VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – Here is your District 24 Legislative Report from 4/16/2021 to 4/23/21 by Rep. Dwight Kiefert and Rep. Cole Christensen.
“The House has completed what will likely be the final full week of the 67th Legislative Assembly. Things are moving at a fast pace as conference committees continue push ahead. This week the House passed some of the most significant and impactful legislation of this session so far.
On Friday, the House concurred on Senate Amendments to HB 1452. This legislation creates a Clean Sustainable Energy Authority. This Authority will establish and develop a Clean Sustainable Energy Program, which will work to enhance our state’s existing energy technology while also bringing new energy sources and technology to North Dakota. Our state is fortunate to have a vast array of resources such oil, gas, coal, and wind. This legislation not only works to enhance our ability to continue producing these resources, but also works to develop new and emerging technologies for commercial use. This all the above energy strategy will create new jobs and grow our economy.
On Monday the House adopted the conference committee report on HB 1323. This legislation holds that state and local law enforcement officers may not assist the federal government in enforcing federal gun regulations which are stricter than our current state law. This legislation does not prohibit federal law from being enforced, but instead provides that state resources will not be used to do so. Supporters of the bill argued that North Dakota has among the lowest gun crime rates in the country. Because of this, many Representatives felt it is not an efficient use of state resources to enforce overly strict federal regulations.
On Wednesday, a motion was made in the House to introduce new legislation aimed at outlawing vaccine passports in North Dakota. The introduction of new legislation this late in the session is unusual as the deadline for introductions was back in January. There was a strong sentiment on the floor that most of the body opposes vaccine passports. However, there was much concern that because the bill was introduced so late in the session, it could not be thoroughly vetted through the standard legislative process. Many members felt it would be irresponsible to pass legislation that has not been debated in a committee to determine its potential impacts. The introduction ultimately failed.
On Friday, the Governor signed into law HB 1175. This legislation is aimed at protecting North Dakota businesses and hospitals from lawsuits related the transmission of COVID-19. The bill received widespread support in both the House and the Senate. Supporters of the bill felt that businesses and hospitals had to adjust rapidly to an ever-changing situation during the pandemic. It was their efforts that kept North Dakota open and safe during a difficult situation. It would be unfair to subject businesses and hospitals to civil lawsuits based on the spread of a virus beyond their control.”
You can contact Rep. Kiefert at dhkiefert@nd.gov and Rep. Christensen at colechristensen@nd.gov. During the session, mail can be sent to us at: 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 that at legis.nd.gov