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Prom royalty candidates
Prom at Beach High School is scheduled for Saturday, April 8, at the High School Gym, with
the Grand March being at 8 p.m. Prom royalty candidates are, back row, from left, Makensie Mat-
tern, Sofia Muruato, Kobi Allen, Larissa Roberts, Kristy Dotson and Anzhelika (Lika) Haru-
tyunyan, .and front row, from left, Dawson Bishop, Matthew Hildebrant, Casey Rieger and
Brandon Miller. (Courtesy Photo)
By Mike Jacobs
N.D. Newspaper Association
BISMARCK - Teddy Roosevelt
has become a victim of North
Dakota's budget crisis.
Money for a library honoring
Robsevelt- who said he never would
have been president if he had not
spent time in North Dakota's Bad-
lands - has disappeared from the state
budget.
It's part of an effort to reinforce
the budget at Dickinson State Uni-
versity, hardest hit of the state's 11
public colleges and universities.
The story begins in 2013, when
the Legislature set aside $12 million
io help build the Theodore Roosevelt
Presidential Library. The 2015 Leg-
islature carried the money forward.
Now, the appropriation is in jeop-
ardy - and could be the subject of
last-minute deal-making at the ses-"
sion.
DSU's budget was cut about 30
percent during the last two years, and
its appropriation for the next two
years was hurt because enrollment
has declined. Fund-raising for the
university has been hurt, too, because
li
of lawsuits against its foundation,
which.is in receivership•
The Roosevelt funding was seen
as a potential solution. Rep. Mike
Lefor of Dickinson presented
amendments that would allocate $4.g
million that "must be used for oper-
ations" at DSU and $3.1 million to
"repay any outstanding debt" on the
campus activities center.
The Roosevelt library would get
$500,000 "for the digitization of doc-
uments."
That leaves about $3 million "as
a grant to the Theodore Roosevelt
Presidential Library Foundation for
operations, construction and other
costs of the library."
Everybody involved, it seemed,
could be satisfied.
DSU would get enough additional
money to save its nursing program,
which had been suggested as a likely
place to cut.
Banks holding paper that funded
the activity center before the college
foundation's default would be paid
off.
The Roosevelt library foundation
would get $3 million. Significantly,
it could be used for operations• not
just for bricks and mortar as had been
the case in the larger appropriations.
There's a hitch though. "The
House bill contains no additional
money for DSU," Rep. Bob Martin-
son of Bismarck said. He's a com-
mittee member, a leadership insider
and a recognized dealmaker.
That leaves two options: Lefor
could present amendments to the
higher education bill when it reaches
the House floor, a significant chal:
lenge. Or the amendments could
show up in the Senate, which must
approve any changes to the House
version of the bill and is free to add
its own.
Enter the Senate Republican
leader, Richard Wardner of Dickin-
son.
From the other side of hall, enter
AI Carlson, Republican leader in the
House, who has his own legislative
priorities, including changes to the
state's employee insurance and pen-
sion systems.
The Roosevelt Library could be-
come an episode of "The Art of the
Deal."
By Mike Jacobs
N.D. Newspaper Association
BISMARCK - Adjournment by
Good Friday?
Still possible, legislative leaders
said last week.
But the odds are long.
• Throughout the session' law-
makers had imagined finishing be-
fore Easter, but on important
incentive disappeared: Congress
failed to repeal and replace the Af-
fordable Care Act, known as Oba-
macare. So there's no need to save
days for a recessed session to make
changes in state law to •conform to
a new federal health care act.
The North Dakota Legislature is
limited to 80 working days. Friday
was Day 59. If lawmakers meet
every weekday up to Good Friday,
they will have used 69 days. Miss-
ing the Good Friday deadline
would push the session into the
week following Easter without a
holiday deadline looming- or
even later if some issues prove dif-
ficult to resolve.
The list of potential snags grew
last week. Leading the list are big
appropriations bills, including
funding for higher education and
human services. A surprise move at
mid-week lessens the chance of an
early agreement about the human
services budget. The Senate had
approved a bill that had the state
asstiming the county share of so-
cial services. The House rejected
that idea in favor of studying the
issue during the interim ahead of
the 2019 session.
Amendments to the higher edu-
cation funding bill could hold up
agreement, too. At week's end,
funding for medical residencies at
the UND School of Medicine and
Health Sciences and a catch-up ap-
propriation for Dickinson State
University were among the pend-
ing issues.
