701-566-9300North Dakota lawmakers are preparing to return to Bismarck for a special legislative session beginning September 2, and we now have a much clearer picture of what will be considered. On August 17, the Legislative Management Committee met at the State Capitol to review 20 proposed bills and resolutions that had been submitted for consideration during the special session. After several hours of discussion, lawmakers narrowed the list to five measures that will move forward.
What Will Be Considered?
The five measures moving forward include:
- Two bills addressing kratom, including restrictions on chemically altered kratom products and regulations and age requirements for natural-leaf kratom products. These measures are at the center of the special session after Gov. Kelly Armstrong took executive action in August to address concerns about kratom and related products.
- Funding for the North Dakota Military Gallery Project.
- A proposal addressing nondisclosure agreements involving data centers and other industrial projects. The measure would temporarily restrict certain nondisclosure agreements through June 30, 2027, allowing greater transparency around proposed developments.
- A property-tax-credit correction, which will address an issue identified with the state’s property tax credit program.
Several other proposals were considered but will not be part of the bills pre-approved for the September session. Among those was a bill for a temporary moratorium on new data centers. Although not approved by the Committee, such legislation, along with any of the other bills rejected, could be considered by a two-thirds vote of the legislature during the session.
Why Should Agriculture Be Paying Attention?
While none of the five measures specifically targets soybean production, the special session is still worth watching closely from an agricultural perspective. North Dakota agriculture operates in an environment where decisions about property taxes, land use, economic development, energy demand and infrastructure can have significant impacts on producers and rural communities.
The data-center discussion is particularly important. North Dakota continues to see interest in large-scale data-center and industrial development, which can bring investment and economic opportunities but also raises questions about infrastructure, energy use, land, water and transparency. While the proposal to impose a temporary moratorium on new data centers did not advance, lawmakers will consider legislation related to nondisclosure agreements during the special session.
For farmers and landowners, continued attention to how large-scale development interacts with agricultural land and rural infrastructure will be important. Decisions made today can have long-term implications for the communities where North Dakota’s agricultural economy operates.
A Short Session with a Focused Agenda
The Legislature is scheduled to convene on Wednesday, September 2, and lawmakers expect to complete their work in approximately three days. The North Dakota Soybean Growers Association will continue to monitor the special session and any legislation that could affect soybean producers, agricultural landowners and rural North Dakota.
Although this special session is expected to be brief, it provides another reminder that staying engaged in the legislative process matters. Decisions made at the State Capitol can have lasting consequences for agriculture and the communities that depend on it.
We will continue to keep North Dakota soybean growers informed as the September special session approaches and as lawmakers take up these five bills, or any others.
(The views expressed herein are mine and are not necessarily the views of the North Dakota Soybean Growers Association.)