South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley has released the final ballot explanation for a proposed initiated Constitutional Amendment that would repeal property taxes in the state and replace them with a new “retail transaction” tax. If sponsors collect 35,017 valid petition signatures, the measure would appear on the 2026 general election ballot. Attorney General Jackley Read More…
Governor Kelly Armstrong announced Thursday that he has directed more than $1.5 million in state funds to support food assistance programs during the ongoing federal government shutdown, urging North Dakota residents to consider donating food or money to local food pantries to help families impacted by the loss of federal benefits. “The state of North Read More…
South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley has joined a 14-state coalition of Attorneys General supporting a petition aimed at strengthening the integrity of federal elections. The coalition submitted a letter backing the American First Legal Foundation’s petition to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC). The petition calls on the EAC to require documentary proof of Read More…
North Dakota State Superintendent of Public Instruction Kirsten Baesler was confirmed Friday by the U.S. Senate to serve as Assistant Secretary of Elementary and Secondary Education in the U.S. Department of Education, a top leadership role overseeing federal policy for the nation’s K-12 schools. “I am honored, humbled, and incredibly excited to have received this Read More…
BISMARCK — The North Dakota House rejected a compromise bill creating a new income tax deduction for Social Security benefits Monday, April 22, sending legislative negotiators back to the drawing board. As introduced, House Bill 1174 would have allowed people to reduce their North Dakota taxable income by the amount of any Social Security Read More…
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — The North Dakota Legislature is honoring former lawmakers who have died since the last session in 2017. The House on Tuesday is honoring 27 representatives and the Senate is honoring eight senators during afternoon floor sessions. READ FULL STORY
BISMARCK — A North Dakota Republican state senator from Mayville has resigned due to health issues. Arne Osland, who was in his second session in the state Legislature, notified Legislative Management Chairman Sen. Ray Holmberg of his resignation in a letter dated Monday, March 18. “It has been my honor and privilege to serve the Read More…
Out of 503 bills introduced in the Wyoming Legislature this year, about 43 percent of them made it Gov. Mark Gordon’s desk. When Wyoming’s chief executive takes his pen Friday to the final 13 bills passed by the Wyoming Legislature, he will be considering three of the most contentious pieces of legislation to emerge from Read More…
BISMARCK — North Dakota senators voted Monday, March 18, to repeal the state’s law prohibiting drivers from leaving their car running while it’s unattended, a ban that’s often ignored during the state’s frigid months. READ FULL STORY
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon vetoed a bill Friday that would have allowed the Legislature to sue the state of Washington over coal exports. It’s important for Wyoming to “speak with one voice” on coal-export litigation, Gordon said. Wyoming is the top coal-producing state. Wyoming’s coal industry seeks to export more coal Read More…
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) – Gov. Mark Gordon has signed into a law a measure that aims to keep Wyoming’s coal-fired power plants online and in business by requiring a utility to try to sell the facility first before decommissioning it. The Wyoming Tribune Eagle reports Gordon on Friday signed Senate File 159, which was sponsored Read More…
BISMARCK — A panel chaired by North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum voted Monday, March 11, to pursue a legislative fix that would pay back state funds that the state’s land commissioner says have been shorted, putting it at odds with top Republican lawmakers. A Senate committee will consider a delayed bill addressing the issue Wednesday Read More…
BISMARCK — Two revenue forecasts due next week will give North Dakota lawmakers a brighter path for budgeting in the session’s second half. Joint meetings of the House and Senate appropriations committees will hear the Moody’s Analytics forecast on Monday, March 11, then the IHS Markit forecast on Tuesday. Moody’s has long provided forecasts for Read More…
The executive director of Wyoming’s $8.5 billion pension fund will retire in July. Ruth Reyerson is departing after almost six years, staying on to help the transition as the Wyoming Retirement System searches for her successor. Staff praised Reyerson’s accomplishments, such as her “focus on building a strong management team at every level of the Read More…
