[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-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],{"_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",6119147,"mediaKeyId","2714012-ca5b0c972235d8ea0e8132c48093d052","parentId",2714012,"title","Senate committee hears Agriculture Department budget; plant‑protection FTE, fleet costs and food‑pantry protein request discussed","audioSeconds",990,"startMs",5160000,"endMs",6150000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2714012-ca5b0c972235d8ea0e8132c48093d052&start=5160&end=6150","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2714012-ca5b0c972235d8ea0e8132c48093d052/thumbnail_5160000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6119147/North-Dakota/Senate-committee-hears-Agriculture-Department-budget-plantprotection-FTE-fleet-costs-and-foodpantry-protein-request-discussed","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6119147-1f25d22d052fee2232cef7ba13a1a5b6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771038593&Signature=oLWGDjg6tK6cx1zyQCMgbf6Y9HrBdbbSNfbGWKolkrFtuo0CGKZXMIgvKWPNGbVr-gNRWwH9i62LQuEaGDGMWWYLBRZKaWrPmY~q3jZCrYkY9CKDvWGmsQ7xlvgJljO-OZFLIqJNv2m7~pFWace8MP87Jo93FEXCxBjoWnSVflh4QuwTDeL142PUU21Gv8-4Lb0bAHdzh~ULThzGG5zLzmKWlbR-7KpjShf0L5jS0SsTnn6ytk6kZnywj9dNWNMwdTD931A97gfCQQ4Xi6wE5l5G2yeYM2xmcZ4vmkpU4PGeqoKE7cUhwOQqscuBG8g2onqOhLgk3BFcXkuoISyF-Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","North Dakota State Legislature","date","2025-03-20T00:00:00Z","article","The Senate Government Operations Division heard the Department of Agriculture’s budget presentation and questioned agency leaders about several priorities the House either left un‑funded or converted to one‑time authority.

Representative Alisa Mitskog opened a brief presentation asking the Legislature to consider $2 million in state funds to purchase protein (meat) for local food pantries. Mitskog said the funding would offset a recent federal reduction that she said removed roughly $1 million from pantry distribution channels; the program in the current biennium had paired state and federal funds to deliver protein to food banks. The commissioner told the committee the department had partnered with Great Plains Food Bank in the current biennium and that, absent federal funds, the department is presenting a state funding option to maintain local access to protein for emergency food providers.

Lawmakers also discussed an unfunded plant protection FTE the department requested. The commissioner said the position would expand plant industries work — including phytosanitary export certificates and inspection workload tied to growing exports of pulse crops and other specialty commodities — and would help with hemp facility oversight and apiarist inspections. The department said the House did not provide the requested plant protection position.

Committee members questioned a $750,000 request to cover higher state fleet rates driven by Department of Transportation motor‑pool rate changes; agency staff said DOT’s new vehicle rates increased projected motor‑pool costs substantially and the department modeled recent travel months to estimate the impact.

Other budget items discussed included specialty crop block grants (federally funded), a grape and wine grant line the House removed, a continued appropriation mechanic for livestock planning and carryover authority for COVID‑era specialty‑crop funds, and a $3 million proposal for grassland grazing grants funded from the State Infrastructure Fund (SIF). The Ag Commissioner said the grasslands work supports cross‑fencing, water projects and fire suppression efforts across the Dakota Prairie Grasslands and noted delays and seasonal federal constraints had left some projects behind schedule.

Committee members also saw written material on emerald ash borer detection and trapping and the commissioner provided a brief tally of dairy operations in the state — the department said the state has 23 dairies processing roughly 8,700 cows into four processing plants.

