March 23, 2023
Murphy’s Law Blog 2023 | #22
Animal Ag Development Bills
We had good action on two animal ag development bills today. After a positive hearing last week on HB 1437, the Senate Agriculture Committee passed it out with a 6-0 Do Pass recommendation. This bill uses regional planning grants to help counties and townships update their zoning and utilize other technologies and skill sets to choose sites adequate for housing animal ag...
March 20, 2023
Murphy’s Law Blog 2023 | #21
Snow Removal Relief
Got any snow? SB 2183 just passed on the House floor and should be able to become law upon the Governor signing it within a few days. It allows tribal governments, cities, counties and townships to apply to the Adjutant General (of the North Dakota National Guard) for grants to help with the cost of excessive snow removal. Up to 60% of any cost over 150% of your lowest...
March 17, 2023
Murphy’s Law Blog 2023 | #20
Zoning, Roads and Bridges
A Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you, especially if you don’t need to travel. One of the benefits of being in the Capitol building is that from time to time, you can get some good fresh information. The example today is that I bumped into the Director of the North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) who told me that the weather was so bad around Jamestown and east...
March 14, 2023
Murphy’s Law Blog 2023 | #19
Revenue Forecast and Township Roads
The morning started out early with a joint hearing of both Appropriations committees listening to Moody’s look ahead at what is in store for dollars coming into our state. The word is that it will remain much the same as previously expected with a slight touch of decline. Nothing major. The other entity retained to look into the crystal ball is Standard and Poors which...
March 9, 2023
Murphy’s Law Blog 2023 | #18
Grain Bins, Research and Extension
On Wednesday afternoon during committee work in Senate Finance and Tax, the decision to recommend a Do Pass on HB 1370 got a 5 to 1 vote. That bill gives a sales tax exemption to those who would purchase grain bins for the next two years. The purpose of bringing the bill is to provide an incentive for on-farm storage given the demand for year-round soybeans serving the...
March 7, 2023
Murphy’s Law Blog 2023 | #17
Auditor Bill
SB 2259 has passed both houses. It sets North Dakota State agency commodity group fees for the State Auditor. North Dakota Soybean Council (NDSC) was set at $6,000 dollars and most other groups at $4,000. NDSC’s latest fee was around $17,200 and unlike other commodities, is audited every year due to its status as a federal checkoff entity. Most other commodities are...
March 2, 2023
Murphy’s Law Blog 2023 | #16
Back to Hearings
Today started with the weekly Thursday Ag Coalition Zoom call at 7:00 a.m. Then the hearings started with most legislators back after a few had been delayed by the latest blizzard. These are the eight hearings I have attended today, all in person, most with written testimony submitted online and many standing up at the podium:
8:30 a.m. – SB 2259 – which...
February 28, 2023
Murphy’s Law Blog 2023 | #15
Some Key Points
Now that the second period starts this week here are a few things we know about the legislature and agricultural issues: There are a lot of opportunities for extra funding for county and township roads and bridges that are still alive. Some bills have been rolled into the North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) budget and some survived intact. While there are...
February 21, 2023
Murphy’s Law Blog 2023 | #14
Crossover Crunch
Crossover Crunch, huh? Sounds like I just invented a new snack food or something. I am referring to the long hours legislators are putting in so that they get a break late this week and early next week as House bills go to the Senate and vice-versa. While many road and bridge infrastructure bills are still alive, SB 2275 died on the Senate floor yesterday. This is the one...
February 16, 2023
Murphy’s Law 2023 | #13
Zoning, Transportation, NDSU Research and Extension
The day started by attending two full House Appropriations final budget hearings on HB 1012 (DOT), and NDSU Research and Extension HB 1020. One interesting facet of the $2.4 billion DOT bill is a new $115 million in flexible funding whereby the department can spend that on projects off the state system (such as county or township roads or bridges they deem of importance)....
