Politics / Elections

House votes to defund North Dakota public broadcasting, sends bill to Senate

Prairie Public Broadcasting’s offices in downtown Fargo. (Jeff Beach/North Dakota Monitor)BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — North Dakota members of the House on Monday voted to defund Prairie Public Broadcasting, with one lawmaker citing it as in line with federal cost-cutting. The House Appropriations Committee had recommended continuing to fund Prairie Public with $1.2 million for the biennium. But House Bill 1255, sponsored…

North Dakota House lawmakers approve state DOGE task force

BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — A proposal to establish a North Dakota version of the federal Department of Government Efficiency advanced in the House Monday. House Bill 1442, supported with an 88-2 vote, would create a new task force of legislators and executive branch officials to review state programs and recommend areas to cut costs. “This task force is…

Bill Would Reduce Penalties For Small Amounts of Marijuana in North Dakota

BISMARCK, N.D. (KVRR) — A hearing is held on a bill that would lower penalties for marijuana possession. The bipartisan bill would lower the fine from $1,500 to $150 for those caught in possession of less than a half-ounce of marijuana. It would also reduce the penalty from an infraction to a non-criminal citation. North Dakota States Attorneys and North…

Voters Decide 2025 Bond Referendum for West Fargo Public Schools

WEST FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) — Following the 2023 defeat of a $147 million referendum, voters in the West Fargo Public Schools district are voting again. Fourteen polling sites are open until 7 p.m. and there are three questions on the ballot. The first includes nearly $100 million for projects needed with the next five years including the completion of Heritage…

Billions of dollars at stake for farmers hit by Trump funding freeze, pause on foreign aid

Norwood Farms in Henry County, Tennessee, on Sept. 19, 2019. (USDA Photo by Lance Cheung)WASHINGTON (North Dakota Monitor) — Farmers across the United States are finding themselves in precarious economic positions, as they attempt to navigate a strained farm economy and a barrage of executive orders from the Trump administration that put some farm programs in limbo. In his first…

Armstrong waives service hour requirement for propane, citing cold snap

BISMARCK, N.D. — North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong signed an executive order on Monday starting a 30-day waiver for the hours of service requirement for commercial drivers transporting propane and other petroleum products. The order says the reason for the waiver is due to the recent cold weather the state has been experiencing. A release from the governor’s office says…

High school transfer rules questioned in North Dakota bill testimony

Kambree Draper of Bismarck speaks during a legislative committee hearing on high school sports eligibility on Feb. 11, 2025. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — Parents of North Dakota high school athletes described how they had to let school administrators walk through the home they had just moved into, as well as the home they had moved…

Bill supports North Dakota landowners caught in costly legal battles

Sen. Jeff Magrum, R-Hazelton, talks to landowners Jan. 30, 2025, at the Capitol. (Jeff Beach/North Dakota Monitor)BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — Sen. Jeff Magrum has not had much success backing bills that seek to protect landowner rights and curb the use of eminent domain and the development of carbon pipelines. But Magrum, a Republican from Hazelton, got strong backing…

U.S. Attorney for North Dakota Mac Schneider Resigns

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) — U.S. Attorney for North Dakota Mac Schneider has announced his resignation. In a social media post, Schneider wrote: “I submitted my resignation as U.S. Att’y this morning. Grateful to the point of near disbelief to do such meaningful work with such incredible people. I’ll be cheering on my successors and former colleagues in the months and…

Resolution on ‘Kingship of Jesus Christ’ given Do-Not-Pass recommendation

BISMARCK, N.D. — North Dakota legislators heard testimony Thursday on a concurrent resolution that would proclaim Jesus Christ’s kingship in North Dakota. The concurrent resolution says that “North Dakota acknowledge the Kingship of Jesus Christ over all the world in order for the state to receive the “blessings” of liberty, discipline, peace, and harmony. It was introduced by embattled Republican…