No formal committee votes on the Agriculture Department long sheet were taken during the session; staff and agency leaders were asked to provide follow‑up material and the committee indicated additional hearings would be scheduled.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Appropriations - Government Operations Division Thursday, Mar 20, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Senate Government Operations Division reviewed the Department of Agriculture budget, questioning agency requests the House omitted or treated as one‑time authority and hearing a separate appeal to fund protein purchases for food pantries.","taxTitle","Appropriations - Government Operations Division, Senate, Legislative, North Dakota","taxId",28900,"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},6119152,"Senate panel restores $265,500 for Game and Fish temporary hires, approves budget as amended",1938,5352000,7290000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2714012-ca5b0c972235d8ea0e8132c48093d052&start=5352&end=7290","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2714012-ca5b0c972235d8ea0e8132c48093d052/thumbnail_5352000.jpg","/articles/6119152/North-Dakota/Senate-panel-restores-265500-for-Game-and-Fish-temporary-hires-approves-budget-as-amended","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6119152-6388b4c67808e639147203f0a02eda0c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771038593&Signature=WCLVifIhAelj7LRpPPFXkI6Ytx4U7fGD62fMO~-1BDvz-L4HDjTyo75oqznOu5ahNL6zxLYZVvY6UT2tWn42f09RnHFUnpTVVYQ8aTfni6YvXAibE45fY6B5hXV7P89sBzSAHSYNTS-R3U1Oiu5T5jJh0AEzyKSW5ErgUxtXK4VpDr71B~em~NLaF7XtAjamSAjMWQ2S5wbaLNGlCwhrUgynBm0EAKIxLuGVcT3AmCpFD0ZHS77KibMQ7a0DRmHP2ctIRNJLV-AOTrZwvBo4LL56ufDW0gSdblSl6g6fK28s-Ra2EYKvRnC-a1Gfs4PudJot-U3WfV19ZrP5jYhKJw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Government Operations Division amended the Game and Fish long sheet to restore $265,500 for temporary salaries and approved the agency’s budget as amended.

Senator Dwyer moved the amendment to add $265,500 to the Game and Fish temporary salaries line; Senator Burkhart seconded. Committee clerk Carol conducted a roll call for the amendment. Members recorded aye votes during roll call (Senator Sickler, Senator Ubelink, Senator Burkhart, Senator McGuire and Chairman Wannsick) and the amendment passed. Senators described the temporary positions as a summer workforce the department uses for work such as wildlife surveys, aquatic nuisance species control and enforcement; Brian Hosek, administrative services at Game and Fish, said the department “bring[s] them in at about $13.5 an hour to begin with” and described the hires as an important feeder program for full‑time positions.

The House had removed the $265,500 from the executive recommendation; the amendment restores it, and fiscal staff explained the funding split on the restored amount: roughly $77,000 federal and about $187,000 from the agency’s special fund. After the amendment passed, Senator Dwyer moved a due‑pass recommendation on the Game and Fish budget as amended; Senator Burkhart seconded. The committee recorded aye votes for the due‑pass motion in roll call (Senator Sickler, Senator Herberly, Senator Burkhart, Senator Dwyer and Chairman Wannsick) and the committee approved the bill as amended.

Agency director Jeb Williams described other house adjustments: a $60,000 one‑time addition to replace game‑warden firearms (split largely to the agency’s special fund with about $11,400 federal), ongoing and one‑time equipment and hatchery requests, and a $5 million request for wildlife habitat and private‑lands access (the agency said $4.1 million of that would be federal funds and $900,000 special funds). Williams also reviewed the department’s ongoing $800,000 biennial land acquisition appropriation and noted the list of potential parcels provided to the committee.

The committee’s votes moved the Game and Fish long sheet forward with the restored temporary‑salary funding and the additional one‑time firearm replacement funding the House had added to the agency’s package.","The Senate Government Operations Division voted to restore $265,500 for temporary salaries in the North Dakota Game and Fish budget and approved a due‑pass recommendation as amended. Lawmakers said the money supports summer temporary hires that serve as a workforce feeder and help with enforcement and aquatic programs.",{"_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},6119157,"Senate panel reviews Adjutant General budget; questions raised on un‑funded FTEs, watch center staffing and readiness center plans",532,292000,824000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2714012-ca5b0c972235d8ea0e8132c48093d052&start=292&end=824","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2714012-ca5b0c972235d8ea0e8132c48093d052/thumbnail_292000.jpg","/articles/6119157/North-Dakota/Senate-panel-reviews-Adjutant-General-budget-questions-raised-on-unfunded-FTEs-watch-center-staffing-and-readiness-center-plans","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6119157-8e4eff40fa3f0ff4e1ca007baf543508/orig.mp4?Expires=1771038593&Signature=bZ1bNBM-GQsoTrz7i1LYDox-2SzLYYYNd5SopRS5nY7S1wKIp6LwXYULZ823D6zrWNl7brEiuzamQrTzQ5U~Tyw8dH6S2lt69ag1S3w3zF1oIL6xJ1bIdQlCJQtVhPHazBHXR9wO8hpqXVSe5BJ7KSm4qETgj8ZUB4whF0n1EbyYvi1MCuYcVgsqk9dRwMJQm1onIZv9xpuFWl5c~J9ybUvCfiIHwPXDdFeihdejiNcG0KmbAUqhaF~3EPYSP3RKajO2bLaarQ7PdOokikBGD1ABVpUCh8hRg~ibBYIukyjQlxIbQ4YY2jbRCa~EyV4zISILDBXdIIom9uJOjSGzMw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Government Operations Division heard testimony on House Bill 1016, the budget for the Adjutant General, with lawmakers questioning which personnel and projects the House funded and which requests remain unresolved.

