Gov. Kelly Armstrong, center-right, speaks to reporters next to Lt. Gov. Michelle Strinden, right, after holding his first Cabinet meeting in the governor’s conference room at the Capitol on Dec. 16, 2024. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong signaled a possible shakeup at the Department of Health and Human Services after his…
BISMARCK, N.D. (KVRR) — Kelly Armstrong is now the 34th governor of North Dakota, assuming the office today after taking the oath of Friday. He was joined by his wife Kjersti and their kids Anna and Eli along with other family members and outgoing governor and first lady Doug and Kathryn Burgum. Secretary of State Michael Howe administered the oath…
ST. PAUL (KVRR) — Attorney General Keith Ellison of Minnesota files suit against gun manufacturer Glock over its pistol “switch” conversion capability. The civil lawsuit claims Glock was aware since the 1980s that the design of its pistols allowed for easy modification to make the weapon function like a fully automatic firearm. The attorney general says Glock promotes automatic weapons…
Fargo City Commissioner Michelle TurnbergFARGO, N.D. (KVRR) — An urgent move by Fargo City Commissioner Michelle Turnberg to address the homeless situation as the temperatures drop is voted down by the commission. Turnberg’s proposal called “Operation Safe Fargo” was defeated 3-2, with her only support coming from Commissioner Dave Piepkorn. She proposed outlawing homeless camping on any city property and…
FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) — A proposal by Fargo City Commissioner Denise Kolpack to hire a Community Integration Facilitator to help new Americans has been tabled. Commissioners voted 4-1 to push the idea back a few months since there are new state and federal administrations taking over. Kolpack says the purpose of the position is to connect Fargo newcomers with programs…
The new State Lab is under construction on the Capitol grounds in Bismarck on Nov. 21, 2024. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — A new State Lab under construction on the Capitol grounds will give North Dakota expanded capabilities to address public health and environmental concerns, including testing to detect forever chemicals. North Dakota’s Department of Environmental…
This fire hydrant in Mandan ruptured in 2023, flooding residential property down a hillside below the hydrant. (Courtesy of Marc Montplaisir)WEST FARGO, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — The insurance provider for cities and other local governments across North Dakota routinely denies claims from state residents without providing an explanation, according to an audit report presented to legislators last week. Several…
Opponents of the Dakota Access Pipeline gather Nov. 1, 2023, in Bismarck ahead of a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers public meeting on an environmental impact statement. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe opposes the pipeline, citing concerns for its water supply. (Kyle Martin/For the North Dakota Monitor)BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — A federal judge this week approved the state…
North Dakota Senate Minority Leader Sen. Kathy Hogan, D-Fargo, speaks during a debate on the rules for the chamber as part of the organizational session on Dec. 4, 2024. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — The North Dakota House adopted new conflict of interest rules Wednesday, but the Senate rejected those same rules in a split vote….
BISMARCK, N.D. (KVRR) — Gov. Doug Burgum presents his final executive budget proposal to the North Dakota legislature. The proposed budget for 2025-27 is at $19.6 billion, a slight decrease from the current two-year budget. He offered a rosy budget picture based largely on the success in extracting near-record levels of oil and gas. He wants to improve housing affordability,…
