Politics / Elections

North Dakota House approves change to state health insurance plan

Rep. Ben Koppelman, R-West Fargo, speaks on the House floor on Jan. 24, 2025. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — The North Dakota House voted 55-37 on Wednesday in favor of a bill that some worry will lead to state employees paying health insurance premiums — though supporters say that is not the intention of the proposal….

Ethics commissioners say bill would impose an arbitrary cutoff for investigations

Commissioners Murray Sagsveen, left, and Ronald Goodman, right, members of the North Dakota Ethics Commission, listen to a House committee hearing on March 18, 2025. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — The Ethics Commission fears changes approved by North Dakota lawmakers earlier this week could allow alleged ethical violations by public officials to go unaddressed. “We’re going…

DFL Leadership Holds Town Hall at Concordia

The event was part of a statewide tour aiming to spark conversations regarding the impacts the Trump administration's cutbacks will have on the lives of Minnesotans.

MOORHEAD, Minn. (KVRR – Governor Tim Walz didn’t just stop by Dilworth during his visit to Clay County – he also spoke at a town hall meeting on the Concordia College campus. It was hosted by Sen. Rob Kupec and Majority Leader Sen. Erin Murphy. It’s part of a string of events put on by the DFL to discuss how…

AmeriCorps Members Who Respond to Disasters and Help Nonprofits Cut By DOGE

FILE – As President Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton mark the 20th anniversary of the AmeriCorps national service program, hundreds of new volunteers are sworn in for duty at a ceremony, Friday, Sept. 12, 2014, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, file)DES MOINES, Iowa (AP/KVRR) — Young volunteers who respond…

Gov. Armstrong Signs Bill Doing Away With Fargo’s Voter-Approved Voting System

North Dakota Republican Gov. Kelly Armstrong gestures during a meeting at the state Capitol in Bismarck, N.D., Jan. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Jack Dura)BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota’s governor signed a bill Wednesday to prohibit the unusual voting system used by his state’s largest city. The bill signed by Republican Gov. Kelly Armstrong bans ranked-choice and approval voting. Ranked-choice voting, in which voters rank their preferred candidates,…

North Dakota lawmakers consider bill that could lead to state employees paying for health premiums

Nick Archuleta, president of North Dakota United, speaks during a committee hearing on Jan. 21, 2025. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — A committee of lawmakers on Tuesday endorsed a bill that would allow the state to shift health insurance premium costs onto employees. Senate Bill 2160, sponsored by Rep. Kyle Davison, R-Fargo, would change the state…

North Dakota Senate defeats bill that aimed to divest Legacy Fund from China

Sen. Jerry Klein, R-Fessenden, testifies against a bill that sought to authorize the State Investment Board to divest the Legacy Fund from Chinese investments. (Jeff Beach / North Dakota Monitor)BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — The North Dakota Senate on Tuesday sank a bill that would have authorized the State Investment Board to divest from Legacy Fund holdings in companies…

North Dakota lawmaker defends absence as she’s urged to go without pay for vacation

Rep. Lori VanWinkle, R-Minot, speaks on the House floor on April 14, 2025. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — North Dakota’s House majority leader urged a state lawmaker Monday to forgo her legislative pay for a week of the session she missed while taking a family vacation. Rep. Lori VanWinkle, R-Minot, returned Monday after missing five days…

Library content bill narrowly passes North Dakota House

Rep. Bernie Satrom, R-Jamestown, speaks on the House floor on April 14, 2025. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — A bill requiring school and public libraries to relocate content deemed “sexually explicit” passed the House on a 49-45 vote Monday after nearly 90 minutes of debate. Senate Bill 2307, sponsored by Sen. Keith Boehm, R-Mandan, would allow…