[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-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],{"_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",6114656,"mediaKeyId","2742582-e89261b294f211b0d2fa8cd13d8e6b41","parentId",2742582,"title","Committee backs funding to build combined BCI–Highway Patrol facility in Minot, but cost gap remains","audioSeconds",1312,"startMs",58000,"endMs",1370000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2742582-e89261b294f211b0d2fa8cd13d8e6b41&start=58&end=1370","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2742582-e89261b294f211b0d2fa8cd13d8e6b41/thumbnail_58000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6114656/North-Dakota/Committee-backs-funding-to-build-combined-BCIHighway-Patrol-facility-in-Minot-but-cost-gap-remains","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6114656-02ed9efabc05f8aed6b526b042002394/orig.mp4?Expires=1771143340&Signature=MlOJH8x5TduhL-pLK7Rv~T4ivd3Rq8F~j7oPdFiHuoSLT7cMb1egkFGGgZ7~11x~e5S3hA-n9NBlk7s1VNUTpjYeVFuyS-vnloDyxh0BeNyB6-l8msYXPoy2T-NwliEGpogStq8MewRWRF53BrVFgN7FEdczauyt-7ZYOwIQYIYR5QntvFHkP~rfiTWUg0E0TG87ezbFrGUKoRittEAMIwLZUolVpHBd0t42jPsV3n7IWIeDqVM7T0fUGLhi3MGWPGRrbDXQkqoKPbeG7fYjR~aTPJ9yDGaQvRpwE6YfqOK308NZoC2gfQtIlLIE4bgrPp3QF5Gxt5QSbLU3lxV6Wg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","North Dakota State Legislature","date","2025-03-21T00:00:00Z","article","A legislative committee on Monday gave House Bill 1487 a do-pass recommendation to appropriate funds for constructing a new facility in Minot to house the Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Minot office and the Highway Patrol.

The bill as drafted would provide $4,900,000 to build an estimated 14,000-square-foot facility on Department of Transportation land; the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) later advised using $400 per square foot as a safer estimate, which would raise the probable cost to $5,600,000, witnesses said.

The appropriation is intended to fund a new building rather than renovation, Pat Leonard, a supervisor and special agent with the Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Minot office, told the committee. Leonard said the agencies discussed space needs and estimated roughly 14,000 square feet to include office space, shared areas and climate-controlled garage space for vehicles. “We may not need 14. It may be less, but we didn't want to also shortcut ourselves and then all of a sudden we're gonna build this building now we need more,” Leonard said.

Why it matters: Committee members said they support consolidating space to achieve operational savings but expressed concern about where additional funds would come from if construction bids exceed the appropriation. Brady Soule, a staff member who answered budget questions for the committee, told members that the Emergency Commission can provide up to $750,000 from the State Contingency but that larger shortfalls would require a deficiency appropriation before the full Legislative Assembly. “There is 750,000 from the General Fund and State Contingency, so that would be the only funding available,” Soule said.

Discussion and timing: Witnesses and legislators noted the Job Service building currently housing BCI may be sold, which prompted the agencies to seek a new, permanent location. OMB and agency testimony estimated 12 to 18 months for design and construction after funding is available; speakers cautioned that winter work schedules and contractor availability could delay completion, possibly pushing occupancy into late 2026.

Committee action: Senator Dwyer moved a do-pass recommendation for House Bill 1487; Senator Burkhart seconded. The clerk recorded affirmative votes from Senator Sickler, Senator Erbilick, Senator McGuire, Senator Burkhart and Senator Woznick; the chair declared the motion carried and closed the committee’s work on HB 1487. Committee members discussed carrying the bill forward to the next policy steps and identified a senator to carry the bill to the next committee.

What remains unresolved: Committee members repeatedly raised where the additional roughly $700,000 would come from if the higher per-square-foot estimate proved accurate. Options discussed on the record included Emergency Commission approval for up to $750,000 and requesting a deficiency appropriation in a subsequent session; OMB testimony said the agency could also reduce project scope or seek additional funding later. The transcript does not record a binding contingency mechanism included in HB 1487 itself.

