Lawmakers Approve SIRN Funding and other updates

Day 71...And Counting
We are in the last leg of the Legislative Session. We expect lawmakers to wrap up their work late next week.  Friday was Day 71. The Legislative Session is limited to 80 days, and it has been the goal of the legislature to avoid using all 80 days.
There are still several bills being worked out in conference committees. The NDACo legislative team has been busy sitting in these meetings monitoring the negotiations and helping to educate where we can. There are still a few of our issues yet to be decided. Funding for Public Guardianships (SB 2015) and funding for NDSU Extension & Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute (HB 1020) are two of the top budget bills we are watching. Asset Forfeiture reform (HB 1286) has had three conference committee meetings, but little movement. Overall there are about 50 bills we are tracking that we are still awaiting final action on.

SIRN funding bill, HB 1435, receives final approval
The House and Senate both gave final approval to HB 1435, the bill that authorizes the funding for the entirety of the Statewide Interoperable Radio Network (SIRN). The bill includes $40 million of state funds, which was a great accomplishment. NDACo and other public safety associations articulated the importance of state funding to demonstrate the state's commitment to the project. The project will be financed by a .50 9-1-1 fee that was approved during the 2017 Legislative Session, along with local dollars. The passage of this bill will result in an interoperable and dependable radio network for our public safety officials.

House defeats Cottage Foods bill

Lengthy and lively discussions concerning the state’s cottage food laws eventually led to the defeat of Senate Bill 2269 yesterday on the House floor.  The bill was initially brought forth to clarify language in the cottage food law which passed in 2017.  After amendments were made on both sides, the bill was further amended in conference committee and passed in the Senate.  Representatives in the House took issue with some of the final changes and felt the bill ultimately placed too many restrictions on cottage food producers.

Other updates

Governor Burgum signed the Social Service Redesign (SB2124) bill .This has been a top priority for ND Counties and has been an issue we have worked on for more than a decade. Here is the Governor's news release on the bill: Governor Burgum's Release on 2124

Also this week, the Senate defeated a bill that would have printed constitutional measures up to 500 words on the ballot. Auditors opposed this bill because of how this would make ballots longer in length or possibly multiple page ballots. 

A publication related bill was passed by both chambers. The bill shifts the cost of election notices for commodity groups to those commodity associations. The bill also included a date change for a notice for financial statements.