[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6370336,"mediaKeyId","2151788-f20b1c99ddc0cd9edda6af6efb8acf68","parentId",2151788,"title","Committee weighs shifting public-notice requirements online; staff asked to draft appropriation and may/shall amendment","audioSeconds",1284,"startMs",2976000,"endMs",4260000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2151788-f20b1c99ddc0cd9edda6af6efb8acf68&start=2976&end=4260","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2151788-f20b1c99ddc0cd9edda6af6efb8acf68/thumbnail_2976000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6370336/North-Dakota/Committee-weighs-shifting-public-notice-requirements-online-staff-asked-to-draft-appropriation-and-mayshall-amendment","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6370336-388dd85355dea1bef79082d54a6ec4ec/orig.mp4?Expires=1776610820&Signature=IR6QEkwUvUkgd1CdbFZvgQFa-S3lyqdaM5x0fg~-gkNIAltgOfdmuf6PDQ9jVdghjBxfQzQ~dNnbm0jPpCTxQDk8EXT-oFlJUcpfMQofqRiuDxUgUH7QczjPATzOpGmCiBpq8FyN4qAt0rbJyPh5deNUsNoVE1E1F5hapwin-JMESyIW7UShR~SsEPzYWYJ8azrMEQfXAl6Ztq7wN9r3HotHsBiArntctkJFxKb9PDgNolgYyZMdK0JRYoee5WgwoOrwfZBiW8eOnrFyvZFqeSJ1kLSENVAUf9wqFFgUlpKaiY~f-4D78CICmgq8NfKub5OkQabuW764utLgkebhFQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Senate State and Local Government, ND","date","2025-01-23T00:00:00Z","article","Committee members discussed a measure addressing public-notice publication, including a proposal that notices which currently must appear in print also be considered published if posted on a state-run website.

John Arnold, deputy insurance commissioner, and Sandy McMurdie, deputy secretary of state, described experiences where newspapers missed required publication dates and the downstream operational and legal consequences. \"We actually had 1 county auditor, frantically called me up one morning, because the newspaper ... missed publishing that,\" Arnold said, describing a case where staff needed to consult legal counsel to proceed.

McMurdie described the current Secretary of State public-notice system as built in 2013 and not designed to support a large public-notice workload. She said minor changes to the system can cost between $5,000 and $40,000 and estimated that a more robust procurement or upgrade could be on the order of $100,000. Committee members discussed options: leave publication as a local discretion (\"may\"), require online publication (\"shall\"), or include a phased implementation with an appropriation.

The committee directed staff to draft an amendment that would change the proposed mandatory publication language to a temporary \"may\" while the Secretary of State procures or upgrades a system, and to prepare an appropriation request and implementation timeline (members mentioned a potential 2027 effective date to allow procurement and build-out). No final committee vote on the underlying policy was recorded during the session; members agreed to continue work on amendment language and potential funding.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate State and Local Government Jan 23, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Committee members considered a proposal to treat publication on a central state website as satisfying legal public-notice requirements and discussed costs and implementation timing for a state-run system.","taxTitle","State and Local Government, Senate, Legislative, North Dakota","taxId",28908,"location","North Dakota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6370341,"Committee debates hand-count sample for post-election audits; amendment adopted and bill advanced",1096,1257000,2353000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2151788-f20b1c99ddc0cd9edda6af6efb8acf68&start=1257&end=2353","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2151788-f20b1c99ddc0cd9edda6af6efb8acf68/thumbnail_1257000.jpg","/articles/6370341/North-Dakota/Committee-debates-hand-count-sample-for-post-election-audits-amendment-adopted-and-bill-advanced","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6370341-2ae9ca32883ec17f213516a76b8e166f/orig.mp4?Expires=1776610820&Signature=ozPEAGzjyX7NxswQnYkofVBibm9PiAxMOV4~lBAaeYXQZcGD5wcfqdCQAV9Rk-sQM6UAjcPeY2kXf4LKsYN8c8De9uZ53uQq0Ze382G~K63pCaajRCCK7Qjdh4x1wMMFihKPPvoseNqyF~~FIF8hcHEud49zBtxCQe5h9kCDJKE3v8GhQUKQU~4w7r9v2RUlvTc~qssshjWDPmbJS9iun-y~z26vh3HqOSNSCrXAaMO-SsxMXYWZcdt9CJ4DGQpDY6TMDvnonMWKOHlS2z3uVmDI6HGH65Hd~VmRbSRW36jVxam9RdVA5JbhsS83WXrcrGsynIuIQUELXBeiBrpSAw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senators debated whether to require hand-count sampling as part of post-election audits during a committee hearing that produced an amendment and a favorable committee vote.

