Murphy’s Law Blog 2021 | #34 — Ag Diversification Development, Water
HB1475 passed out of the Senate yesterday and we are hoping that the House will concur with the changes. This bill creates the ADD fund spelled out in the title and it is currently $10 million for loans and up to 25% of that in grants per biennium. It started out at $150 million; the […]hi
HB1475 passed out of the Senate yesterday and we are hoping that the House will concur with the changes. This bill creates the ADD fund spelled out in the title and it is currently $10 million for loans and up to 25% of that in grants per biennium. It started out at $150 million; the House Approps cut it to $5 million and the Senate to $10 million. The Conference Committee has not yet been...
Murphy’s Law Blog 2021 | #33 — DOT Budget with Biofuels Passed by House, Career and Tech Ed
The Legislature has entered its third phase which is when all the committee hearings are done and the bills go to Conference Committees to reconcile any differences. This Monday morning, the massive $1.6 billion budget for the Department of Transportation was passed by the House in bill SB2012. Included was a new section that encourages […]hi
The Legislature has entered its third phase which is when all the committee hearings are done and the bills go to Conference Committees to reconcile any differences. This Monday morning, the massive $1.6 billion budget for the Department of Transportation was passed by the House in bill SB2012. Included was a new section that encourages the state fleet to utilize ethanol, bio and/or...
Murphy’s Law Blog 2021 | #32 — Head Snapping Speed on Big Bonding
HB1431 was just passed out of Senate Appropriations at warp speed when it was not even on the agenda. Senator Poolman moved to take all of the Senate Finance and Tax amendments out so that the Senate can vote to approve the bill as it came from the House. It was unanimously approved and that […]hi
HB1431 was just passed out of Senate Appropriations at warp speed when it was not even on the agenda. Senator Poolman moved to take all of the Senate Finance and Tax amendments out so that the Senate can vote to approve the bill as it came from the House. It was unanimously approved and that almost certainly means that the following will come to law: $435.5 million for the Fargo Diversion...
Murphy’s Law Blog 2021 | #31 — Culverts Bill, Big Bonding, Getting Done
If you had heard of SB2324, it was a bill Senator Terry Wanzek brought which got a lot of Township, County and Water people talking. A matter of enforcing the law, a constituent was frustrated and pointed out an injustice when a culvert needed to be replaced or right-sized. Law states that the local government […]hi
If you had heard of SB2324, it was a bill Senator Terry Wanzek brought which got a lot of Township, County and Water people talking. A matter of enforcing the law, a constituent was frustrated and pointed out an injustice when a culvert needed to be replaced or right-sized. Law states that the local government is responsible in some cases but if that political subdivision did not follow...
Murphy’s Law Blog 2021 | #30 — State Fleet, NDSU E&R, ADD Fund
ADD is the new Agriculture Diversification and Development fund which was pitched yesterday to Senate Appropriations. This effort to support value-added projects would start with the Bank of North Dakota looking at a proposal. If it met their qualifications but needed a bit more help with the bottom line, they would forward the proposal to […]hi
ADD is the new Agriculture Diversification and Development fund which was pitched yesterday to Senate Appropriations. This effort to support value-added projects would start with the Bank of North Dakota looking at a proposal. If it met their qualifications but needed a bit more help with the bottom line, they would forward the proposal to the ADD board which this bill (HB1475) would create....
Murphy’s Law Blog 2021 | #29 — Septic Systems Up and Gas Tax Down
We now will have some uniformity in our wastewater systems including installation of septic systems due to the passage of HB1183. It sets up a board consisting of local health authorities and installers of septic systems so that many of the inconsistencies of both can be minimized. It should eventually lead to fewer problems for […]hi
We now will have some uniformity in our wastewater systems including installation of septic systems due to the passage of HB1183. It sets up a board consisting of local health authorities and installers of septic systems so that many of the inconsistencies of both can be minimized. It should eventually lead to fewer problems for our rural residents and better the health of the state overall....
Murphy’s Law Blog 2021 | #28 — Township Roads
Township roads, near and dear to agriculture, have surfaced as an area of interest this session. There are at least a few bills that have some dollars intended for them. One was dealt with in the late afternoon yesterday in Senate Finance and Tax – HB1431. This is one of the big bonding bills to […]hi
Township roads, near and dear to agriculture, have surfaced as an area of interest this session. There are at least a few bills that have some dollars intended for them. One was dealt with in the late afternoon yesterday in Senate Finance and Tax – HB1431. This is one of the big bonding bills to survive and came over from the House with around $700 million in it (including the Ag Products...
Murphy’s Law Blog 2021 | #27 — Tiling, Ag Innovation, Research & Extension Reprieve
Okay, Day 48 of what some are saying will be a 72 day session and the dragged-back subsurface water management bill had extensive hearings on Day 47 and a decision Friday. The Senate Ag committee amended out that tilers don’t have to notify their Water Resource Districts if the project is less than 80 acres […]hi
Okay, Day 48 of what some are saying will be a 72 day session and the dragged-back subsurface water management bill had extensive hearings on Day 47 and a decision Friday. The Senate Ag committee amended out that tilers don’t have to notify their Water Resource Districts if the project is less than 80 acres and draining into their own slough. If draining into an assessed drain, you...
Murphy’s Law Blog 2021 | #26 — Wait a Minute!
This is Day 47 of what is trying to be a 75 day or less Legislative Session. Last week there was valid reason to be hopeful of a 70 day run, but being this is a very human cauldron/beehive activity, predictions are only that. Ag policy was thought to be done (and it is on […]hi
This is Day 47 of what is trying to be a 75 day or less Legislative Session. Last week there was valid reason to be hopeful of a 70 day run, but being this is a very human cauldron/beehive activity, predictions are only that. Ag policy was thought to be done (and it is on the House side) last Friday as we thought there was only HB1475 to be discussed when Senate Ag meets on the 18th and...
Murphy’s Law 2021 | #25 — Zoning, Water, Bonding Uncertainty
Yesterday saw the passage of SB2216, a bill which clarified where to begin measuring for setbacks of an animal feeding operation. Perhaps that will help whenever these value-added projects are applying for permits. Subsurface drainage (tiling) was moved forward today when the Senate Agricultural committee unanimously approved HB1437 for a Do Pass recommendation to the […]hi
Yesterday saw the passage of SB2216, a bill which clarified where to begin measuring for setbacks of an animal feeding operation. Perhaps that will help whenever these value-added projects are applying for permits. Subsurface drainage (tiling) was moved forward today when the Senate Agricultural committee unanimously approved HB1437 for a Do Pass recommendation to the whole floor with no...