BISMARCK, N.D. — The North Dakota Legislature wants to make sure that when consumers buy meat, they know they’re buying “the edible flesh of an animal born and harvested for the purpose of human consumption,” and not something developed in a lab. The Senate on Monday, March 4, passed House Bill 1400, which defines meat Read More…
A new bill introduced in the Idaho legislature Tuesday would allow people with an enhanced gun permit to carry a handgun in public schools without first telling administrators. State Rep. Chad Christensen (R) told the Idaho State Journal he introduced the bill because he doesn’t want schools “to be a soft target.” The bill would Read More…
Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon late Tuesday afternoon announced line-item vetoes of 29 items in the supplemental budget passed by Wyoming lawmakers earlier in the 2019 Legislative Session. The governor outlines the items being vetoed and his rationale for doing so in a letter to the Wyoming House of Representatives (see below). In response to the Read More…
CHEYENNE, Wyo. It would give community colleges money to increase access for workers looking for job training who want to switch fields or learn a new skill and increase their pay. One representative says it will give some a chance they otherwise couldn’t get on their own. “This’ll be kind of for unmet needs, quite Read More…
CHEYENNE, Wyo. Governor Mark Gordon signed the bill Wednesday. It comes in response to tactics used during last years campaign when mailers were sent out from independent groups trying to sway voters. Wyoming Secretary of State Edward Buchanan says it is about transparency. READ FULL STORY
BOISE — Idaho’s most populated cities and counties appear to be big winners under a new revenue sharing proposal that was introduced Wednesday in the House Revenue and Taxation Committee. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Jason Monks, R-Nampa, revises the formula used to distribute sales tax revenues to local jurisdictions. Barring any major decreases in Read More…
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Repealing the death penalty, a non-starter in Wyoming each of the past five years, got a serious look Wednesday from a legislative committee that voted to advance the idea to the full Senate for what could be a last dash to the governor’s desk. Repeal proponents significantly outnumbered opponents in over Read More…
BISMARCK, N.D. — A bill passed by the North Dakota Senate would remove “the growing or processing of marijuana” from the definition of “farming or ranching,” which would mean growing marijuana would not be included under the state’s ban on corporate farming. North Dakota’s existing corporate farming law limits corporate farming to entities that consist Read More…
The State of Wyoming’s legislature is considering moving away from Daylight Saving Time and efforting a measure that would allow the state to stay in standard time all year. Republican Rep. from Park County, Dan Laursen is helping to push the bill forward, he says the bill would send a message to the federal government Read More…
CHEYENNE – One day, Casper Republican Jerry Obermueller wanted to test whether Wyoming’s low tax rate had an effect on prices across the state. Phoning friends in Seattle and Nebraska, he asked them to buy a number of products from chain stores that he had purchased in Wyoming. Obermueller wanted to see if there were Read More…
Two conservative lawmakers introduced a measure this week to cap growth in state budgets in anticipation of the next boom — during which they say Wyoming could save enough money to avoid any future tax increases. The proposal is being carried in mirror House and Senate bills by Sen. Bo Biteman (R-Ranchester) and Rep. Chuck Read More…
Wyoming may soon become the first state in the U.S. to provide clear banking permissions for cryptocurrencies and digital assets. A bipartisan group of state legislators introduced SF0125 to the government on Friday, which, if passed, would classify digital assets as property within existing laws. It would also establish “an opt-in framework for banks to Read More…
CASPER — A bill to increase Wyoming’s wind tax blows through Cheyenne nearly every year, and every year it dies. Some lawmakers don’t support the increase because they are afraid of depressing wind investments in Wyoming. For some the tax is unattractive on principle, or because they believe the current wind product tax — unique Read More…
CHEYENNE –- The Wyoming Legislature could act this year to make the state one of only three in the country that prevents any child under the age of 18 from getting married. Currently, Wyoming law sets the legal age for marriage at 16, but allows for a child younger than that to get married, if Read More…
Pat Arp and Gale Geringer will serve as co-chairs of the transition team. Arp is currently serving as Wyoming Deputy State Treasurer, and Geringer was helping manage Gordons campaign. The two will guide staffing decisions, administrative procedures, and initial policy rollouts. READ FULL STORY
