BISMARCK, N.D. – The North Dakota House of Representatives passes a bill 64-26 to make legislative sessions happen every year.
North Dakota is one of four states where their legislature meets every other year.
The bill becoming law would lead the legislature to meet for 40 days annually. Republican State Representative Landon Bahl of Grand Forks, who introduced the legislation, says the change could lead to fewer, better quality bills.
Governor Kelly Armstrong says annual sessions would “galvanize more power in Legislative leadership.” He argues a rank and file member of the legislature has more autonomy and control over advocating for their constituents during sessions every other year.
Armstrong adds having an unlimited number of bills in a 40-day, yearly session is a problem.
“Where you have an economy still driven by commodities, it makes some sense. I think there’s a lot of unintended consequences to doing that as well,” Armstrong said.
Armstrong says having a cap on the number of bills introduced in an 80-day session every other year needs to be decided by the legislature. However, he likes that every member can introduce a bill and each one gets a hearing.
