north dakota legislature

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…

Requiring public comment period at local meetings debated at North Dakota Legislature

Sen. Bob Paulson, R-Minot, testifies in support of a bill during a public hearing at the Capitol on Jan. 24, 2025. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — North Dakota school boards pushed back on a Senate bill that would require public comment periods during regular meetings of local subdivisions. Sen. Bob Paulson, R-Minot, said he is sponsoring Senate…

North Dakota Legislature considering bills that would increase taxes on tobacco

BISMARCK, N.D. — North Dakota Legislature is considering a bill that would increase taxes on tobacco products. Senate Minority Leader Kathy Hogan of Fargo is the sponsor of the bill. SB 2281 would raise the tax on a pack of cigarettes by 25 cents, to 69 cents. Cigars would see a tax of 32 percent while electronic cigarettes and vapes…

Voter registration, campaign finance reporting debated by North Dakota lawmakers

Rep. Mike Schatz, R-New England, speaks in a favor of a bill to require voter registration in North Dakota on Jan. 23. 2025. (Mary Steurer/North Dakota Monitor)BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — The latest proposal to require voter registration in North Dakota met strong opposition last week. North Dakota is the only state in the country without voter registration. Instead,…

Committee votes to tweak North Dakota lawmaker term limits

Rep. Ben Koppelman, R-West Fargo, speaks about term limits during a committee hearing on Jan. 23, 2025. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — A North Dakota legislative committee advanced a bill Thursday that makes a change to lawmaker term limits approved by voters in 2022. The constitutional measure limits lawmakers to serving no more than eight years in the state House…

Online sports betting resolution rejected by North Dakota lawmakers

The North Dakota Capitol building. (Kyle Martin/For the North Dakota Monitor)BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — North Dakota lawmakers on Wednesday rejected another attempt at legalizing online sports betting. Rep. Scott Louser, R-Minot, said he hoped to stave off a citizen-initiated measure on legalizing online sports betting with a resolution that would have put the issue up to a statewide…

North Dakota bill takes aim at crypto fraud with new consumer protections

Josh Askvig, state director of AARP North Dakota, speaks during a committee hearing on digital currency kiosks on Jan. 22, 2025. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — A bill debated Wednesday by North Dakota lawmakers aims to protect residents from cryptocurrency scams. House Bill 1447 would add new requirements for crypto kiosks – or ATMs for digital currency…