Amendments to the Department
of Transportation budget have
been prepared that would save at
least some of the rural highway
Shops, important as bases for snow
plows. The budget for the Depart-
ment of Commerce faces chal-
lenges, too. These include
earmarks for some university pro-
grams, including UND's entrepre-
Another thorny water issue involves field
tiling, a method of drainage that is spread-
ing rapidly in Red River Valley counties.'A
bill designed to standardize permitting re-
quirements across the state has met objec-
tions,
neurship program and a reduction surance system that senators have
in funding for the Grand Skies resisted.
project at Grand Forks Air Force Lawmakers worked last week to
Base. finalize a bill that would permit
A bill funding water projects is medical use of marijuana in the
another potential target. The major state. Voters approved an initiated
projects thereare Fargo's diversion measure legalizing medical mari-
project to control Red River flood- juana, but lawmakers want to fix a
ing, and the Red River Water Sup- variety of problems. On Thursday
ply project, principally aimed at the number of amendments stood
providing municipal water for at nearly 40. Sponsors of the meas-
Fargo, though other cities in the ure have resisted many of these,
valley would also benefit, even threatening another ballot
Another thorny water issue in- measure if lawmakers make too
volves field tiling, a method of many changes.
drainage that is spreading rapidly The issue is particularly diffi-
in Red River Valley counties. A cult since the state constitution re-
bill designed to standardize per- quires a two-thirds vote to change
mitting requirements across the an initiated measure within seven
state has met objections, years of its passage. The marijuana
State aid to areas impacted by measure was passed five months
oil development has also caught ago.
the eye of some lawmakers, who Of course, there's always the
believe that the state may have possibility that a relatively low
been too generous in the 2015 ses- profile bill could become contro-
sion, thus worsening the budget versial. Three candidates: a mora-
troubles facing this session. The torium on wind energy projects
biggest single project at risk is that was rejected earlier .re-
Williston's airport, a $39 million emerged in a House committee last
item. The money would be week; shared parenting advocates
matched by the federal govern- are pressing for a bill guaranteeing
ment. approximatel~¢ equal time for both
Money is the biggest pending parents in custody agreements; and
issue, and House Republican a bill loosening regulations about
Leader A1 Carlson vowed again selling unprocessed food products.
Thursday that there would be no The legislative calendar does
increase in taxes. Pressed, he con- offer hope for an early adjourn-
ceded that lawmakers might have ment.
to tap some of the trust funds, po- At week's end, most commit-
tentially the Legacy Fund or the tees had completed reviewing
state land fund. bills, and both houses have begun
Money is not the only issue, naming conference committees to
however, iron out differences between bill
A clash between House and versions passed in each house. A
Senate over pensions and insur- rule of thumb holds that confer-
anco seems inevitable. The House ence committee work takes two
has passed a bill changing the weeks - which means "that ad-
make-up of the board that governs journment before Easter may be
employee retirement funds. Carl- :possible.
son is also pressing for a self-in- " Barely.
The West Dakota Parent & Family
Resource Center in collaboration with
Golden Valley County Extension, Lin-
coln Elementary and Golden Val-
ley/Billings Multi-County Social
Services, and a grant from Prevent
Child Abuse will be sponsoring a
"Love ~d Logic: Early Childhood
Parenting Made Fun" program at Lin-
coln Elementary on Wednesdays,
April 26, May 3, 10 and 17, and Mon-
day, May 15.
Supper will be from 6-6:30 p.m.,
and the sessions will go from 6:30-8
p.m.
The programs will help show par-
ents how to show children that whin-
ing and arguing do not pay; how to
smooth out mornings and bedtime;
calm sibling bickering and battling;
take the battle out of meal times,
brushing teeth, bathing, etc.; teach re-
spect, responsibility, and self-disci-
pline, and much more.
These program~ are free and child
care will be available. North Dakota
Growing Futures approved the train-
ing for the childcare providers.
To register, call (701) 456-0007 or
toll free at 1-877-264-1142, or e-mail,
debra.theurer@ndsu.edu by April 24.
Attendance at all sessions, not just
some, is required after the first session.
t"
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Spring has sprung
Wild crocuses 'greet' the morning sun in an area pasture. (Photo by Richard Volesky)
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