Lawmakers pressed agency leaders for details about new full‑time positions the House did not fund. Brigadier General Jackie Huber, Deputy Adjutant General for the North Dakota National Guard, told the committee the agency had requested two FTEs to pilot a “next generation leader” program — described by Huber as “to create a junior ROTC like program” to begin in the Bismarck Public School District — and that the House did not provide funding. Huber asked the panel for an opportunity to bring additional supporters and program partners to describe the proposal in more depth.

The committee also discussed staffing tied to new and upgraded facilities. Huber said the Dickinson Readiness Center, which will hold a ribbon cutting in late June, requires a standard operating model of three staff — a physical plant director, a custodian and a general trades position — and that the House partially funded two of those posts; the department is seeking full funding for the full biennium. Huber said the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery averages “over 600 burials a year” and the House funded two FTEs there (an administrative position and a grounds position) to reduce reliance on temporary hires.

Department of Emergency Services Homeland Security Division Director Darren Hanson described the Watch Center, a state effort to provide continuous emergency coordination. Hanson said the agency requested enough permanent staff to reach eight FTEs, the minimum standard for a 24/7, 365 operation. He told the committee the center now operates with six permanent positions plus two temporary hires and that “we were only able to get to 6. We actually have 2 temps right now who we've been bringing in, to get us to that 8.” Hanson said the Watch Center provides plume modeling and alert support, law‑enforcement‑level information sharing (vetting by BCI), and automated monitoring tools that search the open and dark web for threats; he described the center as a “force multiplier” for local emergency managers.

Lawmakers probed funding sources. Agency fiscal staff and Jennifer Sheath, division chief for fiscal and administrative services, explained that much of the Adjutant General’s added base funding reflects federal grant authority, state special funds and internal realignments rather than new general‑fund increases. On disaster response and recovery, staff said the department projects substantial ongoing federal grant obligations for open disasters and had requested additional base authority — including discussion of $26 million in federal and special funds tied to open disaster projects and a $2 million disaster relief fund appropriation that the agency asked be built into ongoing authority rather than treated only as one‑time funding.

Committee members also pressed the agency about construction and insurance needs. Huber and Colonel Cody Volkta, director of installations, explained the House funded $2.5 million from SIF for design of a Williston Readiness Center; Volkta gave a construction estimate of about $29 million for a roughly 35,000‑square‑foot facility and said federal military construction dollars, if available, would likely not arrive until well into the next decade. Huber also said a Camp Grafton fire revealed that the department's facilities are underinsured; the department cited a Nardev [sic] assessment that, for example, put replacement value for the Raymond J. Bond Readiness Center far higher than its current insured amount and requested funding to bring insurance to replacement value and to create consistency across the estate.

No formal votes on the Adjutant General budget occurred during the hearing; committee members directed staff and agency leaders to provide follow‑up materials and indicated further hearings would be scheduled.","The Senate Government Operations appropriations panel reviewed House Bill 1016, focusing on the Adjutant General’s biennial budget. Lawmakers and agency leaders discussed several unfunded positions, the push to establish a 24/7 emergency Watch Center, design funding for a Williston readiness center and ongoing disaster‑response funding needs.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Senate committee hears Agriculture Department budget; plant‑protection FTE, fleet costs and food‑pantry protein request discussed

Senate panel restores $265,500 for Game and Fish temporary hires, approves budget as amended

Senate panel reviews Adjutant General budget; questions raised on un‑funded FTEs, watch center staffing and readiness center plans