Appropriations panel holds Aeronautics budget bill amid questions over $120 million SIF request

The Government Operations section of the North Dakota House Appropriations Committee paused action on Senate Bill 2,006, the budget bill for the North Dakota Aeronautics Commission, after members pressed the commission on whether state funding identified in the bill is guaranteed and how the timing of those funds would affect projects at Fargo, Grand Forks and Dickinson.

Committee members said the bill would authorize a one-time appropriation of $120,000,000 from the Strategic Improvement Investment Fund (SIF) for three generational projects at Fargo, Grand Forks and Dickinson and would also identify $20,000,000 from the airport infrastructure ("Prairie Dog") fund in the next biennium. Kyle Wanner, director for the North Dakota Aeronautics Commission, told the committee the $120 million is the commission's recommended amount and that the $20 million Prairie Dog allocation is uncertain because the revenue forecast may not produce those funds.

Why it matters: Committee members said state certainty about the funding stream matters because airports need state and local matches to leverage federal grants. Without guaranteed state funds, the commission and local airports may be unable to accept federal awards or proceed with multi‑year bids and construction phases.

Most important details

- The bill, as described to the committee, would: authorize a one-time $120,000,000 appropriation from SIF for…