701-566-9300This is all about tomorrow’s (Tuesday’s) hearing for bill SB2020. All of those topics in the headline have times for the House Appropriations Education and Environment division to listen to reasons why they should keep the Senate’s funding levels. The Governor asked for a 15 percent reduction in this budget and the Senate restored it to previous levels and included some money for new items as well.
What will the House do? The chairman, Rep. Jeff Delzer, is the legislator that the Governor had spent money on last year to remove from the legislature-supporting other candidates instead. As you may recall, that effort was successful and Rep. Delzer was not on the ballot. However, one of his opponents died before the election. The deceased candidate won anyway, but Mr. Delzer was appointed by his district to serve. So here he is, Chair of House Appropriations and looking at a budget the Governor wants to cut, but the Senate restored.
What can you do to help out NDSU and Agriculture? Contact any or many of the 21 House members that serve on it or the E&E committee and ask them to support the restored budget. Find them at https://www.legis.nd.gov/assembly/67-2021/committees/house/appropriations-education-and-environment-division. UGPTI is at 11:00 a.m., NCI is at 11:45 a.m. Extension Service starts at 1:30 p.m. or asap after floor session ends, then Main Research and Branch followed by Agronomy Seed farm around 3:45 p.m. If you want to watch, that is the schedule, although many like to testify and it could get much longer. Please support!
