BISMARCK, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – By District 24 Representative Dwight Kiefert and Representative Cole Christensen.
“This week the Members of the North Dakota House of Representatives continued their work on the floor, debating a number of important topics. The House Committees are also in full swing and continue to hear public testimony on bills they have received from the Senate.
On Friday, the House of Representatives welcomed U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer as a guest speaker. Senator Cramer spoke for over 30 minutes and covered a range of topics. He addressed the recent COVID-19 stimulus package which passed the U.S. Senate along partisan lines. He stated his concerns with the legislation, including the amount of spending in the bill, much of which is not related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, Senator Cramer discussed the efforts he is making in Washington to utilize North Dakota’s energy industry to ensure electricity grid reliability in our state.
On Tuesday, members of the House received an updated revenue forecast for the biennium. The revenue forecast provides legislators with the projected state revenues for the remainder the current biennium and the next biennium. These forecasts are critical for crafting our state’s budget. Because North Dakota’s Constitution mandates that our budget always be balanced, we use this revenue forecast to ensure we able to meet the needs of North Dakota while spending responsibility.
Also on Tuesday, the House rejected SB 2143 by a vote of 14-78. This bill allows big game hunters in North Dakota to wear fluorescent pink clothing while hunting. Under current law, fluorescent orange is the only color that may be worn by big game hunters. Supporters of this bill stated that most manufacturers of orange hunting gear do not make their clothing in female sizes. They believe that allowing female hunters to wear fluorescent pink would adequately allow them access to hunting gear that will fit correctly. Opponents of the bill cited safety concerns with wearing fluorescent pink. They noted that for many colorblind hunters, fluorescent pink would be an exceptionally difficult color to see while hunting. Because of this, the legislation failed to gain the support needed to pass.
On Wednesday, the House passed SB 2297 by a vote of 89-3. This bill renames state highway 57 to the Akicita Memorial Highway. In native Lakota or Dakota languages, the word Akicita closely matches the English word “veteran.” State Highway 57 runs through both Benson and Ramsey County and travels into the city of Devils Lake and through the Spirit Lake Reservation. The bill received widespread support with many members believing it is a way to honor Native Americans in our state who have, or are currently serving in our armed forces.
On Thursday, the House held its annual memorial service. This service is meant to honor any former members of the House of Representatives who have passed away during the last biennium.
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.