Schedule for Week of 3/11/19

Schedule for Week of 3/11/19 found here: Week 11 Schedule

Primary Seat Belt Voted Down
House members voted Thursday to defeat the primary seat belt bill. There was lengthy debate on the issue. Supporters referred to data that illustrates how seat belts are key in saving lives in traffic crashes. A recent survey of North Dakotan's shows that 62% support mandatory seat belt use. Opponents of the bill argued that it should remain a secondary offense and be a personal choice. SB 2060 was defeated 38-54.

House Tax & Finance Holds Hearings on Farm Residence Exemption 

NDACo provided testimony Wednesday to the House Finance and Tax committee on two bills related to the farm residence exemption. SB 2278 seeks to improve the administration of the farm residence exemption by shifting the responsibility to the individual wishing for the exemption to provide the information necessary to prove their eligibility. The bill also ensures that the financial records of the landowner are kept confidential. The committee gave this bill a Do Pass recommendation. NDACo provided information to the committee in a neutral position on SB 2360. Supporters say the proposal modernizes the definition of "farmer" and updates the farm home exemption. The plan would allow for farmers to be eligible as long as 66% of their gross income is from farming activities, this also includes the gross income of a spouse. The farm residence exemption has been in place since 1919. There are approximately 13,000 individuals receiving the farm residence exemption. In addition there are 30,000 farms in North Dakota.