North Dakota
With session winding down, North Dakota lawmakers at roadblock on property tax bill
BISMARCK — The North Dakota Legislature did not gavel in Wednesday, April 30, instead spending the day hashing out the final bills of the session in conference committees, including the long-awaited property tax relief and reform legislation that lawmakers say is stuck.
In February, Gov. Kelly Armstrong said he was simply happy that even with changes made to House Bill 1176 he did not fully agree with, the bill was still moving forward. It was not “stuck in the mud.” Now, it appears the bill has finally been mired.
Rep. Mike Nathe, R-Bismarck, said the committee was “95%” in agreement on the bill during Wednesday morning’s conference committee meeting and brought up what he said was the last piece the Senate and House have to come to an agreement on: the “skin in the game” amendment.
“Let’s face it, there is one issue that is hanging out there,” Nathe said during the meeting. “We’ve talked about it very little and it’s kind of the elephant in the room and that’s the ‘skin in the game.’”
The “skin in the game” amendment was introduced by Senate Majority Leader David Hogue, R-Minot, in the Senate Appropriations Committee. The amendment would make it so no resident’s property tax obligation could reach zero. Instead, they would be required to pay at least 25% of their primary residence tax obligation.
Hogue has said that reducing the amount of property taxes a homeowner pays to zero would make it so they no longer have a stake in voting on proposed local property tax increases.
Opponents to the amendment say that local bond levies that would raise local property taxes would not be factored into the tax obligation used to calculate their primary residence tax credit. Meaning, they would still be on the hook for local bond levies and other property tax increases adopted by voters.
Nathe said in committee that he thinks it is “blatantly unfair” that 30,000 North Dakotans do not pay property tax but the “skin in the game” amendment would close the path to zero property tax obligation for other North Dakotans. About 20,000 of those are farmsteads that qualify for the farm residence property tax exemption, according to Nathe.
Sen. Mark Weber, R-Casselton, said that in the case of the farm residence property tax exemption, farmers are absolutely paying property tax. They are not paying it on their farmstead, but they are paying “significantly more” on their farmland, he said.
Nathe called this argument “apples to oranges” because the farmland produces revenue for them, making it more similar to a business asset. He equated it to him paying property taxes on his home and separately on his business and the land it sits on.
“We have to resolve this before we can move forward,” Rep. Glenn Bosch, R-Bismarck, told the Tribune Wednesday. “And unfortunately, this ‘skin in the game’ conversation carries over to other budgets right now.”
According to Bosch, the state Department of Transportation budget and the state treasurer’s budget are waiting on the bill to be resolved before they can move forward.
There have been 12 conference committee meetings trying to hash out the differences between the House and Senate versions of the measure, but the last four have been less than 10 minutes long and one lasted only four minutes.
The current version of the bill being discussed in committee would use Legacy Fund dollars to increase the primary residence tax credit to a maximum of $1,650 and cap the amount political subdivisions can raise levies at 3% a year.
With the committee stuck, there was discussion of other property tax relief and reform bills that have yet to be acted on, frustrating some members of the HB 1176 conference committee.
“I don’t think those are really options. Those other bills,” Bosch said in an interview with the Tribune. “I mean, we’ve got this bill in front of us. I think we’re a long way toward getting what we want to get accomplished with this bill, and those other bills just become distractions. We have to take action on those … We need to clear the deck so we can get done with the one we’ve got in front of us.”
Bekkedahl said that saving bills like this as an alternative to the primary vehicle for a piece of legislation is normal, but he called the practice “frustrating.”
“It’s a chamber-to-chamber issue,” Bekkedahl said. “It’s always been that way. It always will be that way. Those bills go away at some point if they’re no longer needed. But right now, without resolution to the primary bills, those bills are going to be standing there for some reason or another.”
Neither side has a clear idea of how the stalemate will come to a close but lawmakers say that movement on other bills might change the bargaining position of one chamber or the other, and the added pressure that comes as the end of the session approaches may force concessions.
“I want to make it very clear the Senate is not willing to concede at this time on the ‘skin in the game,’” Weber said during Wednesday morning’s conference committee. “I will make that very clear. We are not prepared to concede and I think everybody sitting here knows that.”
“Alright, well, if that’s the case, then we’re just going to adjourn until you are ready to make some movement,” said Rep. Craig Headland, R-Montpelier, chair of the conference committee on HB 1176.
It is unclear when the committee will meet again.
MANNING, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — One case of measles was reported in Dunn County, increasing North Dakota’s total number of cases to 36 this year, the Department of Health and Human Services said Friday.
The Dunn County case was believed to have been contracted out of state, health officials said.
North Dakota’s 36 total measles cases confirmed this year now equals the state’s total measles cases reported in 2025, according to the department’s measles dashboard.
Measles cases have been reported across six other counties in North Dakota this year: 23 cases in Pembina County; six cases in Ransom County; three cases in Grand Forks County; and individual cases reported in Traill, Walsh and Williams counties. Five people who contracted measles in 2026 needed to be hospitalized.
Previously, Molly Howell, immunization director of HHS, said being vaccinated against measles is critical to prevent the spread of the disease. She said people with two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine are 97% protected against contracting the disease.