February 16, 2023
Murphy’s Law Blog 2023 | #12
Legislative Day 30 of ??
In a week or so we will be up against Crossover, the time when bills originating in one house go to the other signifying the end of the first period. If they survived, of course. Most of the bills have been heard in policy committees so they need now to get them to the floor for voting. The committees that are backlogged are usually Appropriations because they deal with...
February 9, 2023
Murphy’s Law Blog 2023 | #11
Prairie Dog or SIIF
Today saw a hearing for SB 2367 which discusses how the state allocates its share of oil and gas taxes. In 2019, Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute (UGPTI – the authority in transportation research) estimated North Dakota needed $440 million per year for 20 years to maintain our roads and bridges. This year the study says the need per year is $525 million....
February 7, 2023
Murphy’s Law 2023 | #10
Architects, Bioscience, Drainage, Zoning
Good afternoon. The title of the blog shows a few of the topics and bills of yesterday and today. Architects and engineers need to look at and sign off on public buildings that are built in North Dakota. This includes buildings built for NDSU Research and Extension such as machine sheds and the like at their stations. SB 2347 is the number and had a hearing today....
February 1, 2023
Murphy’s Law 2023 | #9
There is a lot happening in Bismarck
This week saw NDSU’s Research and Extension budget hearing by the House Appropriations subcommittee which dives deeper into the details. It seems from the discussion on this bill, HB 1020, that the number one priority coming in is going to be fully funded. Now called the Ag Field Lab, this $97 million facility would be a victory for plant breeding and combatting pathology...
January 26, 2023
Murphy’s Law 2023 | #8
Grain Bin and Zoning Bills
After testifying on HB 1370, which would allow a sales tax exemption on the construction of grain bins for the next two years, it came to the floor. The committee vote was 8 to 5. We expected it to be close and it turned out the ratio was kind of similar as it passed on the floor 55-36. So now it will crossover to the Senate for trial there.
Today, I introduced NDSGA...
January 24, 2023
Murphy’s Law 2023 | #7
County and Township funding bills
This morning your NDSGA testified on two bills that would help rural road funding.
The first was SB 2275 and it would move a $400 million bucket called the SIIF –Strategic Investment and Improvement Fund- which fills from the Prairie Dog formula (oil tax is the fountain that fills these buckets). City, County and Township Infrastructure are the next bucket if enough...
January 21, 2023
Murphy’s Law Blog 2023 | #6
Getting Somewhere
Today, I was able to join Representative Paul Thomas and the North Dakota Ag Commissioner in testifying favorably on HB 1148. The bill establishes a $15 million Ag Infrastructure Fund whereby political subdivisions could access up to $2.5 million to help with costs associated with value added projects. As an example, NDSGA used the $25 million re-do of Stutsman County...
January 18, 2023
Murphy’s Law Blog | #5
Bills Still Pouring In
Today, Rep. Thomas presented HB 1147. It asks for $100 million/year for the next 10 years for county and township bridges. The Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute states that we need about $95 million a year for the next 20 years to get our bridges up to snuff.
Earlier, I brought support for Senator Wanzek’s bill which would allow monies to counties and...
January 13, 2023
Murphy’s Law 2023 | #4
Some New Ag Bills Dropped
Today, we saw several bills concerning your industry. Bill numbers and a short summary follow if you would care to look them up:
HB 1356 is about farmland purchased by foreigners (aliens in the bill)
HB 1369 concerns funding fertilizer plant startups.
HB 1370 is on sales tax exemption for on-farm grain bin/storage.
HB 1371 is a description changing some definitions...
January 10, 2023
Murphy’s Law 2023 | #3
Bills Are Starting to Be Introduced
This is the fourth official legislative day and the sixth day of people meeting to make laws. So far, 441 bills have been put into the system for review and most expect there to be somewhere between 1,200 and 1,400, eventually. Last session there were approximately 900. There are a couple of weeks left to introduce, so rumors abound as to what is going to appear, and...