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Appropriators boost Great Plains Food Bank SIF request to $10 million; committee sends bill to conference
Summary
The committee amended House Bill 1143 to increase Strategic Investment Fund support for a Great Plains Food Bank distribution facility from $5 million to $10 million, debated fundraising and matching plans, and approved the bill as amended by roll call (4–1).
The Appropriations — Government Operations Division debated and amended House Bill 1143, a food-distribution appropriation for the Great Plains Food Bank, ultimately approving an amendment to raise the state contribution from $5 million to $10 million and passing the bill as amended by roll call vote.
Senator Burkhart proposed returning the House figure from $5 million back to $10 million. Testimony from Amy Cleary of the GA Group (representing Great Plains Food Bank) described a $30.5 million facility plan and said the organization has roughly one-third of the funding accounted for through a mix of funds, new markets tax-credit allocations and prior grants; the group is seeking state support to leverage private matches. Cleary said the $30.5 million figure includes anticipated new markets tax-credit equity and other fundraising; some of that anticipated funding is not yet cash on hand.
Committee members discussed SIF balances and whether a lower state amount would still get the project to conference; members expressed sympathy for the project but concern about appropriating SIF or general-fund money without further budget certainty. After some procedural movement (motions to propose $10 million, a substitute motion to $7.5 million and withdrawals), the committee adopted an amendment setting the state contribution at $10,000,000 and then voted to report the bill do-pass as amended.
A roll-call tally recorded the final amendment vote at 4–1 in favor of the $10 million amount. The committee named Senator Burkhart as the carrier to carry the appropriation forward; staff and members noted the bill will likely go to conference committee where final numbers may change.
Why it matters: The Great Plains Food Bank serves all North Dakota counties; a larger state contribution would leverage private fundraising and tax-credit equity toward a new, expanded distribution facility intended to serve the state’s food-distribution network for decades.
