[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-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],{"_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",6628220,"mediaKeyId","2719147-e6ae7f47d7120760e2314c48d1c63c5d","parentId",2719147,"title","Committee hears competing views on bill to require some public-comment opportunities at local meetings; decision deferred","audioSeconds",674,"startMs",2357000,"endMs",3031000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2719147-e6ae7f47d7120760e2314c48d1c63c5d&start=2357&end=3031","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2719147-e6ae7f47d7120760e2314c48d1c63c5d/thumbnail_2357000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6628220/North-Dakota/Committee-hears-competing-views-on-bill-to-require-some-public-comment-opportunities-at-local-meetings-decision-deferred","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6628220-4e0ba551bf986d9d008abcab3b532bc3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771179402&Signature=GIsluX6kq~F1btsnUILHdt-xmciclRp~PhOT7xYpnsELYYKVHRut6zOik02nHXQTRXJesJCWSTvocl~UHZrp7r5V~CXA8IH2cyejwOU7jNCGm9THiKTdi-fb7vkx922wHGGXTt8~ZHzaCem4JwFR9j9yykyP3NjK17K8PnuPbIfUS4DZS8g8py5wdIMaqyynO5mUYGQQuL6CEh9hDnhh-m~6V0DfkZmkD4AiY41YmsUhbKN2vPTV83WQc~tq1~A4IINJiekhRB5jlbHXsjxaThIoD7Mrhmv7uYRsJIZuS5KbwaX7GN0lhMcYUTm9oOxMDF58Cf~eKLZTzBHe3w4tLw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","North Dakota State Legislature","date","2025-03-20T00:00:00Z","article","The House Political Subdivisions Committee took testimony on Senate Bill 21-80, a proposal that would require political subdivisions to provide opportunities for public comment at a portion of their regular, publicly noticed meetings. The committee did not vote and deferred further action to allow more work on the bill.

Senator Bob Paulson, sponsor of SB 21-80, said the bill is intended to protect citizens’ ability to “redress their government” and described examples in which parents or other residents were unable to speak at local governing-body meetings because comment opportunities were limited to annual meetings or constrained by agenda rules. The amended version presented to the committee would require that at least one-quarter of a political subdivision’s publicly noticed regular meetings per year provide an opportunity for public comment, that commenters provide a name and address, and that political subdivisions may limit comment by time-per-speaker or total time and adopt policies to keep comments pertinent and orderly. The amendment also permits comment on topics from the current and immediately preceding meetings to address situations where citizens learn of prior discussions only after they occur.

Opponents included Chris Ann Norby Jonner, house legal counsel for the North Dakota School Boards Association, and Kevin Hoert of the North Dakota Council of Educational Leaders. They urged caution and additional drafting, noting that many school boards already adopt policies limiting public comment to agenda items in order to preserve orderly conduct, ensure adequate notice, comply with open-meetings obligations and to allow inclusion of materials in the public meeting packet. Norby Jonner said the Senate amendment’s “may” language is permissive but that school boards typically limit comments to noticed agenda items and that allowing comments on previous meetings could conflict with local policies and expectations. Hoert said his group would prefer limiting comments to items on the current meeting’s agenda and suggested grievance processes and administrator-level meetings as alternatives for unresolved disputes.

Committee members asked questions about residency requirements, the purpose of collecting name and address, and the tension between public access and orderly governance. Representative Jonas asked whether the bill allowed speakers from outside a district to address a local school board; Senator Paulson said collecting name and address was intended to allow verification of residency consistent with local policies. Representative Boyer and others raised scenarios where citizens could not attend a specific meeting because of scheduling conflicts; opponents cited grievance policies and notice provisions as reasons to keep comments tied to current meeting agendas.

