A conference committee for House Bill 10 18 voted unanimously to accept a package of agreed amendments and then approved the committee report, clearing the measure to move forward.

Committee members said they had largely resolved differences and walked through line-item changes before voting. Key changes the committee recorded included reducing SIF funding for a military gallery expansion to $15,000,000; preserving a $20,000,000 line of credit while using $4,200,000 of SIF funds to pay off that line under an emergency clause; reducing the percentage of pledged donations to 33% (stated as $12,795,005.92); setting Madora planning at $2,000,000; and removing most local grants except $200,000 for Sergeant County and $100,000 for the Williston Armory. Committee members also discussed emergency-clause language tying release of $15,000,000 of SIF funds to receipt of the pledged donations percentage.

Representative Martinson moved to accept the amendments that had been presented by Senator Meyer; Senator Connolly seconded. The roll-call vote on the amendments was recorded as unanimous in favor. Later, a motion to accept the conference committee report was made and seconded; that motion also passed on a 6-0 vote. Members present and recorded voting yes were Chairman Lauser; Representative Hansen; Representative Martinson; Senator Meyer; Senator Connolly; and Senator Thomas.

During discussion, a committee member noted uncertainty about how a $1,000,000 allocation (referred to in committee discussion as coming from “Adora” or similar) would be broken out and said the committee would trust that the language available to implementers was sufficient; the committee did not specify a further breakdown during the meeting. Committee participants also referenced policy language on signage for the military museum that had been shared with a staff member identified as Levi.

The committee chair closed the session after the unanimous votes and adjourned.