[{"_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",6127370,"mediaKeyId","2663483-7f7393e3b009ff551c56df7633787488","parentId",2663483,"title","Heated Hearing on Bill That Would Phase Out Greyhound Betting, Tidy Electronic Pull‑tab Rules","audioSeconds",6592,"startMs",3838000,"endMs",10430000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2663483-7f7393e3b009ff551c56df7633787488&start=3838&end=10430","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2663483-7f7393e3b009ff551c56df7633787488/thumbnail_3838000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6127370/North-Dakota/Heated-Hearing-on-Bill-That-Would-Phase-Out-Greyhound-Betting-Tidy-Electronic-Pulltab-Rules","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6127370-d1c2262ccbf5013811549ee2be1f5656/orig.mp4?Expires=1771104323&Signature=JBnJxZ9sBp12XPu-3aavfYUExTfBJ6VUT~XgVhSf67O086LRzzk2xJ6UWLRucTY3nmbdJv9yN7FZVuK8lP2gYyHvw5x6E5v5G-Ka0-Gi2cxbnd~WkddUQ785vqOfLp2CEQLCyE9SVltQMfbqLfiBIsEgwuvXenu87HksBACWACirJTv~R23yGuQpegEiUMV5R1c-3q9tBkx6whvw6XuKAp3oE7h3HiakLI8uC2~oQ7UhoZyCRSPt3XBnTo7mxQ3YNu3rKZmWXQytIx4M7r6SZPsOz~U9xu5q0JiPc4bMOpBKPKc6lHgTYNTjSc68sRgWzapWRprD52lAzUcN6sZ06w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","North Dakota State Legislature","date","2025-03-17T00:00:00Z","article","The House Judiciary Committee took lengthy testimony on Senate Bill 2384, a multipart measure that (1) updates statutory language related to maintenance of electronic pull‑tab devices, (2) phases out online wagering on greyhound racing processed through North Dakota‑licensed advanced‑deposit wagering (ADW) companies, and (3) (in its original draft) included a controversial change about manufacturer/distributor access to charities that the sponsor moved to remove in an amendment.

Supporters of the bill included national and state animal‑welfare advocates and groups focused on ending greyhound racing. Carrie Teal, executive director of Greyhound Protection Group/Grey2K USA, argued the bill advances animal welfare, flags industry practices she described as abusive (including live‑lure training documented in other states), and points to enforcement concerns where North Dakota‑based ADW processors allegedly helped offer wagers illegally in other states. Teal told the committee she had sent a cease‑and‑desist letter from the Massachusetts attorney general to committee members alleging that a North Dakota ADW had offered illegal dog‑race wagers to Massachusetts residents; she said the state racing commission had not adequately regulated ADW activity.

Senator Claire Corey, the Senate sponsor who later offered drafting amendments, told the committee the bill also \"cleans up language related to physical stamps on electronic machines, which are no longer needed because the machines have serial numbers now,\" and that her amendments would remove disputed distributor/manufacturer language. Corey said the greyhound portion would be phased out by August 2027 to give business partners time to adapt.

Opponents included the North Dakota Racing Commission and representatives of the live horse‑racing industry and ADW processors. Bruce Johnson, executive director of the North Dakota Racing Commission, warned that ADW revenue is a central source of funding for the state racing program and that ADW companies could withdraw services, which he said would end live racing in the state. He gave committee figures for recent wagering handle and tax receipts and said several ADW operators had told him privately they would leave if the greyhound product were removed. Horsemen and breed organizations echoed that testimony, saying purse, breed and promotion funds and rural economic activity depend on the ADW handle.

Witnesses debated the scale of revenue at issue. Support witnesses said greyhound wagering is a small share of overall ADW handle—Carrie Teal said greyhound betting accounted for about 5% of ADW wagering and generated roughly $240,000 in tax revenue per biennium—while racing officials said ADW tax receipts overall were a larger funding source for purses and promotion and that the departure of multiple ADW firms could eliminate the revenue stream. Industry witnesses discussed an existing statutory cap on ADW tax collections (testimony said there is a $420,000 cap that some had proposed raising to $500,000 to offset loss of greyhound revenue).

