Politics / Elections

Baiting bill limiting North Dakota Game and Fish policy passes Senate

Sen. Keith Boehm, R-Mandan, speaks during a public hearing of the Senate Agriculture and Veterans Affairs Committee on Jan. 17, 2025. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — A bill preventing policies that would limit the use of baiting for big game animals on private property passed the Senate floor Wednesday on a 31-15 vote. Senate Bill 2137 would…

Father of transgender teen testifies that North Dakota law stems from ignorance

South Central Judicial District Judge Jackson Lofgren presides over a trial Jan. 27, 2025, in Bismarck. (Mary Steurer/North Dakota Monitor)BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — A North Dakota father told a judge on Wednesday that he feels state lawmakers were acting out of ignorance when they passed the state’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors. North Dakota in 2023 made…

Birth control, IVF protection needed in face of attacks, North Dakota bill sponsor says

Abby Berger of Bismarck stands Jan. 29, 2025, before a legislative committee hearing with a photo illustrating the large number of syringes and vials needed to help her conceive her child. (Jeff Beach/North Dakota Monitor)BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — State Rep. Karla Rose Hanson said Wednesday that bills protecting birth control and fertilization treatments are necessary because of efforts…

Senate Votes To Advance Burgum Interior Secretary Nomination To Final Confirmation Vote

WASHINGTON, D.C. (KVRR/FOX) — The Senate voted 78–20 to advance President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Interior Department, former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, for a final confirmation vote. That isn’t expected until Thursday. Burgum appeared before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee in mid-January. He told lawmakers that national security issues and the economy were his two…

The White House’s freeze on federal grants has been withdrawn

Just a little over a week into his second term, President Donald Trump took steps to maximize his power, sparking chaos and what critics contend is a constitutional crisis as he challenges the separation of powers that have defined American government for more than 200 years. The new administration’s most provocative move came this week, as it announced it would temporarily…

Debate over public charter schools begins in North Dakota Legislature

Rep. Eric Murphy, R-Grand Forks, speaks during a committee hearing on public charter schools on Jan. 28, 2025. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — Class was in session Tuesday for lawmakers as they weighed the pros and cons of public charter schools in North Dakota. Members of the House Education Committee held a public hearing on House Bill…

Transgender teen urges judge to legalize gender-affirming care for minors in North Dakota

Brittany Stewart, right, delivers the opening statement for the plaintiffs at the beginning of a trial over North Dakota’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors on Jan. 27, 2025. Jess Braverman, another attorney for the plaintiffs, is shown at left. (Mary Steurer/North Dakota Monitor)BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — A North Dakota teenager on Tuesday told a courtroom that gender-affirming…

Study pegs potential $9 billion tax impact for CO2 in North Dakota oil wells

Injecting carbon dioxide into oil wells to enhance oil recovery could have significant economic impacts for North Dakota, officials said Jan. 28, 2025. (Kyle Martin/For the North Dakota Monitor)BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — North Dakota could see another $9 billion in oil tax revenue over 10 years if oil companies begin injecting carbon dioxide into oil wells on a…

North Dakota Bill Requires Divestment From Chinese-Owned Companies

BISMARCK, N.D. (KVRR) — North Dakota lawmakers are considering a bill that would divest money from the Legacy Fund away from Chinese-owned businesses. If passed, the bill would also initiate a review of all Legacy Fund investments to determine which direct holdings include securities of any Chinese companies. Indirect investments in Chinese-owned companies, such as through a mutual fund, would…