Senator Castaneda argued for adding a small manual hand-count — he suggested 250 ballots — to provide public reassurance and spot-check machine accuracy. \"Even if it's something as small as 250 ballots, that I think would help a lot of people,\" he said.

Other members raised concerns. Senator Brownberger cited research he said the Brennan Center and other organizations had compiled finding human hand-counts can produce inaccuracies because counters become fatigued. \"Hand counting is only going to lead to less trust in our system,\" he said, recommending against a mandatory hand-count requirement.

Several senators sought a compromise: allow counties discretion in how much manual checking they perform or set a smaller sample (for example, 100 ballots). Senator Wallin suggested keeping hand counting as part of audit practice but leaving the size at local discretion to avoid micromanaging county processes.

The committee adopted the amendment that included the audit language (recorded in the clerk's roll) and later voted the bill out of committee 6-0. Committee members discussed operational concerns for small counties and the tradeoff between reassurance and added burdens on election staff.","Committee members split over requiring hand counts as part of post-election audits. Some senators argued for a fixed sample (250 or 100 ballots) for reassurance; others cited studies showing hand-count inaccuracy and cautioned against micromanaging counties. The committee adopted an amendment and advanced the bill 6-0.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6370346,"Committee inserts language protecting township zoning when county assumes floodplain authority",2079,620000,2699000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2151788-f20b1c99ddc0cd9edda6af6efb8acf68&start=620&end=2699","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2151788-f20b1c99ddc0cd9edda6af6efb8acf68/thumbnail_620000.jpg","/articles/6370346/North-Dakota/Committee-inserts-language-protecting-township-zoning-when-county-assumes-floodplain-authority","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6370346-e693196b093eb2dba2b4e1987a6a419f/orig.mp4?Expires=1776610820&Signature=Se1R1jG8ET05NdFPOR3fXP6e2aBwpOw6ORyikkkMS4I6oRyQZGDHmoa-ReA9K9Bp-kAGLPU-BI90GaKOO6E3E3mP~1FgGdRG-V4RBFrPgf2mXoX5VMKXb2Otm4hnjQq7bDO1sjdpm5sFuQ-XFLcb0YCEz0la~e2xdBAlkqN1LK-SRtVRKCcYAWXIJf34Xjw~YBUv3XCM92Qvz8xRaxZthGC5~ERFIMz0fyA~tCXvMVRJ9Xoh1v1~i0uD6mU4UgIuTkg7P~R~ndJQSn1GXIdX1HpJZrQ93hdo0V0~YZLGFyWUviTaZ9fVIfQRQQDH8tCfliNTVMGzmASJBw~AdXLMIg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The State and Local Government Committee on Oct. 12 approved an amendment clarifying that if a township and county sign a written agreement transferring floodplain management to the county, the county may not require the township to convey additional legal authorities the township otherwise holds, including zoning authority.

The change was inserted in two places in the draft statute (page 2 and page 7), and the committee also amended a deadline in the bill from March 31 to April 30 to give local groups more time to complete paperwork. Committee legal staff advised keeping a separately numbered subsection (subsection 8) in place rather than removing it.

Legislative counsel reviewed competing phrasing and recommended the use of \"may not\" in the provision to reflect the drafting manual guidance distinguishing \"shall,\" \"must,\" and \"may/may not.\" Committee members asked staff to confirm that the new insertions do not conflict with subsection 8; staff reported back that subsection 8 should remain.

The amendment (described in the record as \"page 2, page 7, and date\") passed on a roll call 6-0. The committee later voted the bill out favorably as amended by a 6-0 vote.

Committee Chair Rohrs and senators who voted \"aye\" on the amendment and the bill included Vice Chair Castaneda, Senator Bridal, Senator Brownberger, Senator Lee and Senator Wallen, according to the clerk's roll call.","The State and Local Government Committee approved an amendment to clarify that when a township relinquishes floodplain management to a county, the county may not require the township to convey other legal authorities such as zoning; the panel also changed a paperwork deadline to April 30 and voted the bill out of committee 6-0.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee weighs shifting public-notice requirements online; staff asked to draft appropriation and may/shall amendment

Committee debates hand-count sample for post-election audits; amendment adopted and bill advanced

Committee inserts language protecting township zoning when county assumes floodplain authority