Other testimony addressed charitable‑gaming and electronic pull‑tab language. The Attorney General’s charitable gaming division said it supported a narrow drafting change (adding the word \"paper\" in one line) to reflect current practice for electronic pull‑tab stamps. Several in the charitable‑gaming distribution business opposed the bill’s original subsection on manufacturer‑to‑charity access; Senator Corey’s amendment removed that provision, and several distributors told the committee they supported the amendment while still opposing language they said would have allowed manufacturers direct sales/service access to charities.

Committee members heard international and interstate context: witnesses described bans in many U.S. states and several other countries; others warned that eliminating the greyhound product could push ADW companies to relocate their business and that Oregon is the only other U.S. state that hosts the ADW hub model used by those processors. Parabet, an ADW operator licensed in North Dakota, said it and similar companies have paid millions in state taxes and millions more to charities and employment and that removing a single product would risk moving operating hubs elsewhere.

The committee closed the hearing after more than an hour of testimony from both sides. No committee vote was recorded in the hearing record.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Judiciary Monday, Mar 17, 2025 8:55 AM - 11:49 AM","oneSentenceSummary","Lawmakers heard hours of testimony on Senate Bill 2384, which would phase out online wagering on greyhound races that ADW operators process through North Dakota, adjust language about electronic pull‑tab stamps, and—after a sponsor amendment—remove a disputed charitable‑gaming provision.","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},6127381,"Panel Hears Testimony on Bill to Redefine \"Malice\" and Remove DUI Carve‑Out for Exemplary Damages",2822,356000,3178000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2663483-7f7393e3b009ff551c56df7633787488&start=356&end=3178","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2663483-7f7393e3b009ff551c56df7633787488/thumbnail_356000.jpg","/articles/6127381/North-Dakota/Panel-Hears-Testimony-on-Bill-to-Redefine-Malice-and-Remove-DUI-CarveOut-for-Exemplary-Damages","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6127381-38e395387b58732f7a260a556e3c2dbb/orig.mp4?Expires=1771104324&Signature=AoMRaqXOrP5Gmn4OZbBWkNLUlyzAN4UHyOcFLrD5fq4K298nQSHyZt~9LzbynXV0vR9SNf6GqGerZSWHGYS08Oj7-5Tj9cmuHCJ-qB1-VyvS32OnVPMhQCMYZRPiD4VLmP2ehCLK2n~tQAU~PCoh6GRs6qIKKg~07nEKiUD6K9GW-kc0Carm9~mxh12ylGZUsUsUZnGPyoOCGHy6Cccoyfn7HECBwdeBlLo-gnO6qzdgPFjPxbcB3D2TNvpL7IWQcgDeFyIYiO6SZSHjQLPd7q7Of5vdCvnbeqZWdgkIMcpp3N5IMbf-amkVDxZCvzJ1O4znV-ElrilRxMxjkpvBaA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Judiciary Committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 2290, which would (1) replace the current statutory phrase \"actual malice\" with a jury‑style definition of malice and (2) remove a statutory carve‑out that limits exemplary (punitive) damages in some DUI cases.

Supporters told the committee the bill brings statutory language in line with the jury instructions currently used by North Dakota courts and would allow juries to consider exemplary damages in DUI crashes regardless of prior DUI history. \"Exemplary damages, also known as punitive damages, are financial compensation awarded to a plaintiff not just to compensate them for their actual loss, but to punish the defendant for particularly harmful or egregious behavior and to deter others,\" said Jackie Hall, executive director of the North Dakota Association for Justice. Hall said the current statute and the jury instructions differ in their standards, causing confusion.

The bill’s second change would remove a statutory limitation that, in practice, can prevent exemplary damages in DUI cases unless an offender had another qualifying DUI within five years. Several supporters tied that change to facts in a high‑profile crash described to the committee. Attorney Jeff Wycomb and counsel for crash survivor Sheena (Shana) Munson described a 2015 head‑on crash in which Munson and two classmates were struck by a wrong‑way driver whose blood‑alcohol level was reported at 0.295. Wycomb said juries had awarded punitive damages in trials but that state Supreme Court decisions and statutory language have blocked or reduced recovery in the appeals process.

