[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-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",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_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":73},"mediaId",6363692,"mediaKeyId","2165956-8ace6a5d926bb826896c2afe0c3f51d9","parentId",2165956,"title","Appropriations panel trims fleet-services funding, advances indigent defense budget with amendments","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",7898000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2165956-8ace6a5d926bb826896c2afe0c3f51d9&start=7898&end=7898","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2165956-8ace6a5d926bb826896c2afe0c3f51d9/thumbnail_7898000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6363692/North-Dakota/Appropriations-panel-trims-fleet-services-funding-advances-indigent-defense-budget-with-amendments","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6363692-0a9f635db0449e9bfb42bec6a4343ab1/orig.mp4?Expires=1773659885&Signature=Xx7gI7sDObsFCYxoVzehxA6IOJzlVWybB8Ay0CQWVPhLNWZykx-Ww7L-~rybEA3Bn-J1kSzjhntrUSIjDv7N0ddeRXH4lonOynlo~Kekmv3Vb9ljPpep-LKwa5uvJTEFtjZN0i6yWUqtRk-k5w~kH-75pGS~tdYPyy4~DT7Hojye~q8c8X5uPEQzg7tGiRvPWvf3j4gksWQxBR5py5lTq8WTkisQqrAXEXHnLuzThCPBl~OsxLGOR2jyXEeccYrAaqYdrlyF6Fw1PG5vtnjLqvTZoEPl2Io7~rrAMAWpYqhUXfraRBjjJiVANjBsirm6eXay3g-prD286RY7kZeFPw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Senate Appropriations - Government Operations Division, ND","date","2025-01-28T00:00:00Z","article","The Appropriations Committee — Government Operations Division voted on a set of budget amendments that reduced one-time fleet-services funding and advanced the budget for the Commission on Legal Counsel for Indigence with changes requested by the committee.

Committee members approved an amendment that reduces the general-fund amount for state fleet services by $1,000,000 (the long-sheet amount was changed from $4,275,000 to $3,275,000 in committee explanatory material). Committee staff and highway-patrol accounting witnesses explained the amortized per-mile rate and the uncertainties behind vehicle depreciation and resale values. Aaron Hummel, Chief of Staff with the Highway Patrol, told the committee the adjusted long-sheet calculation equates to \"approximately a dollar 28 per mile\" under the revised budget assumptions; the patrol's biennial mileage estimate used in testimony was 9,734,400 miles and an estimated inventory of about 188 vehicles.

The amendment package the committee voted on also included a $330,000 correction to trooper cost restoration and an adjustment tied to the new-and-vacant FTE pool that yielded roughly $1,000,000 in savings on the long sheet, according to committee staff (Brady) testimony.

On the Commission on Legal Counsel for Indigence (the state's public-defense commission), the committee voted to advance the agency's budget largely as proposed in the Armstrong executive budget but removed $805,000 that had been identified for targeted FTE equity pay increases; the committee concurrently approved language to declassify the commission's attorney positions from the state classified system (the transcript references a Century Code provision and a draft section number). Commission leadership told the committee that staffing turnover and a wide pay gap with county prosecutors and judiciary offices have hampered recruitment and that some of the contracted work the commission pays for is more expensive when staff vacancies require outside contractors to cover cases.

