[{"_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",6080085,"mediaKeyId","2952001-108418b2b90125f874079f764f6a71d5","parentId",2952001,"title","Committee adopts amendment tightening petition deadlines and requiring ballots be received by close of polls","audioSeconds",1128,"startMs",444000,"endMs",1572000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2952001-108418b2b90125f874079f764f6a71d5&start=444&end=1572","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2952001-108418b2b90125f874079f764f6a71d5/thumbnail_444000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6080085/North-Dakota/Committee-adopts-amendment-tightening-petition-deadlines-and-requiring-ballots-be-received-by-close-of-polls","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6080085-153f3743550a49d665b6c6f108061932/orig.mp4?Expires=1770914365&Signature=T96snAfw~6~9CCBzR56224Jkr6H00tHc59MThfAn242n4Yd5d3~4VT5ndxKFVK3geFhykS2At-WUOu-E-tpujCV4qRbkk9-0E7-fRKhEUgwW7Oi9JAtcpJsDsuHnoaymMqetcQ61M5VACYCtqI-reFkBB03YTjakAeHDgSSxMhha2tnxTHpOH4NLtOgmTLyIk0tV15QejNLAQHbV2~cDfVqlZ88mz~EdsO6aU~8H1SeN3RRuRRYPgfQqw~tYgICJawHU3yyCnjH4fbbVKUjJ~Bu2ZWrsLOSlglMd1gX36xE2nlS2FVVHSgvlifPJhnmRi11XZCjMYqXCE5mzM8CFWA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","North Dakota State Legislature","date","2025-04-10T00:00:00Z","article","Chair Rohrs convened the State and Local Government Committee to consider Amendment 3,003 to House Bill 11‑65 and walked members through revisions the Secretary of State requested.

The amendment moved a requirement that an \"approved statement\"—called the petition title—be affixed to petition materials and required that the sponsoring committee submit the petition packet, including the approved statement and affidavits, to the Secretary of State for final review within 15 business days (excluding Saturdays) before the petition can be approved to circulate. The amendment also addresses a recently issued presidential executive order by changing the deadline for mail ballots from a postmark date to a received-by date.

Why it matters: The petition-packet deadline is intended to prevent petitions and affidavit files from remaining pending indefinitely at the Secretary of State's office. The ballot change would make receipt by the county auditor by the close of polls on Election Day the controlling deadline rather than relying on a postmark, aligning state practice with a presidential executive order and with neighboring states, proponents said.

Discussion and key details: Committee members asked why the 15-business-day window excludes Saturdays but not Sundays. Senator Lee said Sundays are treated differently in the state's statutory calendar and thus already count as excluded days. Senator Wallin and others explained the 15‑business‑day rule is meant to let the Secretary of State close out lingering petition files.

On the mail‑ballot change, Erica White, State Election Director, said the proposal would remove the postmark deadline and require that ballots be \"received in the office of the county auditor by the close of polls on Election Day,\" noting that the postmark requirement \"would not carry forward.\" White also explained that whether ballots received before Election Day are counted at the canvassing board can be a matter of canvassing-board discretion, but the bill would bar counting anything received after Election Day.

Opponents and concerns: Senator Brownberger said he opposed changing from a postmark rule to a receipt rule, calling the amendment \"a knee‑jerk reaction\" to an executive order that could be litigated or rescinded. Others, including election‑office officials and Senator Wallin, argued the change reduces uncertainty for election officials caused by unclear or missing postmarks and by court actions close to an election.

Formal actions: The committee voted 5–1 to adopt Amendment 3,003. Later the committee voted 5–1 to give the bill a due pass as amended.

Ending: Chair Rohrs asked whether a member would carry the bill; a carrier was agreed to and staff were asked to coordinate with the Secretary of State's office on talking points and any needed follow‑up.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate State and Local Government Thursday, Apr 10, 2025 8:56 AM - 10:04 AM","oneSentenceSummary","The State and Local Government Committee on Oct. 12 approved Amendment 3,003 to House Bill 11‑65 to require petition packets be submitted to the Secretary of State within 15 business days and to require mail ballots be received by the county auditor by the close of polls on Election Day rather than be judged by postmark.","taxTitle","State and Local Government, Senate, Legislative, North Dakota","taxId",28908,"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},6080076,"Committee approves study of state employee total compensation; language broadened to compare across departments and private sector",1312,2585000,3897000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2952001-108418b2b90125f874079f764f6a71d5&start=2585&end=3897","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2952001-108418b2b90125f874079f764f6a71d5/thumbnail_2585000.jpg","/articles/6080076/North-Dakota/Committee-approves-study-of-state-employee-total-compensation-language-broadened-to-compare-across-departments-and-private-sector","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6080076-a343e909c3578c6c223505c4ea4cb66c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770914365&Signature=kJVCLMSl8~JNOtdtEvfliX3P-1nWBMWkBhF1BpzodnG5Uh3Kyh9tD3IVjkDnt8N9Ag55MXzG8XTj1EE5CRS7G-zBn09WNDcrauE18JarxJ8C-7ecd1VT6zYFNn6W9U6hMtYJvczQt22WAfyXA8yy61qDIBymzWwR~0ohxDCh-VIpZxywuIQ6Be~17q8xzAbsWIFHNrXMjrLgc-CZYtVTtNpVfwGEGPhAgL-OaD33orIjlBlhXTNDmfq~lEe4eXpdxouveER2~fxj2nxL~sjKreR3VF3dxvH-Ix23IndxiAPgFvT0Ee3sdo2I-tJQtVV3VcEJ3yjDzvgRCZwhwUDL0g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The State and Local Government Committee voted to advance House Bill 15‑80 with amendments directing an interim study of classified state employee \"total rewards\" compensation, including pay‑grade classifications, health‑plan options and comparisons both across state departments and with similar private‑sector jobs.

