701-566-9300Murphy’s Law Blog 2019 | #26
Well, it is not directly agricultural, but the House just failed to join the Senate in overriding the Governor’s veto raising driver’s license fees. The link to agriculture is that of course, more funding for our roads and bridges would be beneficial to our producers rather than using the $5.5 million for subsidizing production of […]hi
Well, it is not directly agricultural, but the House just failed to join the Senate in overriding the Governor’s veto raising driver’s license fees. The link to agriculture is that of course, more funding for our roads and bridges would be beneficial to our producers rather than using the $5.5 million for subsidizing production of our licenses. Also less than ten minutes ago, a lobbyist asked...
Murphy’s Law Blog 2019 | #25
Yesterday was Day 55 of the up to 80 day session. Yesterday the Senate overrode the Governor’s veto of 2244 which was the increase of driver’s license fees from $15 to $30. Proponents of 2244 argued that the revenue raised per biennium (I believe I heard in the neighborhood of $5.5 million) was needed because […]hi
Yesterday was Day 55 of the up to 80 day session. Yesterday the Senate overrode the Governor’s veto of 2244 which was the increase of driver’s license fees from $15 to $30. Proponents of 2244 argued that the revenue raised per biennium (I believe I heard in the neighborhood of $5.5 million) was needed because the DOT was not charging enough to fund the expense of issuing driver’s licenses and...
Murphy’s Law Blog 2019 | #24
A Rather General Discussion: Just as an example of how things are never quite over during a session, take yesterday’s killing of 2275 on the House floor. That is an infrastructure revolving loan fund described as a companion bill to Prairie Dog (1066) which has already passed. Already this morning, language was inserted in 2020 […]hi
A Rather General Discussion: Just as an example of how things are never quite over during a session, take yesterday’s killing of 2275 on the House floor. That is an infrastructure revolving loan fund described as a companion bill to Prairie Dog (1066) which has already passed. Already this morning, language was inserted in 2020 – the State Water Commission budget bill – which does what 2275...
Murphy’s Law Blog 2019 | #23
After the fireworks yesterday on the hearing for 2346 (grain inspection and licensing), the Senate Ag Chair stated that they would not work on 1467 (shifting the enforcement of grain inspection and licensing from the PSC to the Ag Dept.) today to let emotions settle down. Then they promptly began to work on it. The […]hi
After the fireworks yesterday on the hearing for 2346 (grain inspection and licensing), the Senate Ag Chair stated that they would not work on 1467 (shifting the enforcement of grain inspection and licensing from the PSC to the Ag Dept.) today to let emotions settle down. Then they promptly began to work on it. The upshot is that a) they really want to do the best they can to modernize...
Murphy’s Law Blog 2019 | #22
Thursday, the 50th day of the session and things are getting heated in some regards as choices get made. People watching the House floor today said legislators were getting rather contentious with each other at one point. And just now in the continued hearing for 2346 – the bill that would affect changes in grain […]hi
Thursday, the 50th day of the session and things are getting heated in some regards as choices get made. People watching the House floor today said legislators were getting rather contentious with each other at one point. And just now in the continued hearing for 2346 – the bill that would affect changes in grain licensing and inspection – some emotions were at the boiling point. The Chairman...
Murphy’s Law Blog 2019 | #21
There was a residual amount of luck from St. Patty’s Day that landed on 2360 today. It passed 74 to 18 and if nothing tampers with it, North Dakota farmers will have a new farm home exemption formula. Chief sponsors were Senators Dotzenrod, Wanzek, Erbele with Representatives Holman and John Nelson. So now if 66% […]hi
There was a residual amount of luck from St. Patty’s Day that landed on 2360 today. It passed 74 to 18 and if nothing tampers with it, North Dakota farmers will have a new farm home exemption formula. Chief sponsors were Senators Dotzenrod, Wanzek, Erbele with Representatives Holman and John Nelson. So now if 66% of your gross income is from the farm, you qualify. It is in line now with the...
Murphy’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...