[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-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",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_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",6284825,"mediaKeyId","2576667-f41a2ac5b2b25fbc4ad34299c5bae77e","parentId",2576667,"title","Sponsor urges delay on bill to abolish Gaming Commission amid negotiations; charities urge keeping independent commission","audioSeconds",464,"startMs",3384000,"endMs",3848000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2576667-f41a2ac5b2b25fbc4ad34299c5bae77e&start=3384&end=3848","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2576667-f41a2ac5b2b25fbc4ad34299c5bae77e/thumbnail_3384000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6284825/North-Dakota/Sponsor-urges-delay-on-bill-to-abolish-Gaming-Commission-amid-negotiations-charities-urge-keeping-independent-commission","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6284825-ca3388d833e373555ce7ee8ba2437225/orig.mp4?Expires=1776539497&Signature=lXaCbM2WLX6uKJpz8e5RzMLiKZjc1gx~J4UuV23hRWnHcKdH4PvDgnMYSQNR8S7FVq1VWNywu4D2WRP~juNKDi3LR4FAfbwmSAToCAfJ6BrYGUoyT-EegxtnlKh8NIq~Wg2sIS9mEg8lgqe~OJCEcSN6UMdtsCuOfbrT8VfI1Wl2c1Ta6JjiclzY-S07iX1ekmQGIzunPkbO~P3zwcU3a01y9h5T0Lg-O-~3ffWpo9-kI5mS57SUyyxB7rHSbxGe8S-wY9g~eJ3E-1NDz~5ke4jIlIUsUXICWhq~v8IJ5uWftogx5BPBFSAdbKx3fXO3aT6gHuCD~naPQH3qGSVv3g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","North Dakota State Legislature","date","2025-03-12T00:00:00Z","article","The committee heard Senate Bill 2224, which would abolish the North Dakota Gaming Commission and give the Attorney General authority to administer and regulate charitable gaming. Sponsor Senator Yana Mirdel told the committee she planned to be neutral and urged legislators not to take action immediately because parallel House legislation and interbranch discussions were ongoing.

Tara Felice of the Mandan Baseball Club said the current structure concentrates regulatory authority in the Attorney General’s office and leaves charities without “a forum for meaningful engagement.” Felice said the Gaming Commission model in House Bill 1525 (passed in the House) would provide “clear, consistent guidance and a forum for meaningful engagement” and that abolishing the commission would reduce transparency and weaken public trust.

Written testimony in support of preserving a commission was filed electronically; no large, organized opposition to the commission abolition appeared in person. The sponsor told the committee the commission now has a full complement of members and that stakeholders are discussing an amended approach that avoids wholesale code changes and instead improves the commission’s functionality.

Ending: After charity witnesses described cases where they lost gaming sites and had limited recourse under the Attorney General’s regulatory model, the sponsor again urged delay while the committee and stakeholders reconcile the competing House and Senate approaches to charitable gaming oversight.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Judiciary Wednesday, Mar 12, 2025 8:48 AM - 12:08 PM","oneSentenceSummary","Senate Bill 2224, which would abolish the Gaming Commission and return regulation of charitable gaming to the Attorney General, drew charity representatives who urged keeping an independent commission for transparency and stakeholder input.","taxTitle","Judiciary, House of Representatives, Legislative, North Dakota","taxId",28895,"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},6284818,"Committee hears bill to allow sealing eviction records after seven years and for some domestic‑violence victims",1566,4960000,6526000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2576667-f41a2ac5b2b25fbc4ad34299c5bae77e&start=4960&end=6526","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2576667-f41a2ac5b2b25fbc4ad34299c5bae77e/thumbnail_4960000.jpg","/articles/6284818/North-Dakota/Committee-hears-bill-to-allow-sealing-eviction-records-after-seven-years-and-for-some-domesticviolence-victims","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6284818-c6a597d92e5c08bf30006cc3385cf781/orig.mp4?Expires=1776539497&Signature=hgb8dKVm9UNOfFItxKAjKtHAqecbZ1yn5P95FI-~pTZVbHjMjZWyoYB6VWWOxc2A6USEUftW9oZSaydQ3zgKrThPd9Aq-RzawJTuUUaV7TR6993waIwPLdEpglV-~WyJDRWFqnmvKq9dMTWKr7ubcMWGuBsyjgA8Xid0YIOYyEoyNJCMLnzUg~cwEhg8vmvTIIUo5N9dcSVTJyAiWRkJWtSklzN8bFh-nntSwGeMhO6ncgXbIiXLc7TQXbbxXM2~L3aD6r1Rby8SNLi9rSs89HxzG2BIFqbOPoUSb6Cw27Cgo-Vhemch-PG5L9Iy~Xhn1DRhK4h2SafukWk6A2tXuA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Judiciary Committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 2238, which would allow people to petition a court to seal eviction records seven years after an eviction, provided they have resolved unpaid rent and damage claims, and would permit an eviction tied to domestic violence to be sealed to avoid penalizing victims.

