Kratom compromise

By Jeff Beach | Deputy editor

By Jack Dura

North Dakota’s Legislature passed a bill Friday to allow but regulate natural kratom and ban synthetic products.

Lawmakers stopped short of completely banning all kratom, but state officials said it will remain unavailable in North Dakota until the new regulations are implemented.

The votes ended a three-day special session Republican Gov. Kelly Armstrong called last month to address kratom, which he said is unregulated and unsafe. He signed the bill Friday afternoon and rescinded his August executive order that temporarily banned all kratom products.

By Jacob Orledge

The stalled Military Gallery is primed to restart construction as early as next week after legislation providing a financial lifeline cleared the House Friday.

House lawmakers voted 71-22 to approve a new $20 million loan and remove restrictions from  $15 million in already allocated state funds.

Many lawmakers say legislation is needed in the 2027 session to ensure that taxpayers are not exposed to the mismanagement of a public-private partnership again.

The state is working with an archaeologist and funeral home to investigate human remains found near the North Dakota governor’s residence and relocate them to Bismarck cemeteries.

Reporter Michael Achterling talks to host Craig Blumenshine about the anomalies discovered while crews were installing a fence and driveway extension on the Capitol grounds. One Bismarck historian questions why the state didn’t investigate sooner, as the area was known to be the site of one of the capital city’s oldest cemeteries.

A Closer Look with the Monitor is a partnership with Prairie Public's Main Street.

By Jeff Beach

North Dakota legislators on Thursday rejected a push to ban the use of nondisclosure agreements between government entities and developers of data centers and other industrial projects.

Bill sponsor Sen. Tim Mathern, D-Fargo, tried to persuade lawmakers that the bill was needed to preserve trust in government in the face of multi-billion dollar data center development projects that are popping up around the state. 

“Secrets destroy trust in government,” Mathern said before the vote to kill the bill.

A committee on Wednesday recommended rejecting the bill and Republican Gov. Kelly Armstrong on Tuesday testified that the state’s transparency laws were already sufficient, though he said enforcement could be debated. 

By Michael Achterling

North Dakota Democratic lawmakers tried to introduce bills on childcare funding and a moratorium on data center permitting during the special session Wednesday, but the attempts were voted down or blocked by each Republican-led chamber.

By Jack Dura

North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong called on the Legislature Wednesday to prohibit kratom “in all its forms,” a boost for efforts to ban the substance as lawmakers deliberate what action to take.

The Republican governor’s roughly nine-minute State of the State address came at the start of the special session he called last month for restricting kratom.

By Jack Dura and Jacob Orledge

A ban on natural kratom appeared to gain momentum Tuesday after members of the public urged North Dakota lawmakers to do more than regulate the substance.

The testimony to a legislative policy committee included the medical industry’s concerns, parents’ stories, and a former addict of other drugs who thinks kratom should be banned entirely.

By Jacob Orledge and Jeff Beach

North Dakota lawmakers studying data centers heard concerns Monday about transparency and nondisclosure agreements while others touted the potential economic benefits. 

Many of the people who spoke during public comment raised issues about data centers, with some advocating for a moratorium on data center development, despite legislators’ decision not to take up the issue during this week’s special session.

Other topics covered included decommissioning and accusations of fearmongering,

By Michael Achterling

Crews began work Tuesday to investigate and relocate human remains discovered during construction near the North Dakota governor’s residence.

Construction of a fence and driveway paused in May after crews discovered human remains and coffin fragments. 

Since then, surveys using ground-penetrating radar have identified up to 29 possible anomalies that need further analysis, Brandon Solberg, facilities management director, said in a statement. An anomaly could be human remains, but it could also be other items that are different from the natural surroundings, such as tree roots, sewer lines or other utilities, according to the Office of Management and Budget.

By Jacob Orledge and Jeff Beach

Summit Carbon Solutions is abandoning two-thirds of its planned project to store carbon dioxide underground in North Dakota. 

The company, which had been granted permits to store CO2 in three designated areas in central North Dakota, has requested permits for two of the areas to be canceled. 

The company’s decision to abandon two of its storage facility permits is a victory for many of the landowners opposing the project. Most of those landowners have objected to what they characterize as the company’s unwillingness to negotiate on matters of liability and compensation. Only one of the landowners involved in the litigation owns property in the third storage area. 

By Jennifer Shutt

President Donald Trump said earlier this year he’d “do anything necessary to make sure we have honest elections” this fall, declining to rule out sending the National Guard or federal law enforcement officers to polling locations throughout the country.

Those comments came a few months after Trump casually and briefly mentioned canceling the midterm elections that will determine control of Congress. 

Any such actions would lie outside the bounds of presidential power and the law, according to experts interviewed by States Newsroom. Nonetheless, one Democratic U.S. senator is sending letters to numerous members of the administration asking for commitments troops won’t be sent to the polls.

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