REP. BEN KOPPELMAN

Gov. Armstrong Signs Bill Doing Away With Fargo’s Voter-Approved Voting System

North Dakota Republican Gov. Kelly Armstrong gestures during a meeting at the state Capitol in Bismarck, N.D., Jan. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Jack Dura)BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota’s governor signed a bill Wednesday to prohibit the unusual voting system used by his state’s largest city. The bill signed by Republican Gov. Kelly Armstrong bans ranked-choice and approval voting. Ranked-choice voting, in which voters rank their preferred candidates,…

North Dakota Public Charter Schools Bill Passes House, Heads Back to Senate

BISMARCK, N.D. (KVRR/KFGO) — A bill to establish public charter schools in North Dakota has passed the House on a 64-29 vote. These schools would be under the same regulations as public schools, but operate outside the school district and be administered by their own internal governing boards. The sponsor says some rural schools at risk of closing could reorganize…

North Dakota House advances 1 of 3 Education Savings Account bills

Rep. Ben Koppelman, R-West Fargo, speaks on the House floor on Jan. 24, 2025. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) – A bill that earmarks state money for tuition at private schools passed the North Dakota House on Thursday, while two other similar bills failed. House Bill 1540, sponsored by Rep. Ben Koppelman, R-West Fargo, would use money…

N.D. Legislature: Closer to Overriding Veto, Sports Betting Killed, 80MPH Speed Limit Revived

BISMARCK, N.D. (KVRR) — The North Dakota House of Representatives has voted to override Governor Doug Burgum’s veto of a bill to prevent local governments from adopting approval voting for local elections. In 2018, Fargo was the first city in the country to adopt approval voting for its local elections. It allows a person to vote for more than one…

Fargo Mayor Against Bill To Get Rid of Voter-Approved “Approval Voting”

BISMARCK, N.D. (KVRR/KFGO) — A West Fargo lawmaker wants to prohibit approval voting in North Dakota. Fargo is the only city with the voting method. A person can vote for as many candidates as they want and the candidate with the most votes wins. Republican State Representative Ben Koppelman, the bill’s sponsor, testified before the House Political Subdivisions Committee. He…