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Students, lawmakers push Knife River Flint as North Dakota’s official state rock; committee advances bill
Summary
House Bill 1186, sponsored by Representative Dan Vollmer, received a due-pass recommendation after students, college instructors and a senator testified in support of designating Knife River Flint as the state rock; the committee voted 13-0 to advance the bill.
House Bill 1186, which would designate Knife River Flint as North Dakota’s official state rock, was advanced out of the Political Subdivision Committee by a unanimous 13-0 vote after students from Bottineau Public School, their instructors and supporting legislators testified in favor.
“For the record, my name is David Cawley. I’m a 5th-grade teacher at Bottineau Elementary School,” teacher David Cauley told the committee, describing a student-led election in which the Bottineau Rockhounds club collected 541 votes and Knife River Flint received more than 56 percent. The club’s advisers and a Dakota College at Bottineau geology instructor said the project taught students about civic engagement and the scientific qualities of the stone.
Senator Paul Thomas and Representative Dan Vollmer spoke as sponsors; Michelle Cawley, a geology instructor at Dakota College at Bottineau, testified that Knife River Flint is a silica-rich stone unique to North Dakota and therefore an appropriate choice for the state. Several students addressed the committee with factual points the club had researched: Knife River Flint is found principally in North Dakota, is durable and was used to make tools for thousands of years, and fluoresces under ultraviolet light.
Representative Davis moved a due-pass recommendation and Representative Bosley seconded. After receiving the students’ presentations and the college instructor’s scientific clarification that Knife River Flint is a rock (not a fossil), the committee voted 13 yea, 0 nay to advance House Bill 1186.
Committee members praised the students’ civic-education approach. Representative Killeen noted historical mining sites in Dunn County and the statewide trade of Knife River Flint artifacts; Representative Vosley commended the thoroughness of the students’ process. No opposition testimony was recorded in the hearing.
