North Dakota

Voters reject marijuana legalization in North Dakota and South Dakota

Published

1 year ago

November 6, 2024

Voters reject marijuana legalization in North Dakota and South Dakota

Voters in two sparsely populated red states, North Dakota and South Dakota, have rejected ballot initiatives that would have legalized recreational marijuana. With nearly all ballots counted on Tuesday night, North Dakota’s Initiated Measure 5 had received support from less than 48 percent of voters. South Dakota’s Initiated Measure 29 was favored by about 42 percent of voters with three-quarters of ballots counted.

Registered Republicans outnumber registered Democrats by more than 2 to 1 in South Dakota, where the GOP has controlled the governor’s office and both chambers of the state legislature since 1995.

In 2020, South Dakota voters nevertheless approved two ballot measures that would have simultaneously legalized both medical and recreational marijuana. The medical initiative was favored by nearly 70 percent of voters, while the recreational initiative got 54 percent. After Kristi Noem, South Dakota’s Republican governor, mounted a successful court challenge to the recreational initiative, reformers tried again in 2022, when 53 percent of voters said no.

South Dakota voters got another chance to change their minds this year. Measure 29 would have allowed adults 21 or older to possess two ounces or less and grow up to six plants at home. It also would have allowed sharing among adults “without consideration.” Like the 2022 initiative but unlike the 2020 version, this year’s ballot measure does not authorize commercial production and distribution.

Measure 29’s backers far outspent its opponents, but polls conducted prior to the election were not encouraging. A survey conducted last May put support for the initiative at 42 percent, with 52 percent opposed and the rest undecided. A poll conducted last month found that 45 percent of likely voters favored the initiative, with 50 percent opposed and 5 percent undecided.

The ratio of Republicans to Democrats is similarly lopsided in North Dakota, where the GOP has likewise maintained a trifecta since 1995. And as in South Dakota, voters are fine with medical marijuana, which they approved by a 28-point margin in 2016, but leery of recreational legalization, which they rejected in 2018 and 2022.

Measure 5 would have let adults 21 or older possess up to an ounce and grow up to three plants at home. It also would have authorized commercial production and distribution by state-licensed businesses.

The marijuana legalization campaign had an even bigger financial advantage in North Dakota than in South Dakota: Ballotpedia had not identified any opposition spending as of September. A survey of likely voters conducted that month found that 45 percent favored recreational legalization, 40 percent were opposed, and 15 percent were undecided. Those undecided voters evidently broke the wrong way.

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North Dakota

Hoeven, Armstrong, Traynor speak on OBBB Rural Health Transformation Fund updates in ND

Published

10 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Hoeven, Armstrong, Traynor speak on OBBB Rural Health Transformation Fund updates in ND

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – On Friday, North Dakota U.S. Senator John Hoeven, Governor Kelly Armstrong and Health and Human Services Commissioner Pat Traynor explained how the state plans to use millions of dollars from the Big Beautiful Bill’s Rural Health Transformation Fund to transform healthcare across the state.

They spoke extensively about the special session to allocate the funds, and confirmed that it is still tentatively set for Jan. 21.

The Big Beautiful Bill allocated $25 billion for rural healthcare nationwide. North Dakota received $500 million for five years and $200 million for the first year. There is still another $25 billion left to be spent, and North Dakota is hoping to receive an extra $500 million.

“I truly believe that with the plan we’re putting in place and the things we built that line up with that, we’ll get a billion dollars over five years,” said Hoeven.

Federal rules require the state to lock in contracts for the money by October first— a deadline officials say is driving the need for a special session.

In the first year, North Dakota will focus on retention grants to keep existing staff, technical assistance and consultants for rural hospitals, as well as telehealth equipment and home patient monitoring.

A KFYR+ exclusive

Governor Armstrong says the special session will include policy bills tied to how much federal rural health funding the state can earn.

“We’re going to have a physical fitness test for physical education courses, nutrition education, continuing education requirement for physicians, physician assistant licensure compact—which North Dakota has been doing, dealing with that since the heart of the oil boom and moving forward—and then an expanded scope of practice for pharmacists,” said Armstrong.

Hundreds of millions of dollars could reshape healthcare in rural North Dakota, and state leaders say the next few weeks are key to receiving and spending that money wisely.

The governor says he only wants to focus on bills related to the Rural Health Transformation Program during the special session and doesn’t intend to deal with other state issues during that time.

Politicians outline plans for ND Rural Health Transformation Program

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North Dakota

North Dakota officials celebrate being among big winners in federal rural health funding

Published

22 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

North Dakota officials celebrate being among big winners in federal rural health funding

North Dakota U.S. Sen. John Hoeven and Gov. Kelly Armstrong on Friday touted the success of the state’s application for federal Rural Health Transformation Program funding, which landed one of the largest per-capita awards in the nation.

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North Dakota

Tony Osburn’s 27 helps Omaha knock off North Dakota 90-79

Published

1 day ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

Tony Osburn’s 27 helps Omaha knock off North Dakota 90-79

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Tony Osburn scored 27 points as Omaha beat North Dakota 90-79 on Thursday.

Osburn shot 8 of 12 from the field, including 5 for 8 from 3-point range, and went 6 for 9 from the line for the Mavericks (8-10, 1-2 Summit League). Paul Djobet scored 18 points and added 12 rebounds. Ja’Sean Glover finished with 10 points.

The Fightin’ Hawks (8-11, 2-1) were led by Eli King, who posted 21 points and two steals. Greyson Uelmen added 19 points for North Dakota. Garrett Anderson had 15 points and two steals.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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