BISMARCK, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – By District 24 Representatives Dwight Kiefert and Cole Christensen.
“This week the Members of the North Dakota House of Representatives continued to hear Senate bills which are now up for consideration in the House. The House also considered a number of concurrent resolutions on a range of topics.
On Tuesday, the House voted 55-34 to pass House Concurrent Resolution 3040. This resolution would create an initiated measure which would be considered by the North Dakota voters in November, 2022. If approved by the voters, this resolution would require that any new tax levied, or any new tax increase would need a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate to take effect. Under current law, new taxes and new tax increases only need a majority vote in both chambers to pass. There are currently seven other states which have a two-thirds requirement such as this.
The House rejected HCR 3036 by a vote of 12-78. HCR 3036 would create an initiated measure which would allow the voters to consider term limits for members of the Legislative Assembly. As written, the resolution proposes that no member can serve more than sixteen years as a member of either chamber. Proponents of the measure argued this legislation would usher in new members and therefore new ideas. Those who opposed the measure stated their belief that it should be up to voters in each district to decide who their Representatives are, not term limits.
On Wednesday the House unanimously passed Senate Bill 2109. This bill holds that any individual who uses a commercial motor vehicle to commit a felony involving an act of human trafficking will be disqualified permanently from driving a commercial vehicle. There was no discussion on the bill and all 92 members present voted in favor of the legislation.
On Thursday, the House passed Senate Bill 2059 with a vote of 90-0. This bill attempts to close certain loopholes relating to a class of drugs known as “designer drugs.” In many cases illegal drug manufacturers attempt to change the chemical make-up of a drug in an effort to side step laws banning certain controlled substances. This bill works to close these loopholes and hold offenders accountable.”
You can contact Rep. Kiefert at dhkiefert@nd.gov and Rep. Christensen at colechristensen@nd.gov. During the session, mail can be sent to: ND House of Representatives, 600 East Boulevard, Bismarck, ND 58505-0360. If you want to leave a phone message you can call the incoming toll-free number 1-888-NDLEGIS (1-888-635-3447). For hearing-impaired individuals, the TTY toll-free number is 1-800-366-6888 to reach a relay operator. If you wish to watch videos of the floor session and committee hearings, you can access them at legis.nd.gov.