Senate unanimously passes a package of bills on protective orders, education, utilities and land management

The North Dakota Senate passed a series of House bills and one concurrent resolution on March 12, adopting measures on protective orders, sentencing alternatives for addiction-treatment programs, virtual learning policy, a special-education funding study, revisions to the 1‑call excavation law, a bridge naming, and a request to Congress about national grassland management. Final tallies recorded 47 yeas, 0 nays on each final-passage vote noted below.

Why it matters: Several of the measures make procedural clarifications for courts and school districts (affecting victims' protection orders and virtual learning enrollment), create a legislative study of special education funding, clarify when excavations must be reported to the 811 one-call system, and express the legislature's preference about federal management of national grasslands. The bridge-naming honors a Korean War veteran.

Votes at a glance (final passage outcomes and key points)

- House Bill 14-26 — Passed 47-0. Creates and enacts a new section to chapter 24-01 of the North Dakota Century Code to designate the bridge on State Highway 6 between County Road 137 and 50 Third Street as the CPL Raymond Porter Korea Bridge; includes a continuing appropriation and emergency clause. The Transportation Committee reported a unanimous due-pass recommendation. Senator Paulson described Corporal Raymond Porter’s actions in Korea and…