Opponents focused on the bill’s first section, which they said would lower the threshold for awarding punitive damages beyond intentional, malicious conduct. Dennis Pathroff, speaking for the American Property Casualty Insurance Association, said the change would \"redefine and dilute malice to include anything that might be considered unintentional and reckless,\" and warned it could increase litigation and insurance costs. Kerry Silverman of the American Tort Reform Association likewise urged the committee not to reduce the standard that reserves punitive awards for \"the most truly reprehensible conduct.\"

Committee members asked practical questions about payment and caps. Witnesses noted that standard liability insurance excludes punitive/exemplary damages, so an award would typically be the individual defendant’s obligation unless the defendant had umbrella or other coverage. Witnesses also discussed statutory limits discussed in case law — a committee member referenced the statute and prior court rulings noting that exemplary awards may be limited to multiples of compensatory damages or capped amounts in some cases.

No formal committee action or vote on the bill was recorded in the hearing.

","The House Judiciary Committee heard competing testimony on Senate Bill 2290, which would insert a jury‑style definition of malice into statute and remove a five‑year DUI exception that can block exemplary damages claims.",{"_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},6127374,"Sponsor Seeks Statutory Fix to Keep Protection‑order Hearings Closed and Comply with VAWA",515,3225000,3740000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2663483-7f7393e3b009ff551c56df7633787488&start=3225&end=3740","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2663483-7f7393e3b009ff551c56df7633787488/thumbnail_3225000.jpg","/articles/6127374/North-Dakota/Sponsor-Seeks-Statutory-Fix-to-Keep-Protectionorder-Hearings-Closed-and-Comply-with-VAWA","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6127374-7b6ce12070233d26e14020bc8494f88f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771104324&Signature=Z2JSieAbjg8WQ5s~KzzxSz23At7ZJV0uG9HBodHL8lXMrHylIBe3OkI6ZZ6bKckbmnOA3rEX9ca-A2XAKDofQGATgbQAvZXdHK~BxrBEJfEgefRQykaLchbcPGG5SRyMuXiDDswwOfd6LAfoohVn7fgIk65Ek1XVW7oWNdA-UVOar98t2mkneulAoNO30jaM5L7L76L3ahlcdzFo0GHb28n6KFFE2c6RKDhRE8hmWVYjSqHH31acQFbWMyP-meYmEnoHaPv3WwwbjQoF17J1wSvdI17voFqAG~S2j-ihNH0TmDqyx8zWOeoRP1EnybMUc84mBpIkejy2zo9MKsukKQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senators and witnesses told the House Judiciary Committee that Senate Bill 2326 would codify current court practice by closing hearings and restricting online public access to petitions for certain protection orders.

Senator Josh Bochee (District 44), the bill sponsor, said the measure adds language in two sections of the Century Code to close hearings for criminal‑ and civil‑based protection orders and to prevent publication of petition filings on the state’s online court search site. \"The Violence Against Women Act states that 'a state... shall not make available publicly on the Internet any information regarding the registration, filing a petition for, or issuance of a protection order ... if such publication would be likely to publicly reveal the identity or location of the party protected under such an order,'\" Bochee told the committee and asked lawmakers to align state law with that federal requirement.

Bochee said the revision responds to a report from a juvenile‑justice worker who discovered that filings for protection orders could be viewed via the courts’ public search tool. He said courts already commonly close these hearings in practice, and the bill would remove doubt and ensure compliance with federal law. He also proposed a technical amendment to replace the word \"victim\" with \"protected party\" in several places to match VAWA terminology and better reflect situations where more than one person (for example, a parent and children) is protected by an order.

No opponents appeared at the hearing, and committee members had no questions for the sponsor. The committee closed the hearing after the sponsor’s presentation and supporting testimony.

","Senate Bill 2326 would amend North Dakota statute to close hearings and records for certain assault restraining orders and domestic violence protection orders, aligning state practice with federal Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) obligations and closing a public‑records pathway identified by court‑record search tools.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Heated Hearing on Bill That Would Phase Out Greyhound Betting, Tidy Electronic Pull‑tab Rules

Panel Hears Testimony on Bill to Redefine "Malice" and Remove DUI Carve‑Out for Exemplary Damages

Sponsor Seeks Statutory Fix to Keep Protection‑order Hearings Closed and Comply with VAWA