Legislative committee narrows 67 proposed interim studies, adopts package and directs next steps

The Legislative Management Committee met May 20 in Fargo to review 67 proposed interim studies and decide which discretionary topics to pursue during the coming interim. The committee agreed to adopt a bundle of studies and rejected a substantial number of discretionary proposals, while authorizing staff to prepare a proposed committee structure and to survey legislators for interim committee preferences.

Committee Chairman Hogue opened the session saying the objective was to “go through all 67 of the proposed studies and identify within the discretionary studies those that we want to study.” The committee worked item by item, using a mix of voice and roll-call votes to approve, combine, or decline studies across policy areas including education, criminal justice, health care, energy and infrastructure. John Bjornsson, legislative council staff, advised members on procedural options for combining and assigning studies to committees and on staff capacity.

Members authorized the chair to finalize a proposed interim committee structure and asked Legislative Council to send a survey to legislators asking committee preferences and to return a proposed committee roster for the next meeting. The committee also asked staff to prepare briefings on several potential triggers for special session consideration, including court orders, veto disputes, and major changes to federal funding that could affect the state budget.

Next steps: staff will prepare the committee structure and member questionnaire, and the chairman will present a proposed interim committee slate at the next meeting. The committee also requested legal briefings on circumstances that could prompt a special session.