senator Cramer has helped craft as a member of SASC. In
2019, he was in a position to shepherd by the creation of the united states, and
in 2020
and 2021,
he was in a position to safe a bunch of pro-North Dakota provisions within the laws.
North Dakota
Audit of North Dakota state auditor finds no issues; review could cost up to $285K • North Dakota Monitor
A long-anticipated performance audit of the North Dakota State Auditor’s Office found no significant issues, consultants told a panel of lawmakers Thursday afternoon.
“Based on the work that we performed, there weren’t any red flags,” Chris Ricchiuto, representing consulting firm Forvis Mazars, said.
The review was commissioned by the 2023 Legislature following complaints from local governments about the cost of the agency’s services.
The firm found that the State Auditor’s Office is following industry standards and laws, and is completing audits in a reasonable amount of time, said Charles Johnson, a director with the firm’s risk advisory services.
“The answer about the audit up front is that we identified four areas where things are working exactly as you expect the state auditor to do,” Johnson told the committee.
The report also found that the agency has implemented some policies to address concerns raised during the 2023 session.
For example, the Auditor’s Office now provides cost estimates to clients before they hire the office for services, Johnson said. The proposals include not-to-exceed clauses, so clients have to agree to any proposed changes.
The State Auditor’s Office also now includes more details on its invoices, so clients have more comprehensive information about what they’re being charged for.
The audit originally was intended to focus on fiscal years 2020 through 2023. However, the firm extended the scope of its analysis to reflect policy changes that the Auditor’s Office implemented after the 2023 fiscal year ended.
State Auditor Josh Gallion told lawmakers the period the audit covers was an unusual time for his agency. The coronavirus pandemic made timely work more difficult for his staff. Moreover, because of the influx of pandemic-related assistance to local governments from the federal government, the State Auditor’s Office’s workload increased significantly.
Gallion said that, other than confirming that the changes the agency has made were worthwhile, he didn’t glean anything significant from the audit.
“The changes had already been implemented,” he said.
Gallion has previously called the audit redundant and unnecessary. When asked Thursday if he thought the audit was a worthwhile use of taxpayer money, Gallion said, “Every audit has value, at the end of the day.”
The report has not been finalized, though the Legislative Audit and Fiscal Review Committee voted to accept it.
Audit of state auditor delayed; Gallion calls it ‘redundant, unnecessary’
“There was no shenanigans, there were no red flags,” Sen. Jerry Klein, R-Fessenden, said at the close of the hearing.
Forvis representatives told lawmakers they plan to finish the report sometime this month.
The contract for the audit is for $285,000.
Johnson said as far as he is aware Forvis has sent bills for a little over $150,000 so far. That doesn’t include the last two months of the company’s work, he said.
The consulting firm sent out surveys to local governments that use the agency’s services.
The top five suggestions for improvements were:
- Communication with clients
- Timeliness
- Helping clients complete forms
- Asking for same information more than once
- Providing more detailed invoices
The top five things respondents thought the agency does well were:
- Understanding of the audit process
- Professionalism
- Willingness to improve
- Attention to detail
- Helpfulness
Johnson said that some of the survey findings should be taken with a “grain of salt.”
“In our work as auditors, we don’t always make people happy doing what we’re supposed to do,” he said.
YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE.
GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.
BISMARCK — A bill introduced in the North Dakota House of Representatives could cap out-of-pocket insulin costs for some North Dakotans at $25 per month.
The bill also includes a monthly cap for insulin-related medical supplies of $25.
With insulin costing North Dakota residents billions of dollars each year,
House Bill 1114
would provide relief for people on fully insured plans provided by individual, small and large group employers. People on self-funded plans would not be affected.
“I call insulin liquid gold,” Nina Kritzberger, a 16-year-old Type 1 diabetic from Hillsboro, told lawmakers. “My future depends on this bill.”
HB 1114 builds on
legislation
proposed during the 2023 session that similarly sought to establish spending caps on insulin products.
Before any health insurance mandate is enacted,
state law
requires the proposed changes first be tested on state employee health plans.