Both measures were recorded by roll call in committee. The motion to adopt the budget amendments (which included the $1,000,000 fleet reduction) was moved on the record and passed; recorded committee votes on the amendment and on the motion to give the bill a \"due pass as amended\" were unanimous among the members present (Senator Sickler — Aye; Senator Eberly/Erbilig — Aye; Senator Dwyer — Yes; Senator Burkhart — Aye; Senator Wanzek/Wanzek — Yes). The Commission on Legal Counsel for Indigence budget passed as amended by a similar roll call of the same members.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Appropriations - Government Operations Division Jan 28, 2025\t","oneSentenceSummary","The Government Operations Division approved amendments trimming state fleet-services funding by $1,000,000 and passed the Commission on Legal Counsel for Indigence budget as amended (removing an $805,000 FTE equity line and adding statutory declassification language). Both measures passed by roll call.","taxTitle","Appropriations - Government Operations Division, Senate, Legislative, North Dakota","taxId",28900,"location","North Dakota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_46":81,"_48":82,"_50":83,"_52":84,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":85,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":86,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6363697,"Appropriations panel advances bill moving motor-fuel inspection fees to DEQ operating fund",1511,144000,1655000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2165956-8ace6a5d926bb826896c2afe0c3f51d9&start=144&end=1655","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2165956-8ace6a5d926bb826896c2afe0c3f51d9/thumbnail_144000.jpg","/articles/6363697/North-Dakota/Appropriations-panel-advances-bill-moving-motor-fuel-inspection-fees-to-DEQ-operating-fund","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6363697-4f069235c4bad52147fff38e6db586cd/orig.mp4?Expires=1773659885&Signature=Pj2XDBwB1KSEKLHAxztK74q3~xCD0Sgdl9VgXjoNZhMu0vqEOdMZbETHqH8Ud9r~5-iKnIxuIe5CLIExOVRlrrv8W3EDesj25lsOBlCuWs~WJLXu~5aSMSkBDfpD5gvVjDVogScBvrul4qGjEhzfd1Gb2QKt9-et6sLqLtC6I6yALh5~IRFEpdYf1z~tJeXJXu~ONvPI6dWpKAWrmwCgSXiDAucuvX1dZqpMpnhcT8X0D2M52IRS0N1lK8BMJWSAglNfqpBRs85~BR8lPAOTlxjURkHRjGLyfd7o~oxj0fzB9QFxHxeRQhVLidyBmCkycBMUSjW08x1fHZVOt7m8Zg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Appropriations Committee's Government Operations Division advanced Senate Bill 2179 after hearing testimony that the bill would transfer revenues from the state's motor-fuel inspection fee into the Department of Environmental Quality's (DEQ) special operating fund to expand gasoline sampling and testing.

Mike Rood, president of the North Dakota Petroleum Marketers Association, urged the committee to give SB 2179 a \"do pass\" recommendation and said the sampling program \"plays an important role ensuring both the retailer and consumer are protected when it comes to gas purchases.\" David Lott, director of the Department of Environmental Quality, told the committee the agency currently collects about 270 fuel samples per year and would like to expand sampling to roughly 1,000 samples annually.

Beth Jacobson, DEQ's director of accounting, explained how the bill would work in state finance terms: \"What would happen is they would transfer that revenue out of the general fund to DEQ special operating fund.\" Jacobson testified the revenue estimate for the next biennium is about $561,000 and that the department's fiscal note shows roughly $6.32 or $6.52 (amount in the testimony varied) in expenditures for the biennium, including one-time capital costs; she said about $215,000 of the expenditures are for one-time capital assets and the fiscal note also includes about $30,000 to rebuild laboratory engines and an additional one-time cost for three pieces of laboratory equipment.

Lott described the work DEQ performs on retail fuel: \"We test for octane and ethanol content\" and for diesel he said the lab can test cetane. He told the panel that budget reductions over time had reduced sampling to levels the agency considers insufficient and that DEQ has not previously received money from the inspection fee in its budget even though retailers pay the fee.

Committee members asked whether the funding transfer creates an automatic appropriation to DEQ; committee staff clarified the bill would change where the fees are deposited but the department still needs appropriation authority to spend the monies. Committee discussion also examined who could help collect samples (the Public Service Commission had collected samples at one point but said it needed funding) and whether the program would apply to all taxable fuel sales.

The committee recorded a vote to advance the bill as amended. Roll-call votes recorded in the hearing log show the committee members present voted in favor (Senator Sickler — Aye; Senator Eberly/Erbilig — Aye; Senator Dwyer — Yes; Senator Burkhart — Aye; Senator Wansick/Wanzek — Yes). The action was recorded as \"due pass as amended.\"","A legislative committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 2179 and voted to advance the measure that would transfer motor-fuel inspection fee revenues from the state general fund to the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) operating fund, enabling expansion of retail fuel sampling and testing.","actionData","errors"]

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Appropriations panel trims fleet-services funding, advances indigent defense budget with amendments

Appropriations panel advances bill moving motor-fuel inspection fees to DEQ operating fund