Politics / Elections

Budget shortfall will reduce North Dakota child care assistance for some families

BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — The North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services is reducing some of its child care subsidies for working families as the program faces an unexpected $35.5 million funding deficit. The state set aside $124.7 million for the program for the 2025-2027 budget cycle. Due to increased enrollment, however, the department now anticipates needing…

State-owned minerals projected to generate $8 billion in future royalty payments

Oil pump jacks operate in Williams County, North Dakota, in September 2024. BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — State-owned minerals are projected to generate $8.4 billion in future oil and gas royalties over the life of North Dakota oil production, benefiting K-12 education, according to an annual analysis. The projected royalties’ benefit to the Common Schools Trust Fund, as well…

Ethics Commission member withdraws application to serve another term

Commissioner Murray Sagsveen, right, of the North Dakota Ethics Commission, speaks during a commission meeting at the Capitol next to Cynthia Lindquist, chair of the commission, on Nov. 19, 2025. (Photo by Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — North Dakota Ethics Commission member Murray Sagsveen has withdrawn his application for another term after a selection committee deadlocked…

North Dakota Farmers Union elects next president

Matt Perdue, North Dakota Farmers UnionBISMARCK, N.D. (KVRR-KFGO) – Matt Perdue has been elected to lead North Dakota Farmers Union as its next president. Delegates to the 99th annual convention in Bismarck selected him as just the tenth individual to take the reins of the state’s largest general farm organization and the youngest at 33 years of age. Also seeking the…

State agencies push back on Xcel’s proposed gas price hikes amid ‘economic uncertainty’

ST. PAUL, Minn. (Minnesota Reformer) —  Xcel Energy gas customers are all but certain to see their rates increase next month. Minnesota utility regulators will meet Thursday to decide by how much and for how long. In October, Xcel asked the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission for permission to raise gas rates for the average residential customer by about $85 per year while…

Firm poised to make first in-state infrastructure investment from North Dakota Legacy Fund

Natural gas and other energy infrastructure is pictured in Williams County, North Dakota, in September 2024. A state program aims to invest Legacy Fund dollars into North Dakota infrastructure. (Photo by Kyle Martin/For the North Dakota Monitor)BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — The first investment of North Dakota Legacy Fund dollars into an in-state infrastructure project could be made in…

‘MyPillow’ founder Mike Lindell running for Minnesota governor

FILE – Mike Lindell, CEO of My Pillow, talks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a news conference at Trump National Golf Club, Aug. 15, 2024, in Bedminster, N.J. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)SHAKOPEE, Minn. (KVRR-AP) — Mike Lindell, the fervent supporter of President Donald Trump known to TV viewers as the “MyPillow Guy,” officially entered…

North Dakota names first female Supreme Court chief justice

North Dakota Supreme Court Justice Lisa Fair McEvers asks questions during a Dec. 18, 2023, hearing in Bismarck. (Photo by Kyle Martin/For the North Dakota Monitor)BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — Lisa Fair McEvers has been elected the first female chief justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court. She earned about 83% of the vote by sitting justices and district…

North Dakota to limit what can be purchased with SNAP benefits

BISMARCK, N.D. (KVRR-KFGO) – North Dakota is one of a dozen states limiting what can be purchased with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins approved North Dakota’s application for a SNAP food-choice waiver under the Make America Healthy Again initiative. The waivers will amend the statutory definition of “food for purchase” under SNAP beginning…

Fargo attorney appointed to North Dakota Ethics Commission

Mark WesternBISMARCK, N.D. (KVRR-KFGO) – The North Dakota Ethics Commission has appointed Mark Western as its newest commissioner. His term started on Nov. 19, 2025. Western‘s appointment is a one-year term, filling the unexpired term of Commissioner David Anderson who passed away in May 2025. A native of Stanley, North Dakota, Western received an undergraduate degree in Social Studies Education from…