Legislative Management adopts interim committee rules and finalizes most interim committee appointments

Legislative Management adopted its supplementary rules of operation and procedure and approved most interim committee appointments during its second meeting in Bismarck, concluding votes and motions on committee leadership and statutory committee representation.

The rules, which echo the Legislative Assembly’s procedures and require public votes and meeting recordings, were adopted by voice vote after staff explained that the rules were unchanged from the prior interim and emphasized remote attendance options and the chairman’s authority to direct additional studies or fill vacancies. Mr. Bjornsson, legislative council staff, reviewed the changes and reminded members that “voting must be public” and that meetings are recorded and livestreamed when possible.

Committee business moved quickly: the assembly reappointed Representative Glenn Bosch and Sen. Dale Patton as co-chairs of the Clean Sustainable Energy Authority; approved nominees to the Veterinary Medical Education Program Admissions Committee based on university recommendations; and filled statutory appointments to the Kindergarten through 12 Education Coordination Council. On a subsequent roll call, the management committee approved the full committee structure, chairs and vice chairs as presented. The clerk recorded multiple ayes during the roll call that adopted the full committee slate.

Members also adjusted several committee rosters after caucus discussions. Representative Ista successfully moved to expand one education committee’s membership to 20 to allow adding Representative Austin Foss (motion carried by voice). Speaker Weiss moved several additional substitutions—adding Representative Sue Ann Olson to a general education committee, replacing Representative Jordan Johnson with Representative Mike Belt on water topics, and adding Representative Jason Doctor to the Tax Reform and Relief Advisory Committee—motions that were adopted by voice vote.

Staff clarified appointment mechanics for statutory committees: some committees require leadership-level appointments while legislative management fills remaining seats. The body accepted university recommendations for veterinary education committee representatives and voted to appoint Levi Bachmeier as the Board of Higher Education designee to a higher education challenge grant fund committee.

The meeting recessed and scheduled follow-up work to finalize any remaining vacancies. The committee also asked legislative council to prepare a final roll-call record of the committee structure and leadership for the record.

The remaining administrative items were deferred to follow-up meetings and caucuses, and members planned to reconvene later in the interim as needed for any vacancies or additional appointments.