After hearing testimony and questions, the committee did not vote on SB 21-80 and said it would revisit the bill in a later meeting to allow additional drafting and stakeholder work.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Political Subdivisions Mar 20, 2025 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM","oneSentenceSummary","The House Political Subdivisions Committee heard testimony but did not take a vote on Senate Bill 21-80, which would require political subdivisions to provide public-comment opportunities at a portion of regular, publicly noticed meetings.","taxTitle","Political Subdivisions, House of Representatives, Legislative, North Dakota","taxId",28896,"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},6628225,"Panel approves allowing designees for State Superintendent and Treasurer on TFFR board",198,1236000,1434000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2719147-e6ae7f47d7120760e2314c48d1c63c5d&start=1236&end=1434","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2719147-e6ae7f47d7120760e2314c48d1c63c5d/thumbnail_1236000.jpg","/articles/6628225/North-Dakota/Panel-approves-allowing-designees-for-State-Superintendent-and-Treasurer-on-TFFR-board","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6628225-584cb67fd5422251d58223d98b3968d8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771179402&Signature=C0cBE3C9oHtfuE8uo4ZT-LvDKgLFnX8i~g8cskqBcgKzaW57TGkqnBthKuyHFsa-ayviZnkC-DO9tOG2eXZRjQ0xLOKHaoyTrzVyz6HcMP7ElulZcEme01cFSTiw2HTJZq~6KP1k8zBoGgrNPWuQVmX4XPJ1NgGIlcXKML8eUVV7IISsqgUWqAqR6ZcjoZ8LTE4DjN3f2i5YovbPSa2QwnWNPETQ1TUxUKvelH6sPMyrKmIFNbNN6UbBuIqeSY1kLz~Xrfs67~3C2dHJm50hup6TNHuvxkeBCeW3elZLPyObTTNQwd15D-uDhUlBFG3tNDc41nDCvqZqPo1oH~hMMg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Political Subdivisions Committee voted to recommend passage of Senate Bill 21-34, a measure that would permit the state superintendent of public instruction and the state treasurer to designate someone to attend and vote in their stead on the Teachers' Fund for Retirement (TFFR) board.

Jim Uppgren, legislative liaison for the Department of Public Instruction, explained the change is intended to maintain the department’s voting representation when the superintendent — who serves on more than 40 boards, commissions and councils — has scheduling conflicts. Uppgren cited North Dakota Century Code 15-39.1-05.1, which lists the superintendent of public instruction as a voting member of the TFFR board. He said allowing a designee would “ensure that the department will retain its voting representation and be able to contribute ideas and fully participate in the decision making process of the TFFR board.”

Representative O’Reary moved a do-pass on SB 21-34; Representative Davis seconded. The clerk recorded the vote as 12 yeas, 0 nays, 1 absent/not voting. The committee placed the bill on the consent calendar and designated a carrier and backup for floor action.","Senate Bill 21-34, which would permit the state superintendent of public instruction and the state treasurer to send designees to Teachers' Fund for Retirement (TFFR) board meetings, received a unanimous do-pass recommendation in committee.",{"_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},6628231,"House committee advances bill letting POST board request medical, psychological records and charge fees for suspensions",305,415000,720000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2719147-e6ae7f47d7120760e2314c48d1c63c5d&start=415&end=720","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2719147-e6ae7f47d7120760e2314c48d1c63c5d/thumbnail_415000.jpg","/articles/6628231/North-Dakota/House-committee-advances-bill-letting-POST-board-request-medical-psychological-records-and-charge-fees-for-suspensions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6628231-1f718c52161e30eece921f020433614d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771179402&Signature=jiHy4m3noPeo~cHZSGuwBVeWOD8ameBFYFyosv0d~By5E48LdTUjvuAUa3gKlxenx8aNtRA5SYkfvfqWN21aVtkrz7SHmZcz1AjYFdk67ZYg1jtmUCe3v2uE41Z0SaoADJZfcupomfuwVyN-pYjD76l0vtr-Penlsp~AdyGNQY5YMGEcg6eJGGmcCLbNToNWULBxuIP0UyCYD24zkgQnRydRJUnC2-SeY4jLzI8l5zKQewEwvNXx77yqRa7Xn3aeVFmdaBjV33iJqcD5k0BjvVsg7zUMz05fISRFryoc5iaJ2Z9ukYI3nsvTirdFSFu8rjOK7WGX531qfwgfNxJN0Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Political Subdivisions Committee voted to give a do-pass recommendation to Senate Bill 21-65, a measure that would expand the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Board's authority to request medical and psychological records and assess fees for license suspensions.

Senator Dean Rummel, sponsor of SB 21-65, told the committee the bill would allow the POST board to “issue a written request to release medical and psychological information pertinent to peace officer licensure” and to review such records when an applicant or licensee appeals a denial, refusal to renew, suspension or revocation. Rummel said the change is intended to “improve public safety and an officer's safety.”

Joe Ciani, chief of police of the Dickinson Police Department and chairman of the North Dakota POST board, testified the board has seen a “significant increase” in fitness-for-duty matters that agencies ask it to review, and that HIPAA currently prevents the board from receiving protected medical information. “The proposed amendments in this bill will allow the board to review and receive medical information related to fitness for duty matters,” Ciani said, adding that any review or hearings would occur in closed executive session and that the records would be exempt from open-records laws.

