Senate approves multiple bills, raises firefighter death benefit; judge-change measure fails

Bismarck — The North Dakota Senate on Jan. 21, 2025, approved several bills, adopted committee amendments and re‑referred other measures to new committees, while rejecting a judiciary procedural change that would have required written reasons to request a new judge.

The most prominent outcomes included final passage of Senate Bill 2134, Senate Bill 2045 and Senate Bill 2135; unanimous adoption of several committee amendments to bills on emergency-vehicle protections, water and wastewater operator procedures, and mine drainage fund language; and the defeat of Senate Bill 2102 on a 4-43 vote.

Why it matters: the package of actions updates statutory language across multiple state codes, increases a firefighter death benefit, and clarifies administrative processes in state agencies. The failed judge-change bill spurred a substantive debate over court procedure, attorney-client privilege and rural access to judges.

Senate action and key votes

- Senate Bill 2134 (final passage): Engrossed as an act to amend and reenact subsection 1 of section 15-39.1-05.1 of the North Dakota Century Code related to the composition of the Teachers Fund for Retirement board. The chamber recorded 47 ayes, 0 nays, 0 absent; the bill passed. Senator Bridal presented the measure as coming from the Department of Public Instruction and said the change would allow a designee from the department or the state treasurer to serve when the principal officeholder has a scheduling conflict.

- Senate Bill 2045 (final passage): Engrossed to amend sections 43-07-12 and 48-01.2-05 of the Century Code to remove obsolete bidding provisions tied to Public Law 99-294 (the Garrison Diversion Unit Reformulation Act…