Senate floor roundup: agriculture funding, property-tax changes, energy study and multiple agency budgets advance

The North Dakota Senate handled a broad set of budget and policy measures on Friday, approving appropriations bills, confirming an appointment, advancing tax and agricultural measures and voting on several agency budgets.

Major outcomes recorded on the floor excerpt include:

- House Bill 1009 (agriculture commissioner budget): The Senate adopted committee amendments to the agriculture commissioner’s budget that restored or adjusted multiple funding lines (including $113,382 general fund for a plant-protection FTE, $80,000 to restore grape-and-wine grant program funding, $150,000 IRF fund for aerial predator control pilot services, and $5,500,000 total SIF one-time appropriations for specified programs). The bill passed final passage on the floor with a recorded vote of 44 yeas, 2 nays and 2 absent.

- House Bill 1168 (property tax / primary residence credit and related changes): The Finance and Tax Committee presented amendments that raise the primary-residence credit cap, adjust timing for county payments, exempt townships from duplicate votes, adjust disabled-veteran exemption parity, and add future intent language for distribution of legacy fund property-tax relief to other classes. The Senate adopted the committee’s amendments and re-referred the bill to Appropriations.

- House Bill 1298 (speed limits, fines, points, variable…