Ciani described three main changes in the bill: (1) authority for the POST board, with cause, to require a licensed officer to complete a physical or psychological examination; (2) exemption of the results from open-records disclosure and permission for the POST board to review those results in specified proceedings; and (3) authority to assess fees related to licensure beyond the current ability to assess a fee only in revocation cases, including adding a reinstatement fee for suspensions.

Committee members asked about the administrative-code versus statutory origin of current fees and whether the board could waive a reinstatement fee in cases where a suspension was found to be unwarranted. Ciani said existing licensing fees (initial licensing, reinstatement, late renewals, firearms qualification late fees) are in administrative code and that the board retains authority to waive fees in appropriate circumstances. He also said the cost of required examinations would be borne by the employing agency or the individual seeking licensure.

The committee moved a do-pass recommendation. The clerk recorded the final vote as 13 yeas, 0 nays, 0 absent, and the committee placed the bill on the consent calendar.","The House Political Subdivisions Committee gave Senate Bill 21-65 a do-pass recommendation after testimony that the measure would allow the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Board to request medical and psychological records relevant to licensure and to charge fees for suspensions as well as revocations.",{"_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},6628216,"Committee hears bill raising thresholds for city and school-board recall petitions, adds option to cancel election when no challenger files",782,4198000,4980000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2719147-e6ae7f47d7120760e2314c48d1c63c5d&start=4198&end=4980","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2719147-e6ae7f47d7120760e2314c48d1c63c5d/thumbnail_4198000.jpg","/articles/6628216/North-Dakota/Committee-hears-bill-raising-thresholds-for-city-and-school-board-recall-petitions-adds-option-to-cancel-election-when-no-challenger-files","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6628216-2072d157330c4e16a67a5e76c9d6389c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771179402&Signature=WHsS688zZNtLIQpD-He0JAcrxjIxPYsEB4xcGWiwtJj1p9-COgZ17VqBFbOIcxWug41sibs86ZwQr-rWtprXSQkTF3g7oodpWWBdoeAs8R0l1-oqnP4bhNQwHzP5QAkCoULZGUur-P72XvBpGV96CT8Gma2dLPZ6VtQAAgDfNzJaTZSA4nUGkyTyfUA3~lzX2N5sG1fcShMWGEj-f4k4tTgWzVVa12xyOPkEv~DQ1xRxnNcYtOyIUOVfrtzPsLawXj37IrtE2ayCpgDtb3gP4XYEjt6o7FKdn1mPYYrfSXDF1SMYyFRIX~t4siqZ2xkExhdg1JYfjNbffsHrff8kTA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Political Subdivisions Committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 22-69, which would increase signature and sponsor thresholds for recall petitions in city and school-board elections and add an option to cancel a recall election when no challenger or official write-in candidate files.

Senator Christian Rohr, sponsor, said the bill responds to concerns that low primary-turnout thresholds make it relatively easy for small groups to trigger recall elections for municipal and school-board officials. Rohr described examples — including Horace and Dickinson — where petitions filed from small numbers of voters led to recall elections and local fiscal costs. The bill would raise the percentage-of-vote signature threshold used for primaries to a higher level for city and school-board recalls and increase the number of required sponsors from five to 15.

Rohr said the bill also adopts a write-in candidacy backstop modeled on existing law: if no challenger files by the normal deadline, an official write-in candidate may file within a short window; if no official write-in or petitioned challenger files, the election may be canceled so the jurisdiction is not required to expend funds to reconfirm a recalled official when no opponent is available.

Corey Peterson of the League of Cities, who served as Horace mayor, testified in support and described recalls he observed tied to local grievances and rapid growth. Secretary of State Michael Howe testified that the provision allowing cancellation of elections where no challenger files applies to all offices and confirmed the increased signature threshold in the bill applies only to city and school elections. The committee did not vote on the measure and said it would take the bill up in a subsequent meeting to allow more committee work and public input.","Senate Bill 22-69 would raise signature and sponsor thresholds for recall petitions in city and school-board elections and allow cancellation of a recall election if no challenger or official write-in candidate files; lawmakers requested additional review before committee action.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee hears competing views on bill to require some public-comment opportunities at local meetings; decision deferred

Panel approves allowing designees for State Superintendent and Treasurer on TFFR board

House committee advances bill letting POST board request medical, psychological records and charge fees for suspensions

Committee hears bill raising thresholds for city and school-board recall petitions, adds option to cancel election when no challenger files