Sponsor Sen. Ryan Braunberger told the committee the measure is intended to help people who have corrected their behavior or who were victims of circumstances such as domestic abuse to find housing after a period of stability. “I think 7 years is a good time period for it to be able to prove that you are a good tenant after you've had some issues in the past,” Braunberger said.

Housing advocates, including the ACLU and Protection & Advocacy, supported the bill. Cody Shuler of the American Civil Liberties Union said sealing eviction records is “a very important strategy” to reduce housing insecurity and noted that from January 2021 to October 2023 there were 5,747 eviction judgments statewide that affected roughly 4.7 percent of occupied rentals; Shuler and other witnesses said sealing can help break cycles of homelessness and economic instability.

Micah Olson of North Dakota Protection & Advocacy described disability‑related reasons a tenant might be evicted — financial exploitation, trouble understanding lease terms, or loss of employment tied to disability — and said sealing after seven years can help people with disabilities secure accessible, stable housing once they have remedied prior issues.

Landlords and committee members asked several procedural questions: sealing is not automatic; it requires a court petition and the bill requires petitioners to have satisfied outstanding monetary judgments for unpaid rent and damages before sealing. Committee members also asked how sealing would interact with credit reports; witnesses said sealing the court record is 1 tool and does not erase other credit records, but may remove a barrier some landlords use in screening applicants.

Ending: The committee closed the hearing after testimony from housing advocates, disability advocates and local officials; no vote was recorded and members indicated follow‑up work would be required to align the bill with other eviction‑related provisions.
","Senate Bill 2238 would let eligible individuals petition a court to seal eviction records after seven years if outstanding rent and damage claims are resolved; the bill also allows sealing for victims of domestic violence.",{"_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},6284828,"House Judiciary hears divided testimony on bill to bar judicial deference to agencies' interpretations of ambiguous statutes",4188,782000,4970000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2576667-f41a2ac5b2b25fbc4ad34299c5bae77e&start=782&end=4970","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2576667-f41a2ac5b2b25fbc4ad34299c5bae77e/thumbnail_782000.jpg","/articles/6284828/North-Dakota/House-Judiciary-hears-divided-testimony-on-bill-to-bar-judicial-deference-to-agencies-interpretations-of-ambiguous-statutes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6284828-13668d4652c40d5bafaafb62801b1915/orig.mp4?Expires=1776539497&Signature=gwE-k3qGc~oPgjznhjf3Y4yPOumIV6Y1wOyCKG5vNoT4sI1fffb-GYqQP08gs03KOj~eTjJV7H6rWAEEWSV6D-X1uMT8q2PZ7Mh4nf9uWKWc5svxxNqnhKBI2JQQws7ZIGoPmZMX~YiB0DooSuWaimme4xYGnIuPDZB4eQwuyk2lbFwYk8I9RfJgdv7-lpF~jQF2Lt4T8BC2cfH~FifzNEoMoHfb6OEmI36OQHeZzg-idCzFMIy4E7o3ZyMELfI5VMcHZdw7tQmNftsGhjugjNf1e9fb6X6e7QHBsW0MS8j0w5iwbVRWVj1FvS5cp4c22uGnJ00F44e0rJhddG1pGQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Judiciary Committee heard hours of testimony on Senate Bill 2285 on the effect of judicial deference to administrative agencies. Sponsor Sen. Claire Corey told the committee the bill would make judges “follow the statute rather than deferring to the agency to conduct their interpretation.”

The bill would direct judges and administrative law judges to consult the statute first and only then consider agency rules or interpretations when resolving ambiguous statutory language. Proponents said the change restores separation of powers after the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Loper Bright v. Raimondo.

Jackie Hall, executive director of the North Dakota Association for Justice, said the U.S. Supreme Court “finally and empathetically overruled Chevron deference” and argued states should ensure courts — not agencies — resolve questions of law. “The legislature creates the statutes, and they are law,” Hall said, urging a “due pass” for the bill.

Supporters included James Manley, state policy chief for the Pacific Legal Foundation, who framed the bill as a separation‑of‑powers measure, and Brad Peterson of Protection & Advocacy, who described repeated administrative rulings that he said could be hard to overturn under deference doctrines.

