BISMARCK — North Dakota lawmakers have already requested 422 bills and resolutions to be drafted for the 2025 legislative session, double the number requested at this time two years ago, Legislative Council staff say.
Prior to the 2023 legislative session, lawmakers didn’t hit 400 bill drafts until Nov. 28, 2022, said Legislative Council Director John Bjornson.
“We’re double the pace, but we haven’t even hit the heavy drafting periods,” Bjornson told members of the Legislative Procedure and Arrangements Committee earlier this month.
The pace is making it difficult for Legislative Council staff to keep up, causing delays in providing amendments to lawmakers, said Emily Thompson, legal division director for Legislative Council.
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The interim legislative committee has been studying the impact of lawmaker term limits and looking for ways to streamline processes. As lawmakers are limited to serving no more than eight years in each chamber due to a measure approved by voters in 2022, the increased turnover is expected to increase the burden on legislative staff.
One area the committee has discussed is how to avoid duplication of bill drafts on similar topics. But a lack of transparency makes that challenging.
Under North Dakota law, bill drafts and communications between Legislative Council staff and legislators are not subject to disclosure. That makes it hard for lawmakers to know if another legislator has requested a bill draft on the same topic.
Committee Chair Sen. Jerry Klein, R-Fessenden, said he typically doesn’t know if another lawmaker is working on a similar proposal unless he hears it through the grapevine.
“You might hear it at the lounge that evening,” Klein said. “There’s got to be a better way to do this.”
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If a legislator requests a bill draft on a topic that’s already being addressed by another lawmaker, Legislative Council staff will inform them there’s a similar proposal and ask if they can provide the lawmaker’s name so they could potentially work together, Bjornson said.
“We’re seeing a much greater reluctance to do that now,” he told the committee.
Legislative Council Director John Bjornson presents during a legislative committee hearing on Dec. 13, 2023.
Kyle Martin / For the North Dakota Monitor
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He said the reluctance is likely due to term limits reducing a lawmaker’s time to make an impression.
Committee member Sen. Kathy Hogan, D-Fargo, questioned whether the policy is good transparency practice.
“This seems like pretty basic information,” she said.
By contrast, bill drafts requested by Montana lawmakers are public on a legislative website, Bjornson said.
The committee has also discussed other ways to streamline processes, such as addressing how many bill drafts a lawmaker can request or adjusting the timeline for making requests. The committee has not made any recommendations, but may meet one more time before the 2025 session.
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During the 2023 regular legislative session, 1,230 bills and resolutions were drafted, with 990 of those introduced, according to Legislative Council. A total of 585 bills became law and 40 resolutions passed.
The average number of bill drafts requested per legislator has trended up in the last decade, with about 10 bill drafts per lawmaker in 2023 compared to seven in 2013, a Legislative Council analysis shows. Nine lawmakers requested 21 or more bill drafts in 2023.
This story was originally published on NorthDakotaMonitor.com
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Grace M. Kegler, 94, of Grand Forks, ND passed away Monday, December 23, 2024, at Edgewood Vista in East Grand Forks, MN. Memorial Liturgy 1100 a.m. Saturday, December 28, 2024, with a 1030 a.m. Rosary Service in the Historic Norman Funeral Home Chapel. Family Greeting 1000 a.m. to 1100 a.m.
Coming out of a difficult non-conference span of games, this past week was likely a step down in competition for the Alabama Crimson Tide basketball team.
Beginning on Wednesday night, the Crimson Tide did what most programs do not often do, traveling across the country mid-week for a true road game against the North Dakota Fighting Hawks. Alabama would however win that contest in a closer game than most expected, 97-90, and then returned home Sunday for a showdown with the Kent State Golden Flashes in which they were victorious, 81-54.
Because of these results, Alabama now sits at 10-2 overall for the 2024-25 season with the Crimson Tide’s non-conference schedule winding down, and the start of SEC play looming in early-January.
However, just how much did these results affect Alabama’s AP Poll Top 25 ranking, if at all?
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After carrying a ranking of No. 6 last week, Alabama rose one spot up to No. 5 in the latest AP Poll released Monday afternoon. The Crimson Tide were also the third highest-ranked SEC team, trailing only No. 1 Tennessee and No. 2 Auburn.
Riding a four-game winning streak, the Crimson Tide will officially be back in action this upcoming Sunday, Dec. 29 at home against South Dakota State, with tipoff set for 3 p.m. ET on either SEC Network+ or ESPN+.
It has been a year of adjusting for North Dakota State Junior Guard Brennan Watkins, who has found a new home in Fargo after two seasons at VMI.
“It’s different in the stand point that I get to just focus on basketball more. At VMI there was military, a lot of academics and then basketball was kind of an after thought. Obviously there is time for academics but I have more time to be in the gym and get more shots up,” said Watkins looking back at his time out east.
As the Missouri native navigates his first season with the green and gold, Watkins also has to adjust to some new headgear after a gruesome injury in the game against Weber State earlier this season.
“I didn’t even know where I got hit. I just knew there was pain radiating around my face. My reaction was to just put my hands to my face. I kind of took my hands away and my hands were just completely filled with blood and I was like oh no that’s not good” he said.
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Watkins suffered a compound fracture breaking his nose in two places.
“When I was at the game the team doctor readjusted it partially there and they said it was too swollen to completely adjust it. I think once I go back to the doctor they are going to adjust it a second time too. There is not pain but it is difficult to breathe. I’m not really getting as much airflow through my nose as I am used to” said Watkins describing his challenges with the broken nose.
Despite the injury, Watkins hasn’t missed a game or a beat becoming the “Masked Man” for the Bison.
“It’s completely different. I can’t really see out of my peripherals. Once I start to sweat the clear mask starts to fog up so that creates another problem. It’s truly difficult. I don’t think people understand how much of a difference it makes,” he said.
“Brennan has always been a really talented basketball player. Gifted offensive player and we have challenged him on the little things, the winning plays and he is starting to understand those and execute those things and that’s the next step for him,” said NDSU Head Coach, Dave Richman.
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A warrior, Watkins is determined to stay on the floor and make those winning plays for North Dakota State.
“Just do anything for my team and help them win that is just kind of the player I am. It doesn’t matter if I have a broken nose. If I am able to play I’m going to be out there,” said Watkins.
The Bison Men’s Basketball Team has one more non-conference match up against CSU-Bakersfield on Monday night before conference play begins on January, 2nd.
Sam Goetzinger joined WDAY News as a reporter and anchor in 2022 after graduating from St. Cloud State University. Sam worked alongside his Dad in the radio industry for 10 years in his hometown of New Prague, Minnesota before heading off to college. Along with his news responsibilities, Sam also handles play-by-play duties for North Dakota and Minnesota high school athletics.
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