Video and Audio: Session Wrap-up
Video and Audio: Session Wrap-up
Here's a sneak peak at the comprehensive review currently being developed to summarize the actions of the 2023 Legislative Session.
Earlier this week, I appeared on Gary Emineth’s “Legislature Today” show on BEK-TV (see video above). We discussed some of the big picture issues this session tackled and what it means for North Dakotans.
KFYR’s Watchdog Wednesday for May 3rd, 2023
Daryl Lies and I had our weekly discussion yesterday where we started to do a review of the 2023 legislative session. You can listen to that by clicking here.
2023 Scorecard To Be Issued
It’s been several legislative sessions since we have issued a legislative scorecard, but with all the turnover this session it is important to develop a baseline metric to help citizens understand how their elected officials vote vs. how they talk.
As always, the North Dakota Watchdog Network focuses on economic, tax, spending, transparency, and voter rights issues. We do not and will not score social or cultural issues unless such policies can reasonably be expected to cost taxpayers a significant amount of public money or result in an expansion of government to enforce.
The bulk of the bills that will be scored are those that have been previously discussed in our archive.
If you want early access to the scorecard once complete, please consider signing up for an annual subscription to this newsletter.
Bismarck-Mandan Homebuilders Association Issues Statement On CO2 Pipeline
The language of the statement from BMHBA is similar to the language found in the petition that the North Dakota Energy Council members launched last month.
Here’s the statement:
To download the full PDF version of this statement, click here
Burleigh County Commission Seeks
Delay In CO2 Pipeline Decision
At the April 17th, 2023 Burleigh County Commission meeting the commission reached an agreement to ask state regulators to hold-off on appoving the CO2 pipeline project. From the Bismarck Tribune:
They've also finalized a decision to ask state regulators to hold off on approving the North Dakota route of Summit Carbon Solutions' planned carbon dioxide pipeline, which would pass through northern Burleigh.
The decisions are the latest to unfold after county residents north of Bismarck earlier this year expressed safety concerns with the route of the planned Midwest Carbon Express pipeline, as well as worries that it's too close to developing north Bismarck. The project would transport climate-warming CO2 emissions from dozens of ethanol plants in five Midwestern states to North Dakota’s Oliver County for permanent storage underground.
The full meeting video can be viewed here.
Local Residents Meet With
North Dakota’s U.S. Senators
Last week, a group of local citizens - many of whom are a part of the North Dakota Energy Council coalition - met with U.S. Senators John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer last week (Friday, April 28th) to discuss their concerns with the carbon dioxide pipeline, primarily the routing so close to Bismarck and Bismarck’s growth zone.
Meeting attendees included Former Bismarck Mayors John Warford and Steve Bakken, as well as local land and housing developers Chad Wachter and Chad Moldenhauer.
The meeting was cordial and friendly, and the Senators acknowledged some of the information provided was new to them.
No commitments were made by the Senators.
Video and Audio: Session Wrap-up