Opponents included several statewide agency officials who said the bill, as written, would reduce the ability of technically specialized agencies to apply expertise in fields such as energy, environment and medicine. North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring warned the measure could “diminish the ability for state agencies to carry out the will and intention of the legislature,” citing regulatory complexity and public‑comment rulemaking. Randy Christman, chair of the Public Service Commission, urged an exemption for constitutional agencies that regulate complex utilities matters, saying those proceedings allow public participation that a courtroom review may not replicate.

Sandra DuPentes, executive director of the North Dakota Board of Medicine, described disciplinary and medical‑standard determinations as “highly technical” and said the board and its administrative law judges rely on subject‑matter expertise when resolving licensing and standard‑of‑care disputes.

Nathan Anderson, director of the Department of Mineral Resources, proposed a narrowing amendment to limit the bar on deference to situations involving an \"ambiguous statute, regulation or rule.\" The attorney general’s general counsel later told the committee the governor’s office was neutral on the bill as written and supported Anderson’s amendment as a narrowing change.

Witnesses and committee members referenced North Dakota cases in which courts reviewed agency actions; the bill does not create an automatic exclusion of agency rules but would change the order of legal inquiry so statute interpretation is primary and agency interpretation is secondary.

No formal action or vote on the bill was recorded at the hearing. Committee members and agency representatives acknowledged outstanding questions about how the change would apply to constitutionally created agencies, technical adjudications and administrative rules review.

Ending: Committee members closed the record after additional testimony from state agencies and advocacy groups and moved on to the next scheduled bills.","The House Judiciary Committee heard hours of testimony on Senate Bill 2285, which would require judges to interpret statutes first and prohibit courts from deferring to administrative agencies’ interpretations of ambiguous statutes.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6284822,"Committee hears support for allowing veterans' clubs to use a portion of gaming net proceeds for food and beverage costs",1243,3749000,4992000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2576667-f41a2ac5b2b25fbc4ad34299c5bae77e&start=3749&end=4992","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2576667-f41a2ac5b2b25fbc4ad34299c5bae77e/thumbnail_3749000.jpg","/articles/6284822/North-Dakota/Committee-hears-support-for-allowing-veterans-clubs-to-use-a-portion-of-gaming-net-proceeds-for-food-and-beverage-costs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6284822-639d4919e67b5a8a6e19de272e3748ea/orig.mp4?Expires=1776539497&Signature=P9VxQtim189VQPOizFaTaAYsWRfhccdkk333bjgHqarfIKYDs0gnlmLGHjj2cHWC3cgoztywG7CS-1gZIJJ0flX-nnle5ZcSKGhfK32GYmOY06PKPuTQZh62AwfMD9~MQ0JokQl81lSJSAPxX4vq~JWdK~67BkIgyFd2yqIW6JNiDySte4eZg8vZoD5K9uX61R8RBwq~gI7EAqvnV98JggjM9slX5SWweKMSglolWrv3ui9SkaagWaJ1~1tG5NY5Uc8aeoTzUSZqf08B9p3D8lItuRITjFASL7jYgTeXDnQj8nXltGvgRzLuLbZbFucVXt8je7MKSOqJ4EgiJHBd6Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Judiciary Committee heard supporters of Senate Bill 2288, which would permit veterans organizations that operate clubs to use up to 20% of their net charitable‑gaming proceeds to pay for food and beverage costs incurred in operating the club. Sponsors said the change is intended to help struggling veterans clubs remain financially viable.

Sen. **** Devere, sponsor, described veterans organizations’ community roles, including honor guards, civics outreach and donations to local projects, and said charitable gaming has historically funded those efforts. “When a club closes, the post suffers,” Devere said, urging the committee to support the measure.

Witnesses from veterans posts and gaming industry groups told the committee 20% was conservative; some speakers proposed higher limits such as 40% or 50% (several witnesses framed 20% as a floor or starting point). Chris Eberts, chairman of the VFW Charity Committee in Bismarck, and Wayne Trottier, a long‑time veterans group leader and former legislator, described how modest additional allowances for operating costs could help re‑open or sustain club facilities that support veterans and community events.

Scott Meske of the North Dakota Gaming Alliance provided a breakdown of typical flows of gaming revenue for context: averages commonly used in industry accounting show most wagers are returned to players, taxes are assessed, and the remaining adjusted gross yields a charity‑eligible pool; the bill would allow veterans posts to use a specified share of that net proceeds pool for food and beverage expenses.

