[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6343428,"mediaKeyId","2252333-ce5256adf90890bd2f201c8ad7ba7009","parentId",2252333,"title","Committee amends loan fund, advances jail improvement measures to appropriations","audioSeconds",4535,"startMs",2995000,"endMs",7530000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2252333-ce5256adf90890bd2f201c8ad7ba7009&start=2995&end=7530","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2252333-ce5256adf90890bd2f201c8ad7ba7009/thumbnail_2995000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6343428/North-Dakota/Committee-amends-loan-fund-advances-jail-improvement-measures-to-appropriations","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6343428-3c5fee000984195ea6d9649ea52bc4b9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771150461&Signature=ZCiOGK2kiBZMI1WFPzmKLAlgdGp~uWqLbK9KSNORPRAC8JNUQiegknnRItBp7NOd48na85D0nA6TyHpIORtQdTXTM11v6QvpoQxPeudzSFd2QTkLSzlnBgDbeEYErxFRhwYyxlz1Y~4-99EBsY5kuMjlYnaTgDFhd0i9NJZXcPM1tdvTVRuTVxlx1dIDCuDLjm9m-rRhssyX-mRHZ2W-bXTE2rUq~ZkiWKiLm1x~9j0w6HXP~dzIK4IkYttmiOYYmm7A2S5ncu0boKQkgFRgj05YQs~jwQ0aS5AWnDV0A4no46XA6j-j6DRQXVzlQrmbkwAlx~4R4HWonTaK~JTKEQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","House Political Subdivisions ","date","2025-02-07T00:00:00Z","article","The House Political Subdivisions Committee voted to amend and advance measures aimed at short-term financing for correctional facilities and to begin a study of jail improvement needs.

An amendment offered by Representative Moschenbacher earmarked $50 million from the Strategic Investment Fund (SIF) and transferred it to the infrastructure revolving loan fund, explicitly allowing those dollars to be used for loans to political subdivisions for correctional facilities. The committee approved the amendment on a roll call, 12 yes, 1 no.

Nut graf: Committee members described the change as a compromise that provides a source of loan financing for urgent correctional facility needs this biennium while a broader study (through a separate bill) looks for long-term solutions and grant options.

Representative Moschenbacher explained the amendment narrows an earlier $200 million proposal to a $50 million transfer and clarified that funding would be used only for loans for correctional infrastructure, with per-project limits discussed at $20 million. After discussion, members moved the amended bill forward to appropriations.

Earlier in the hearing, Representative Moschenbacher also moved a \"due pass as amended\" recommendation on House Bill 11-97 related to jail improvement grants; the committee recorded a vote on the amendment and then on the bill as amended. The amendment to HB 11-97 passed (11 yea, 0 nay, 2 absent). The final committee action recorded HB 11-97 as amended passing the committee 12 yea, 0 nay, 1 absent, and the bill was advanced as amended.

Committee members characterized the loan approach as a partial, near-term solution: loans rather than outright grants that can help political subdivisions begin projects sooner while a more extensive study or future legislature could set longer-term funding.

Ending: The committee referred House Bill 12-13 (as amended) to appropriations and recorded due-pass action on House Bill 11-97 as amended; both items will be considered further by appropriations and the full House as part of the legislative process.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Political Subdivisions Feb 7, 2025\t","oneSentenceSummary","The House Political Subdivisions Committee approved an amendment to move $50 million from the Strategic Investment Fund to the infrastructure revolving loan fund and earmark the money for loans to political subdivisions for correctional facilities, then advanced the measure to appropriations.","taxTitle","Political Subdivisions, House of Representatives, Legislative, North Dakota","taxId",28896,"location","North Dakota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6343419,"Bill would require Indian Affairs Commission to review measures and trigger tribal consultation before hearings",1876,5331000,7207000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2252333-ce5256adf90890bd2f201c8ad7ba7009&start=5331&end=7207","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2252333-ce5256adf90890bd2f201c8ad7ba7009/thumbnail_5331000.jpg","/articles/6343419/North-Dakota/Bill-would-require-Indian-Affairs-Commission-to-review-measures-and-trigger-tribal-consultation-before-hearings","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6343419-473e31bc4d13361a6e8d6716e31e3876/orig.mp4?Expires=1771150461&Signature=hYUOkLuBik07VgBFjEJJ2Q0VcQVuKvFPBalM5flC9smb9nfL9IVG2C6NX-V4NkpgzegBZC7S8lDyUs6bPbDS9180ScvhEahR5WIDgrrjNjNjno9POtSCW9989KsJOj3HV0IzjHlm8wQoyZBLjOln6DP2RDzVWfs6PUyYw6zDMDlDZv84-Stka6FQQl9Vj6eKXQCrMtasaoetH2KedNzi2osg8mXQv5roYykJyiTGwyKrLTFFdsxUMkK2xwO4iGhKzxJ0sw0FV5~3tHxtit-ws3Ny81W8D1cbBINjsovRTdP7mf060AC5EJ0s-~Xmk8Cew0mrYWkUEcmfk5KbTlPybw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative Colette Brown introduced House Bill 14-55, which would require the director of the Office of Indian Affairs (the Indian Affairs Commission) to review legislative measures introduced during a session and determine whether a measure may have a direct effect on one or more tribal nations; if so, the office would initiate consultation with tribal governments before any standing-committee hearing.

