capitol Archives - KVRR Local News

Senator Tina Smith hospitalized after not feeling well at Capitol

July 16, 2025

KVRR Staff,

WASHINGTON, D.C. (FOX NEWS) — Democratic Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota was hospitalized Wednesday after she began feeling unwell while working at the Capitol, according to a statement from her staff. “While at work at the Capitol today, Sen. Smith started to not feel well,” read a post on X. “She went to the Capitol physician who recommended she undergo more thorough examination…

Sen. Mathern Speaks on Heightened Security for Legislators

Mathern opposes the idea that lawmakers need to make themselves less accessible to the public.

June 18, 2025

Gabriel Ostler,

North Dakota State Capitol / BismarckFARGO, N.D. (KVRR) – North Dakota State Senator Tim Mathern has served in Bismarck since 1986. He says that up until recently, one thing that set this state apart was the level of access it provided citizens to have with their elected representatives. “Most of us list our cell phones, our telephone numbers, our addresses,”…

Free School Lunches Proposed for North Dakotans

The bill would use money from the Legacy fund to ensure kids were properly fed every day at school.

February 20, 2025

Gabriel Ostler,

BISMARCK, N.D. – Free school meals could be coming to North Dakota public schools. A House bill with bipartisan support would appropriate $140 million from the Legacy Fund to cover school lunches for two years. Other supporters of the bill include student council members, a spokesperson from the American Heart Association, and the president of North Dakota AFL-CIO. They say…

Bill Introduced to Name Rhubarb Official State Vegetable

Rep. Matthew Heilman says he was made aware that North Dakota did not have an official state vegetable by a constituent family of his.

February 20, 2025

Gabriel Ostler,

BISMARCK, N.D. (KVRR) – Do you love rhubarb? It could soon be the new state vegetable. Representative Matthew Heilman of District 7 introduced the bill after being contacted by some of his constituents. A family homeschooling their kids discovered that North Dakota has no official state vegetable. So they suggested rhubarb as the best option. Heilman agreed – and put his…

Gov. Armstrong Talks North Dakota Economy, Possible Efficiency Moves

The governor believes the state has the ability to adjust to America's shifting needs, and also feels he can cut back on some committees at the state level.

February 12, 2025

Gabriel Ostler,

BISMARCK, N.D. – The second and final day of the Chamber at the Capitol event featured a meeting with Governor Kelly Armstrong, who discussed why it’s so important to have face-to-face meetings with business leaders. “Because government doesn’t create a single job. Government doesn’t create economic growth,” he explained. “These guys do.” He also addressed the repeated elephant in the…

Congress certifies Trump won the election without challenge, in stark contrast to the 2021 violence

January 6, 2025

kvrr-apiuser,

Vice President Kamala Harris hands the certification for Virginia to teller Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., during joint session of Congress to confirm the Electoral College votes, affirming President-elect Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential election, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress certified President-elect Donald Trump as the winner of the 2024 election in proceedings…

Lawmakers Grill Sanford And Fairview CEOs Over Proposed Merger

January 30, 2023

KVRR Staff,

ST. PAUL — CEOs of Sanford Health and Fairview Health Services say they will not delay their merger despite requests from lawmakers, Minnesota’s attorney general and the University of Minnesota. Lawmakers called the two CEOs to the state capitol and they got grilled by Democrats at a joint House Commerce and Health Finance and Policy committees hearing. U of M…

2023 North Dakota legislative session preview

January 2, 2023

Site Staff,

BISMARCK, N.D. (KVRR) – North Dakota’s Legislative sessions begins Tuesday. Republicans have 43 more seats than Democrats in the Senate and 70 in the House, but that doesn’t mean they are all on the same page. “There’s not universal agreement among the majority of Republicans on certain things and they may need some Democratic votes to get over the finish…

Woman arrested after found walking near Governor Burgum’s Bismarck home

Both the governor and first lady were at home at the time

May 30, 2022

Alison Voorhees,

Gov. Doug Burgum & Kathryn Burgum BISMARCK, N.D. (KVRR) — A woman was taken into custody after walking on Capitol property near the Governor’s house in Bismarck. Thirty-two-year-old Dakota Bee of Bismarck was arrested and charged with resisting arrest, trespassing, and disorderly conduct. North Dakota Highway Patrol says she was first seen walking around property 9:45 Sunday night and was…

Fargo woman strikes rabid fox roaming U.S. Capitol grounds

April 8, 2022

Site Staff,

WASHINGTON (KVRR) – A Fargo woman has gotten a lot of praise in Washington, DC. A member of Senator John Hoeven’s staff took action while seeing a rabid fox on Capitol Hill on Monday that bit six people including Congressman Ami Bera of California. “At the last second I turned around and hit it with my trusty, rusty backpack here,…