In his first news conference as governor-elect last Wednesday, Wyoming treasurer Mark Gordon outlined his ambitions for the first year of his administration, his immediate plans for the office and how he hopes to set the tone for his agenda in Cheyenne. Less than 24 hours after a landslide 40-point victory in last week’s election, Read More…
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — The Wyoming State Canvassing Board met today to certify the results of the election. With the newly elected and re-elected getting ready to take office in a few months, Governor Mead is preparing for his last few months as governor. He said, “This is a time of many last times for me Read More…
Republican congressman Kevin Cramer leads Democratic senator Heidi Heitkamp by 16 points in the latest poll of the North Dakota Senate race — the biggest lead that Cramer has held so far. According to the survey of 650 likely voters, Cramer leads Heitkamp 56-40 percent. The poll was conducted by Strategic Research Associates from October Read More…
By CJ Baker Last week, the Wyoming Secretary of State’s Office answered one of the lingering questions about August’s election: Just how many voters switched their political affiliation to participate in the Republican primary? According to the data, a total of 367 people in Park County switched over to the Republican party for the primary. Read More…
The six Republican candidates for governor found more agreement than disagreement at a forum at Gillette on Monday night as they echoed stances on many issues. Other times, they used humor that drew laughter from the large crowd at the forum sponsored by Campbell County Republican Party. Candidates Bill Dahlin, Foster Friess, Sam Galeotos, Mark Read More…
Jackson Hole News&Guide reporter John Spina has set aside his journalistic ambitions to try to get Republican Jackson billionaire Foster Friess elected as the next Wyoming governor. Friess announced Spina’s appointment as his campaign’s director of communications Friday. His two-year stint covering the town of Jackson and Wyoming Legislature came to a close the week Read More…
Wyoming Republican Sen. John Barrasso introduced a discussion draft of the Endangered Species Act that elevates the role of states, increases transparency and prioritizes resources. “When it comes to the Endangered Species Act, the status quo is not good enough,” said Barrasso, chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. “We must do Read More…
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BISMARCK — A panel examining North Dakota’s ballot measure system forwarded four proposals Tuesday, May 22, but efforts to amend the policy-by-petition process may just be getting started. The Initiated and Referred Measures Study Commission wrapped up its work at the state Capitol Tuesday. Its recommended changes now move to Legislative Management, the committee that Read More…
RAWLINS— Trying to gain momentum for his U.S. Senate run, Democratic candidate Gary Trauner visited with folks at the Jeffrey Memorial Community Center Thursday. There were less than 10 people in attendance. Despite this, main issues Trauner highlighted were education, health care and public lands. Regarding school safety, Trauner said communities need to focus more Read More…
Rep. Mike Gierau, D-Teton, announced this weekend that he will vacate his seat in the state House of Representatives for a chance to join the Wyoming Senate. While switching chambers and flipping a Senate seat blue would be a major victory for the Democratic Party, it’s a big risk. With only three Democrats in the Read More…
Rep. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., claimed his party’s endorsement for the U.S. Senate race on Saturday in front of a packed ballroom at Grand Forks’ Alerus Center, where delegates at the GOP state convention voted for him unanimously. In an address moments before the vote, Cramer laid out the high-stakes race, which could decide control of Read More…
GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Crews are cleaning up here, throwing away political posters that hours ago held so much hope. And with that, North Dakota Republicans named Kelly Armstrong their choice to fill Kevin Cramer’s seat in the House. “Thank you everyone, thank you so much,” said Kelly Armstrong, GOP Nominee for U.S. House. But Read More…
GRAND FORKS — U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke rallied North Dakota Republicans here Saturday, April 7, and boosted Rep. Kevin Cramer, his former congressional colleague who was endorsed as the party’s pick for the U.S. Senate earlier in the day. Zinke, a former Republican congressman from Montana, avoided direct mention of his current role in Read More…
Gordon’s platform highlights three priorities for the state. The first is reducing the size of the state government so that it will “live within its means.” The second priority is to reduce government regulations to attract new businesses to the state and the third is ensuring the state has a strong education system. Reducing the Read More…