Next steps: Committee members closed their work on the bill and arranged for a senator to carry it forward for further consideration.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Appropriations - Government Operations Division Friday, Mar 21, 2025 9:32 AM - 10:54 AM","oneSentenceSummary","A legislative committee on Monday gave House Bill 1487 a do-pass recommendation to appropriate funds for constructing a new facility in Minot to house the Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Minot office and the Highway Patrol.","taxTitle","Appropriations - Government Operations Division, Senate, Legislative, North Dakota","taxId",28900,"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},6114652,"Committee examines Tax Commissioner budget, homestead and primary-residence credits; equity pay request left out of house version",3250,1417000,4667000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2742582-e89261b294f211b0d2fa8cd13d8e6b41&start=1417&end=4667","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2742582-e89261b294f211b0d2fa8cd13d8e6b41/thumbnail_1417000.jpg","/articles/6114652/North-Dakota/Committee-examines-Tax-Commissioner-budget-homestead-and-primary-residence-credits-equity-pay-request-left-out-of-house-version","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6114652-7cab87f1386d71cd64b3ea4d53523579/orig.mp4?Expires=1771143340&Signature=byWj9HBhNxSN5YiqSsFqyq~we-sW5cVHKIfzD0RZ-SZziVT7gsKo0FseAdFle8yGl75eGz-LhRMYeITxEaRciB~t23vWJZdRCXFBI~eEDxtsSC-HFETSYhkplSm~7-7EWrqwtzldCXI3V5HHo3wFseWibi3vekFZomDSn8BqmmV~1xjaDcT37P5Hhh4SKXRHL87OlX3UWcM-GIVDLsBk5QCFtEZ-D-k9yzEtp2L~ioPwUef~UWLzZPuZ5xIMUlWMJAEJovz5VVU6PrcyL60wSyAcVBUPwyiNjHp4oVefz56EltzW2XmwT9bZQ-uw26uA4GDKusoYCnZv4LDkiB4eXg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A legislative committee spent substantial time reviewing the Office of State Tax Commissioner’s budget under House Bill 1006 and pressing agency officials for details on items the House funded, items it did not, and how pending tax legislation affects the department’s numbers.

The house version funded most operating requests and carried a cost-to-continue that included a 4% salary adjustment, but it did not include the agency’s $511,800 equity pay request intended to reduce pay disparities with comparable positions in other agencies, Sherry Anderson, chief fiscal officer for the Office of State Tax Commissioner, said.

Why it matters: The department administers multiple property tax relief programs — including the Homestead Property Tax Credit and the Primary Residence Credit (PRC) — that together represent substantial budget items and are affected by separate policy bills pending in the Legislature. Committee members pressed agency leaders on how those policy bills change the agency’s spending requirements and where funding would be reflected.

Key details and testimony: Tax Commissioner Brian Krasch explained the department’s role in certifying revenue collections and said the agency does not retain the funds it collects. “All of the money that we take in is, we certify the funds and they go to the treasurers,” Krasch said. He emphasized the office’s workload growth after taking on administration of the PRC and other credits.

On the Homestead and PRC programs, testimony summarized the interaction between baseline appropriations, carryforward from the last biennium, and proposed expansions in separate bills. The transcript shows discussion of House Bill 1176 (the governor’s homestead plan) and other measures that would alter eligibility or payout levels, with estimates moving as amendments and participation assumptions changed. For example, the disabled-veteran property tax credit was discussed as a separate bill (sometimes cited as 11-76 or 12-66 in committee discussion) that currently would increase the program by roughly $7.5 million if enacted, witnesses said.

Equity pay request: Anderson said the office compared classifications across state agencies and identified pay shortfalls that motivated the $511,800 request; the house budget did not include those funds. Committee members asked for supporting data and turnover trends; agency witnesses said turnover has fallen recently but that workload and required skill sets have increased with new program administration.

Committee disposition: Members agreed to delay final action on the budget until related tax-policy bills (including the PRC and homestead measures) are further resolved, because those bills materially affect the agency’s appropriations. One committee staffer advised waiting until the November bill’s status is settled to avoid misalignment between policy changes and the budget appropriation.

What remains unresolved: The transcript reflects fluid fiscal estimates for the homestead, PRC and disabled-veteran credits as amendments and participation assumptions change; the committee did not adopt final budget adjustments and left the matter pending resolution of the policy bills.","Committee reviewed the Office of State Tax Commissioner’s budget, discussing items the House funded and omissions such as a $511,800 equity pay request. Members debated how pending tax bills affect budget figures for the homestead and primary residence credits and agreed to hold final action pending resolution of related tax legislation.","actionData","errors"]

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Committee backs funding to build combined BCI–Highway Patrol facility in Minot, but cost gap remains

Committee examines Tax Commissioner budget, homestead and primary-residence credits; equity pay request left out of house version