67th Legislative Session Starts Tuesday

Tuesday is the start of a legislative session like no other we have experienced. There is a lot of anticipation and uncertainty felt by lawmakers, legislative staff, lobbyists and the public as we kick off the North Dakota 67^th Legislative Session. 

The technology advances made in preparation are also like no other. Lawmakers will be able to provide floor speeches and vote remotely as the Senate and House chambers have new video monitors installed. In addition, each committee room is equipped with web cameras and audio. Citizens will be able to watch a hearing live or after it occurred. Better yet, individuals will have the opportunity to testify remotely if they feel uncomfortable or are unable to attend the hearing in person.

ND counties have the ability to more easily connect with legislators and the issues that impact them. For those who want to submit testimony remotely, there will be a link attached to the hearing schedule. You will need to pre-register an hour before the hearing and are asked to upload testimony or supplemental documents. If you plan to deliver oral testimony, you are encouraged to submit written testimony as well. Registering to deliver oral testimony for a bill does not guarantee you will be allowed. It will be up to the chairman to balance the time constraints and the number of people who may indicate they desire to testify, whether that is in person or remotely.

Committee rooms have been moved around to allow for more room. Citizens will be allowed to attend committee meetings in person with seating spread out to allow for physical distancing. The Capitol entrance also has a face lift to make it more accessible. There is also a COVID-screening device at the doors to take your temperature and have you answer three questions.

We request our county members to let the NDACo legislative team know if you are interested in attending a hearing in person or if you plan to deliver testimony written or oral to the committee. We will walk you through the steps. 

“ND counties feel optimistic about the discussions being held prior to the Session regarding infrastructure funding and bonding,” said Traynor. “There may be a couple options proposed; but from what we have seen, these proposals align with the priority counties have for road funding. It is a priority for legislative leadership; they recognize the road needs are great in our counties and the importance of delivering funding counties can use for the next construction season.”

Follow the NDACo Legislative Blog, www.ndcounties.blogspot.com, for legislative updates throughout the session. Make sure you have subscribed to receive email updates. You’ll also want to bookmark www.legis.nd.gov, which is the landing page for all things legislative.

A few bills of note for this week relate to a road train pilot project and liability caps for political subdivisions. You can view the full schedule of hearings scheduled for this week by clicking on the graphic below to view the schedule for this week.