As such, the legislation was altered to order the state Public Employees Retirement System, or PERS, to introduce an updated bill based on the implementation of a $25 monthly cap on a smaller scale.
The updated bill — House Bill 1114 — would bring the cap out of PERS oversight and into the North Dakota Insurance Department, which regulates the fully insured market but not the self-insured market.
Employers that provide self-insured health programs use profits to cover claims and fees, acting as their own insurers.
Fully insured plans refer to employers that pay a third-party insurance carrier a fixed premium to cover claims and fees.
“It (the mandate) doesn’t impact the entire insurance market within North Dakota,” PERS Executive Director Rebecca Fricke testified during a Government and Veterans Affairs Committee meeting on Thursday, Jan. 9.
Blue Cross Blue Shield Vice President Megan Hruby told the committee that two-thirds of the provider’s members would not be eligible for the monthly cap, calling the bill a “false promise.”
“We do not make health insurance more affordable by passing coverage mandates, as insurance companies don’t pay for mandates. Policy holders pay for mandates in the form of increased premiums,” Hruby said.
She touted the insurance provider having already placed similar caps on insulin products and said companies should be making those decisions, not the state government.
Sanford Health and the Greater North Dakota Chamber also had representatives testify against the bill.
Advocates for the spending cap said higher premiums are worth lowering the cost of insulin drugs and supplies.
“One of the first things that people ask me about is, ‘Why should I pay for your insulin?’ And my response is, ‘Why should I have to pay for your premiums?’” Danelle Johnson, of Horace, said in her testimony.
If adopted and as written, the spending caps brought by
House Bill 1114
would apply to the North Dakota commercial insurance market and cost the state around $834,000 over the 2025-27 biennium.
According to the 2024 North Dakota diabetes report,
medical fees associated with the condition cost North Dakotans over $306 billion in 2022.
The state has more than 57,200 adults diagnosed with diabetes, and a staggering 38% have prediabetes — a condition where blood sugar levels are high but not high enough to cause Type 2 diabetes.
Nearly half of those people are adults 65 years old or older.
North Dakotan tribal members were also found to be twice as likely to have diabetes compared to their white counterparts.
Building international connections is an important aspect of the agricultural industry.
This year, farmer
Rudy Dotzenrod
hosted visitors from the Big Iron International Visitors Program to his farm to showcase his crops and Reinke irrigation systems.
Jed Brazier / Northarvest Bean Growers Association
“They were looking for a place to kind of showcase some of their swing-arm technology at the end of their pivots,” Dotzenrod said. “I’ve got a couple of them here, so they wanted to come.”
There were visitors from all of the world, including Turkey, Guatemala and Africa.
Ariana Schumacher/Agweek
“We bring in anywhere from 50 to 150 international visitors every year,” said Lindsey Warner, deputy director of the North Dakota Trade Office. “The goal of that is, first and foremost, have agriculture machinery buyers learn more about North Dakota, our agriculture, our agriculture practices, the machinery that’s manufactured here.”
They got to see every part of the farming operation.
“I took a lot of them, and we walked around the farm, we went to different buildings and we looked at all sorts of different kinds of machinery, you know, from getting the ground ready, to planting, to spraying it, to harvesting it, just kind of looked at everything,” Dotzenrod said.
With Dotzenrod also being a black bean grower, that was beneficial to the visitors from Guatemala.
“They were very interested in irrigation and black beans,” Warner said.
Jed Brazier / Northarvest Bean Growers Association
However, most were interested in his corn production.
“I was kind of surprised, I thought there may be a few more questions on edible beans, but it was mostly in corn,” Dotzenrod said.
Bringing international visitors directly onto the farm is a big part of the tour.
“We live in a global world. A lot of the commodities that are produced within our state are exported outside of the U.S., so I think it’s really beneficial for people to see where their food is coming from, whether they are North Dakotas or they are international consumers of these products” Warner said.
“People kind of want to know where their food is coming from, you know, and if they can try and put a face on that or an environment, that gives them a better understanding of where it’s at,” Dotzenrod said. “A lot of this is beyond the economics of it. It’s relationship based. If they feel like they’re buying something from somebody they like, I think it makes it a lot easier for them to go ahead and do that.”
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