Chair Rohrs said the bill would create space for a broader look at pay and benefits together after recent changes to pension and benefits. Senator Lee and other members pressed for comparisons not only with private‑sector equivalents but also among state employees across departments to identify pay disparities for substantially similar work.

Senator Lee said the study should assess whether employees with similar education and responsibilities receive significantly different pay because they work in different departments. The committee agreed to add language requiring comparisons \"among state employees across all departments and between state employee compensation levels and similar private‑sector jobs,\" and to make the section on health benefits generic so the study examines the \"impact of changes to health plan benefits\" without assuming a particular plan change.

Why it matters: Supporters said a total‑rewards study—looking at wages, health benefits, equity funding and bonuses—could inform recruitment and retention strategies and identify unjustified pay disparities. Members also discussed how merit, performance and department size factor into compensation decisions and noted that deeper department‑level analysis would be needed to distinguish justified differences from inequities.

Formal actions: The committee adopted the amendment (substituting broadly worded study language) by voice/roll call 6–0 and voted 6–0 to give House Bill 15‑80 a due pass as amended.

Ending: The committee directed staff to assemble final draft language consistent with the committee's instructions so the interim study can proceed with the broader total‑rewards scope.

","The committee approved an amendment directing Legislative Management to study classified state employee 'total rewards'—including pay grades, benefits and health plan impacts—with explicit comparisons among state departments and with similar private‑sector jobs.",{"_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},6080080,"Committee clears amendment saying state election law controls, preserves local petition powers",837,1585000,2422000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2952001-108418b2b90125f874079f764f6a71d5&start=1585&end=2422","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2952001-108418b2b90125f874079f764f6a71d5/thumbnail_1585000.jpg","/articles/6080080/North-Dakota/Committee-clears-amendment-saying-state-election-law-controls-preserves-local-petition-powers","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6080080-8a2d3ed89706199b5e64aef4643360fb/orig.mp4?Expires=1770914365&Signature=csEsTM9JIljIV6QohuFKhg7F-aDZusBMOYh1IqMBrHZ6pkd6~fR6aZ6hfo~OXrBb3W0eezDAjnD5HaHz-qobrEE5TTuKIi8Exx~0q84oL2vXbR6R6VCuCiNuEDjbE8o7F9thAT1iATuz5dUAUZsEQ9hidcpnhGVFGKNZJbDEve-GH50zjRL0pIOf1sWX144294THhdqfLTuM78cRX1b11ASkpL2vE3OiNFc0P1pZCQKtMrp3~BBBUBeSFQ7iTKRjdTI2Srp54f-izPENN7JnVjS8--MiPuTqR0wvB~0MD~KW-Bf59ig89iwVOoEurVIgjfEfxuMKzobrkjesbRyGow__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The State and Local Government Committee adopted Amendment 2,002 to House Bill 13‑07, a measure that largely places election rules at the state level while carving out specific protections for home‑rule petition powers and candidate signature thresholds.

Senator Wallin presented the amendment, which staff said was drafted in consultation with the Secretary of State's office and the League of Cities. Sandy McMurdie, Deputy Secretary of State, told the committee the amendment \"remove[s] that power for elections\" from local variation when necessary but keeps a city's petition power preserved in its home‑rule charter. The amendment also added language addressing park district candidate thresholds so a city that changes its candidate filing rules can allow a park district to opt in.

Why it matters: The amendment is intended to ensure statewide uniformity of election law after the passage of a separate measure (referred to in committee as 12‑97) that prohibited approval voting and ranked‑choice voting at the statewide level, while explicitly maintaining local petition authority for home‑rule cities.

Discussion and key details: Committee members discussed why the amendment included a \"notwithstanding section 40‑21‑07\" clause; a drafter explained the language was meant to protect home‑rule charter powers in the event of a conflict but would likely be redundant because home‑rule authority normally supersedes conflicting state law. Committee members agreed the clause could remain to make the intent explicit.

Corey Peterson, representing the League of Cities and large municipalities, said the amendment matches the parties' intent: statewide election law with limited local petition exceptions. Peterson confirmed the language was provided after 12‑97 passed so the drafters were aware of the new statewide constraints.

Formal actions: The committee adopted Amendment 2,002 by voice/roll call, 6–0, and later voted 6–0 to give House Bill 13‑07 a due pass as amended. Senator Castaneda agreed to serve as the bill's carrier and to work with Secretary of State staff and the League on outreach and talking points.

Ending: The amendment passed unanimously in committee and the bill was recommended to pass as amended; members agreed to coordinate further with the Secretary of State and League of Cities on implementation and messaging.

","The committee adopted Amendment 2,002 to House Bill 13‑07 to align local election rules with state law while expressly preserving home‑rule petition powers and allowing cities to set candidate signature thresholds for park districts that choose to follow city rules.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee adopts amendment tightening petition deadlines and requiring ballots be received by close of polls

Committee approves study of state employee total compensation; language broadened to compare across departments and private sector

Committee clears amendment saying state election law controls, preserves local petition powers