Nut graf: Supporters framed the bill as a process step to honor tribal sovereignty, reduce surprises, and produce better-informed legislation for issues that affect tribal governments, tribal citizens, tribal revenues and services. They said consultation would build trust and help prevent unintended consequences of laws adopted without tribal input.

Representative Brown described consultation as a bridge between state and sovereign tribal governments and said tribal nations should be actively involved when proposed measures would have substantial, tangible effects on tribes’ people, governance, resources or cultural practices. Co-sponsors and tribal leaders testified that existing, informal outreach occurs but lacks consistent structure and direct contact with tribal chairs.

Brad Hawk (director of Indian Affairs, appearing in neutral) and other speakers described the office’s role as a liaison that already tracks and shares bill information with tribal governments but acknowledged the office’s limited staff (four FTEs) and the workload implications of a formal statutory review and consultation requirement. Tested observers estimated the office tracks dozens of bills affecting tribes each session and said workload could fluctuate (estimates in hearing ranged to 20–100 bills in different sessions).

Opponents were not presented in the record; supporters included tribal chairs and several legislators. Committee members asked about timing (pre-filing vs. introduced bills), the scope of consultation, and whether the office would require additional resources to meet the new statutory duty.

Ending: The hearing closed with committee members expressing interest in the concept but questioning resource implications and implementation details; the bill was left for further committee consideration and possible amendments about scope and process.","Representative Colette Brown asked the House Political Subdivisions Committee to require the Office of Indian Affairs to review introduced measures and, when a bill would have a direct effect on a tribal nation, to trigger formal consultation with the affected tribe before a committee hearing.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6343423,"Secretary of State, Ethics Commission back annual statements of interest; League of Cities objects to online posting requirement",184,3641000,3825000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2252333-ce5256adf90890bd2f201c8ad7ba7009&start=3641&end=3825","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2252333-ce5256adf90890bd2f201c8ad7ba7009/thumbnail_3641000.jpg","/articles/6343423/North-Dakota/Secretary-of-State-Ethics-Commission-back-annual-statements-of-interest-League-of-Cities-objects-to-online-posting-requirement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6343423-3c4063f3c55ae4ea9c5ffb7f6395dc70/orig.mp4?Expires=1771150461&Signature=PJQfbHlXC7Xq-9qTeE35CJt0gMN-086grcgDB8JHPLdtXes5MpKGF3xpeXag9joeSR1dAUyr63AFZLPSQzFYMXsZN52VEaRhKd-6iVkl00KJkL2u8irr5P8OXvEy6OKPI5RitJbhALXqpowrXoP-S4fC5frhFB2aGJ0RpH7l1An-ZzDUTZ9fECqIeMCCQwKfTqV-wmFWCCtitKzI0LtMUN1I8Jsb-2ulaboNqKpRh5qnTEeIhuBBKu9g-lSDwJDG89kuMROZgc~gU-ybZTi1mcvPsexnJE3fDrX0Wd3jn07jQBdSWHyyCjGf6raprg4gnf7KhbVCpvhbBT0Rp86rnQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Secretary of State Michael Howe and the North Dakota Ethics Commission told the House Political Subdivisions Committee they support House Bill 14-69, which would require officials who must file statements of interest to update them annually and would add a reporting threshold for goods and services sold to government by businesses in which the filer or spouse holds a 10% or greater ownership interest.

Howe said the bill sets \"year over year transparency for changes candidates may have in their personal or business interests\" and would require filings with the appropriate filing officer by January 15 (Howe and the Ethics Commission later said they would support shifting that date to January 31 to align with campaign finance deadlines). He explained that filers would be able to resubmit a statement when there are no changes, analogous to the current year-end campaign finance resubmission process.

Nut graf: Supporters described the bill as aligning North Dakota with the majority of states on annual disclosure and increasing public confidence; the League of Cities testified in opposition or with concerns about online-publication requirements for small jurisdictions and the administrative burden on local offices.

Representatives of the Ethics Commission said annual disclosures reduce information gaps that can feed suspicion and distrust, arguing that 47 states already require similar annual reporting. The secretary of state's office asked for an amendment to limit the online-publication requirement to statements filed with the secretary of state (not all local filing officers) because the state does not receive filings from counties, cities and schools and therefore cannot publish those local filings centrally.

