701-566-9300Murphy’s Law Blog 2019 | #20
Looks like I-94 opened up just in time to let the lawmakers go home for the weekend. 1066, the gigantic infrastructure bill coined “Operation Prairie Dog” passed both houses and is heading for the Governor. It will distribute oil tax monies to several funds and eventually end up filling counties and township buckets after some […]hi
Looks like I-94 opened up just in time to let the lawmakers go home for the weekend. 1066, the gigantic infrastructure bill coined “Operation Prairie Dog” passed both houses and is heading for the Governor. It will distribute oil tax monies to several funds and eventually end up filling counties and township buckets after some larger cities and everyone else (over one thousand in pop.) get...
Murphy’s Law Blog 2019 | #19
The last couple of days have seen a lot of activity with the farm home exemption (2360) as we try to get a feeling for the floor vote by speaking to as many House members as possible. Right now I would say it has a fighting chance. The bill has been held in committee while […]hi
The last couple of days have seen a lot of activity with the farm home exemption (2360) as we try to get a feeling for the floor vote by speaking to as many House members as possible. Right now I would say it has a fighting chance. The bill has been held in committee while hoping for a result better than the 7-7 vote we had last week. The House Finance and Tax committee passed out the Farm...
Murphy’s Law Blog 2019 | #18
This morning was spent listening to the back and forth on 1467 which is about transferring grain licensing duties from the PSC to the Agriculture Department. A frustrated PSC Commissioner Randy Christmann maintains that his agency has been hamstrung when it comes to looking at financial records –a key part of evaluating licensing – even […]hi
This morning was spent listening to the back and forth on 1467 which is about transferring grain licensing duties from the PSC to the Agriculture Department. A frustrated PSC Commissioner Randy Christmann maintains that his agency has been hamstrung when it comes to looking at financial records –a key part of evaluating licensing – even though he has been asking for the ability to...
Murphy’s Law Blog 2019 | #17
Yesterday, we spent a couple of hours in the afternoon at the Public Service Commission office discussing grain inspection and licensing. I would typify it as an excellent meeting and the Commissioner thanked us for engaging. He also mentioned that he wished other commodity groups would get involved at the same level. Then we hustled […]hi
Yesterday, we spent a couple of hours in the afternoon at the Public Service Commission office discussing grain inspection and licensing. I would typify it as an excellent meeting and the Commissioner thanked us for engaging. He also mentioned that he wished other commodity groups would get involved at the same level.
Then we hustled down to House Finance and Tax where the committee was...
Murphy’s Law Blog 2019 | #16
There is nothing like a Monday drive to Bismarck through alternating whiteouts to make one appreciate being back in the Capitol. These last two days for your legislative crew has centered around the farm home exemption bills which, having passed the Senate, were up for their House hearing Wednesday in Finance and Tax committee. There […]hi
There is nothing like a Monday drive to Bismarck through alternating whiteouts to make one appreciate being back in the Capitol. These last two days for your legislative crew has centered around the farm home exemption bills which, having passed the Senate, were up for their House hearing Wednesday in Finance and Tax committee.
There are two bills appearing back to back in that hearing which...
Murphy’s Law Blog 2019 | #15
Welcome to March 1. This was a short week as the session grinds back into action like a semi-frozen combine in December. Today I spent all morning in House Energy and Natural Resources listening and eventually testifying on 2139 which seeks to reinstate the State Water Commission cost-share for snagging and clearing. That bill is […]hi
Welcome to March 1. This was a short week as the session grinds back into action like a semi-frozen combine in December. Today I spent all morning in House Energy and Natural Resources listening and eventually testifying on 2139 which seeks to reinstate the State Water Commission cost-share for snagging and clearing. That bill is all about roads and bridges and I testified in relation to the...
Murphy’s Law Blog 2019 | #14
Legislative sessions in our state are comprised of two halves and overtime. We just finished the first half on the 33rd day and rather than turnovers, it is Crossover. We will start again Wednesday of next week, probably go another 33 or so and the last possible or 80th day is April 30. How long […]hi
Legislative sessions in our state are comprised of two halves and overtime. We just finished the first half on the 33rd day and rather than turnovers, it is Crossover. We will start again Wednesday of next week, probably go another 33 or so and the last possible or 80th day is April 30. How long the Conference Committee (overtime) goes is something many people get into a betting pool for.
So...
Murphy’s Law Blog 2019 | #13
It seems that many are curious about the status of the Spiritwood soybean crush plant and today I was one of a dozen people in the Commerce Department building for an update. There were representatives from Great River Energy (GRE), Jamestown EDC, the Lieutenant Governor, the Bank of ND, MNSP (Minnesota Soybean Processors)/NDSP, three state […]hi
It seems that many are curious about the status of the Spiritwood soybean crush plant and today I was one of a dozen people in the Commerce Department building for an update. There were representatives from Great River Energy (GRE), Jamestown EDC, the Lieutenant Governor, the Bank of ND, MNSP (Minnesota Soybean Processors)/NDSP, three state farmer-legislators comprised of a Tax committee...
Murphy’s Law Blog 2019 | #12
Hey! It is the middle of the week after the Corn and Soybean Expo and I just want to thank the many folks who mentioned that they appreciate the blog. Good to know that it is read. Today we had committee action taken on the farm home exemption bill (2360) that would get rid of […]hi
Hey! It is the middle of the week after the Corn and Soybean Expo and I just want to thank the many folks who mentioned that they appreciate the blog. Good to know that it is read.
Today we had committee action taken on the farm home exemption bill (2360) that would get rid of the current tests and use the federal IRS definition which is that 66 percent or more of gross income from the farm...
Murphy’s Law Blog 2019 | #11
One of the biggest bills moneywise this session is connected with Agriculture. It is #2297 and has a nearly $152 million total. It includes NDSU’s #1 priority on its capital improvements list (Dunbar Hall) for $51 million as well as a communications and arts building ($32 million) in Valley City State which is on the […]hi
One of the biggest bills moneywise this session is connected with Agriculture. It is #2297 and has a nearly $152 million total. It includes NDSU’s #1 priority on its capital improvements list (Dunbar Hall) for $51 million as well as a communications and arts building ($32 million) in Valley City State which is on the wrong side of the dike. The big item for Agriculture is the NDSU Agricultural...