North Dakota special session resolves budget mess in three days

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota’s Republican-controlled Legislature adjourned Wednesday after rewriting a major budget bill that was voided by the state Supreme Court, resolving a mess that had threatened to stymie government operations.

The Legislature completed its special session in three days, less than a month after the surprising ruling that rejected the law as unconstitutional for violating a single subject requirement.

Additionally, the Senate rejected an unrelated, expanded income tax cut pressed by Republican Gov. Doug Burgum, who was off his presidential campaign trail during the special session. Burgum called the situation a “missed opportunity” for more tax relief amid recent years’ inflation.

Lawmakers drank coffee, munched brownies and mingled in the Senate chamber while waiting for final votes, with wintry weather bearing down on the state. They quickly left the state Capitol after adjourning around noon.

Fourteen bills were passed to reconstruct the voided legislation, including a modified bill to appoint more legislators to serve on the state’s public employee retirement board. The special session was sparked by a lawsuit that challenged that provision of the original law.

Burgum urged lawmakers to expand a recent income tax cut, using $91 million of excess state tax revenue. The proposal sailed through the House of Representatives, but the Senate killed the bill. Opponents said the bill needed more vetting, and cited constituents’ greater interest in property tax cuts than income tax relief.

The Legislature’s next regular session is scheduled for January 2025.