Corey Peterson, appearing for the League of Cities and a former mayor, said many small municipalities do not maintain robust public-facing websites and that forcing online publication could require systems or expense they do not currently bear. He suggested alternative approaches such as allowing filings to remain on local paper records or requiring online posting only when a jurisdiction has the infrastructure.

Ending: The committee closed testimony on House Bill 14-69 after hearing support from state officials and concern from municipal representatives; the secretary of state asked for amendments to narrow the online-publication requirement and to exclude federal officials from an annual state filing requirement.","Secretary of State Michael Howe and the North Dakota Ethics Commission told the House Political Subdivisions Committee they support House Bill 14-69, which would require officials who must file statements of interest to update them annually and expand disclosure thresholds.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6343432,"Committee hears bill to let homeowners rebuild nonconforming houses after catastrophic loss",2792,94000,2886000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2252333-ce5256adf90890bd2f201c8ad7ba7009&start=94&end=2886","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2252333-ce5256adf90890bd2f201c8ad7ba7009/thumbnail_94000.jpg","/articles/6343432/North-Dakota/Committee-hears-bill-to-let-homeowners-rebuild-nonconforming-houses-after-catastrophic-loss","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6343432-ab44f2cd01b753e7ea5ff525f0e5c2f1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771150461&Signature=Fk2GX8PW5errZZPCNllpcqJS9EGx5f05CYg0dC~84mneykeaPwxC3bQLjOwFWD23hNW1XBTPZUjhswMpVTRTC75F2p5pBNrYaxOCbg8xLe9oLkLnt6gh4WsXauR2FXMNGxQfE9DqJe7NArl6e-OdVAoFdGHMqe1qSwigcr3kA2VfkZqeQ6Epz2nSFwgNKNw4nn90mFyt7YjzJZhJp9H5un0aV9G0dddmPGOj77DM~e1yeZJXp13YxO3Tw8i61Oprb5loitRnukiyWBtSGg7mnuUEs2mUT0c9LfTv5zamDTrxIuQbIyLVyM83VBuf0Oq8F3KiUQEmIJEU1su6DixGXA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative Ben Koppelman, the bill sponsor, told the House Political Subdivisions Committee that House Bill 1500 would allow owners of residential nonconforming structures to repair, replace, maintain, restore or rebuild their homes even if damage exceeds 50 percent of value, subject to time limits, code compliance and other restrictions.

The bill, Koppelman said, “is trying to ensure that changes in zoning ordinances don't result in an individual being homeless,” and that a homeowner who suffers a catastrophic event not be left with a lot that is unusable because new local zoning would not permit rebuilding. He summarized the core provisions: permit application within six months, construction beginning within a year, rebuilding on the same footprint, limits on height and number of stories, compliance with building, fire and health codes, and flood-plain restrictions.

Nut graf: Supporters said the bill protects property owners — especially lower-income households and long-standing neighborhoods — from losing both their dwelling and the lot’s value after fires, floods or other disasters; opponents warned that the measure would pre-empt local zoning decisions and remove tools cities use to manage land use.

Steve Vetter of Grand Forks, who testified in favor, said the bill applies across single-family and small multi-family residential zoning and stressed that building-code compliance and safety requirements would still apply. He also said some North Dakota cities already have similar ordinances and that courts have been involved in past disputes over setbacks.

Bill Wilkin, testifying for the North Dakota League of Cities, opposed the bill. He told the committee that nonconforming-use issues are typically best handled locally through variances, ordinance changes, or negotiated solutions, and that a state mandate would remove locally available options and flexibility. \"These are local issues being handled by local personnel and on an individual basis,\" he said.

Committee members asked about practical scenarios — setbacks, rivers that have shifted their centerlines, and flood-plain rebuild requirements — and Koppelman and other witnesses described typical examples and limits in the draft language. Koppelman also said he would support a technical amendment to replace the word \"law\" with \"zoning regulations\" in several places to more precisely target zoning rules rather than broader statutory provisions.

The committee did not take a final vote on House Bill 1500 during this hearing; the record shows a day-long hearing with questions from multiple members and testimony both for and against the measure.

Ending: The committee closed the public testimony on House Bill 1500 and did not immediately advance the bill; further consideration and any amendments were to be handled in later committee business.","Lawmakers heard House Bill 1500, which would allow residential nonconforming structures in counties, cities and townships to be rebuilt after damage exceeding 50 percent, with several qualifications; proponents said it protects homeowners after disasters, while the League of Cities urged local control.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee amends loan fund, advances jail improvement measures to appropriations

Bill would require Indian Affairs Commission to review measures and trigger tribal consultation before hearings

Secretary of State, Ethics Commission back annual statements of interest; League of Cities objects to online posting requirement

Committee hears bill to let homeowners rebuild nonconforming houses after catastrophic loss