Committee members asked how the percentage would be calculated and whether the change would apply to off‑site gaming sites; witnesses clarified the proposal applies to clubs and that the 20% limit is calculated from the charity‑eligible portion of net proceeds. Supporters said the change would not expand gaming but would allow veteran posts to cover necessary operational costs so they can continue delivering community services.

Ending: The hearing closed after multiple veterans organizations and the gaming industry outlined the proposal and its intended effect on club viability. No opposition appeared on the record before the committee at the close of the hearing.","Senate Bill 2288 would let veterans organizations use up to 20% of net charitable‑gaming proceeds to cover food and beverage costs for operation of veterans' clubs; sponsors and veterans groups said the change would help keep clubs open and sustain posts that provide community services.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6284827,"Bill to add fee for convictions to fund digital forensics, internet‑crime investigations draws support from law enforcement",333,2980000,3313000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2576667-f41a2ac5b2b25fbc4ad34299c5bae77e&start=2980&end=3313","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2576667-f41a2ac5b2b25fbc4ad34299c5bae77e/thumbnail_2980000.jpg","/articles/6284827/North-Dakota/Bill-to-add-fee-for-convictions-to-fund-digital-forensics-internetcrime-investigations-draws-support-from-law-enforcement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6284827-6080a4398056193fc12dcb8c5059b791/orig.mp4?Expires=1776539497&Signature=Q4P-IOvuhO1RXFkBoz62zzgfHpHFi45wils4mMCsirsF84xDtjMVomKsetLENrjB9YY5cSwPCULYw7w3lI9OtqrSUI~LfS35K85JoKQHs9zUobjceL6PtqkhJwdhRP3Zru1eI4sIS1KPu~vJ7NI44bxFjeyLC9olL6L5iXU7lECKuMe8IamGZu-ItFkHnO~rMsJ70OVktCJUbfjhBxV3S6R3ryiL0QDDT~B~CGrAfMmucl5cD787Kz~VsM0nMHtdsnmMovqJkriMdmOMqFpk9s1NfpO69vbMpGi2Gr2KvK67MxGP7t0lF37Qg3voLHtcIaDOcvp1HBxXGRjIZWL8fg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Judiciary Committee heard testimony supporting Senate Bill 2167, which would allow courts to assess a fee on certain criminal convictions and deposit those funds into a state Internet Crime Investigation Fund to pay for digital forensics equipment, software, training and Internet‑crimes‑against‑children prevention efforts.

Sen. Yana Bridal introduced the bill and said it is a response to a rise in online crimes targeting children and to growing demand for digital forensic work in many investigations.

Steven Harstad, chief agent with the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, told the committee the statutory structure would assess a single $100 fee in qualifying convictions where digital forensics (for example, extracting a cell phone) were used. Harstad said the fund would be held by the attorney general but available to any agency performing digital‑forensic work, including local police departments. “We'd rather not make it too burdensome in the long run,” Harstad said, explaining the bill limits the fee to a single assessment per defendant even if multiple convictions result.

Harstad outlined partial revenue context: there were about 21,000 felony or misdemeanor convictions statewide in 2023 and historic collection rates of roughly 62% for similar fees; however, he said it is unclear how many of those convictions involved digital forensics. He told the committee a rough working estimate would be that “50 to 80 percent” of cases might involve digital evidence, but he said precise revenue projections were not available.

Supporters included the North Dakota Peace Officers Association and the Bureau of Criminal Investigation; witnesses said several other states use similar mechanisms. Testimony said the fund would enable smaller departments to access specialized tools and training that are otherwise costly.

Committee members asked about waivers and fairness for low‑income defendants. Harstad said the bill’s language allows some flexibility in the fee amount and that courts already assess varying fees and fines; the committee considered whether waivers should be explicit.

Ending: With support from law enforcement groups and no significant organized opposition on the record, the committee closed the hearing and proceeded to the next item.","Senate Bill 2167 would add a fee on convictions where digital forensics are used and establish an Internet Crime Investigation Fund to pay for hardware, software, training and outreach. Law enforcement witnesses said the fund would help police keep up with growing cybercrime demands; revenue estimates were uncertain.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Sponsor urges delay on bill to abolish Gaming Commission amid negotiations; charities urge keeping independent commission

Committee hears bill to allow sealing eviction records after seven years and for some domestic‑violence victims

House Judiciary hears divided testimony on bill to bar judicial deference to agencies' interpretations of ambiguous statutes

Committee hears support for allowing veterans' clubs to use a portion of gaming net proceeds for food and beverage costs

Bill to add fee for convictions to fund digital forensics, internet‑crime investigations draws support from law enforcement