House approves bill barring state funding for public broadcasting after floor debate over gaming revenue and towers

The North Dakota House passed House Bill 12 55 on a 48-41 vote, a measure that would prohibit the use of public funds to support public broadcasting operations. The bill would affect the ongoing appropriation historically recorded for Prairie Public Broadcasting.

Appropriations Committee members recommended a "do not pass" position after reviewing the organization's finances and fundraising sources. Representative Murphy, speaking for the committee, summarized concerns raised during committee questioning about Prairie Public's financial statements, charitable gaming revenues and the broadcaster's reserve position.

Committee testimony described the current ongoing appropriation for Prairie Public at $1,200,000 for the biennium and noted Prairie Public's fiscal-year figures and reserves. The committee record (as summarized on the floor) showed Prairie Public with $36 million in assets and $16.7 million in total reserves; the organization reported gaming net proceeds of roughly $1.7 million in its most recent fiscal year and a gaming trust fund balance of $1,519,813 as of Dec. 31, 2024. Prairie Public told the committee that passage of the bill would have a negative effect on K-12 educational programming and said it is not pursuing the purchase of a drinking establishment.

Representative Jay Johnson, the bill sponsor, argued that in the era of streaming and abundant online educational content, continued taxpayer funding for public broadcasting is unnecessary and that Prairie Public can sustain operations through membership, charitable gaming and private gifts.

Opponents on the floor and in committee warned that state support helps pay for infrastructure as well as programming. Representative Nelson noted that some state funding supports the transmission towers used to carry public broadcasting across the state, including remote areas and tribal communities.

The final recorded vote was 48 yeas, 41 nays; the bill was declared passed on the House floor. The statutory change in the bill text would create a new section of chapter 54-27 of the North Dakota Century Code limiting public fund support for public broadcasting.