Cases of measles continue to be reported across the U.S. and Canada, the department said, and people should monitor for symptoms.
Measles symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose and eye irritation, followed by a widespread rash, according to the department. People can transmit the disease for up to four days before a rash develops, according to HHS.
People who believe they may have contracted measles should call a healthcare provider before arriving at a medical clinic for treatment so precautions can be taken to protect other patients and medical staff, HHS said.
As of April 30, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 1,814 cases of measles across 36 states in 2026.
Submitted Photo
U.S. Air Force veteran Jim Clifford of Minot is shown with the Lincoln Memorial in the background during his trip to the Washington, D.C., area with the Western North Dakota Honor Flight.
U.S. Air Force veteran Jim Clifford of Minot said his recent trip to the Washington, D.C., area with the Western North Dakota Honor Flight was a memorable one.
“The honor is so great,” he said.
Clifford was among more than 100 veterans on the trip from Bismarck, Sunday, April 26, and returning, Monday, April 27. Besides Clifford, several other Minot veterans made the trip.
He said he was very impressed with the N.D. Western Honor Flight organization and the coordination of the trip.
“The coordination is unbelievable. We had a police escort from our hotel room in Arlington, Virginia, to the Capitol. It was right at rush hour,” he said. He said the group of veterans traveled in four buses.
When they arrived at Washington Dulles International Airport, people with signs were standing to the side to greet them.
“It was just unbelievable,” he said. When they left the Bismarck airport, he said, the lobby there was full of people. He said Bismarck comes out really well for the veterans going on these trips and it was the same when the Western N.D. Honor Flight was out of Minot for the first time in April 2025.
Clifford was active duty in the Air Force from 1971-75. For 10 months he served in Taiwan but his Air Force time before and after was at Minot Air Force Base with the fire department.
“My first fire chief was Ken Gillespie,” he said. Gillespie’s son, Ken Gillespie aka Dizzy the Clown, is well known in the Minot area.
After discharge from the Air Force, Clifford continued civil service with the base fire department from 1976-2008, retiring as fire chief.
During the Honor Flight trip, Clifford said, they visited many highlights — veterans’ memorials including World War II, Korean and Vietnam, the U.S. Capitol and the Dulles Air and Space Museum. Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak, R-ND, and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum met with the group during their visit.
The veterans also visited Arlington National Cemetery.
“We got to see the Changing of the Guard and see them laying two wreaths,” he said.
At a banquet held that night for the veterans at their hotel, the Hyatt Regency in Arlington, he said the sentinel, the lead person for the Changing of the Guard, spoke to them.
“It was a very worthwhile trip. If you’re a veteran, you need to sign up for it,” Clifford said of the Honor Flight.
The Western North Dakota Honor Flight will be the grand marshal of the 2026 North Dakota State Parade Saturday, July 18, in Minot.
A celebration of life is being held in Moorhead on Friday for Liz Anne Conmy, who was killed alongside her partner in a plane crash in Brooklyn Park on Saturday.
The celebration of life will take place at RiverHaven Events Center from 4:30 P.M. to 7:30 P.M.
Those paying their respects are asked not to wear black in accordance with Conmy’s wishes, who said that one shouldn’t wear black to a funeral because it should be a celebration, and are asked to wear something colorful instead.
North Dakota State Representative Conmy and her partner, Dr. Joseph Cass, a retired Mayo Clinic orthopedic surgeon, were killed when the Beechcraft F33A they were in crashed near Crystal airport.
At this time, an investigation into what caused the crash is still ongoing.
SEE North Dakota lawmaker 1 of 2 killed in plane crash near Crystal Airport
Commy, a mother of four with ties to Minnesota State University and the University of St. Thomas, was known for her dedication to environmental and educational issues.
Friends say the couple had a passion for flying and traveled together all over the country, including in Minnesota, where Cass had a lake house.
SEE Friends, colleagues remember North Dakota lawmaker and partner killed in plane crash
Conmy’s political colleagues say she was preparing to run for a second term in the North Dakota House of Representatives.
-
Miami, FL3 minutes agoMercedes’ Kimi Antonelli continues strong form with Miami Grand Prix Pole
-
Boston, MA9 minutes agoWith Jayson Tatum out, Celtics debut brand-new starting lineup in Game 7
-
Denver, CO15 minutes ago2026 Denver Supercross Results
-
Seattle, WA21 minutes agoSeattle Mariners call up pitcher from Double-A
-
San Diego, CA27 minutes agoSan Diego Padres to sell team to investor group led by Kwanza Jones and José E. Feliciano, who will become the second Latino owner in baseball | Fortune
-
Milwaukee, WI33 minutes agoAscension Wisconsin held its one-day Medical Mission at Home event in Milwaukee, Racine, and Appleton
-
Atlanta, GA39 minutes agoBryce Elder’s perseverance is paying off in Atlanta Braves rotation
-
Minneapolis, MN45 minutes agoSheriff: Driver of stolen vehicle flees traffic stop in St. Paul, hits State Patrol car in Minneapolis