Proposal to change North Dakota sessions to every year debated in Senate committee
Mar. 28—BISMARCK — Grand Forks legislator Landon Bahl believes a proposal that would end the Legislature's traditional biennial schedule would modernize the state's lawmaking process while preserving the integrity of the current system.
Bahl, a Republican member of the state House of Representatives, testified in favor of House Bill 1408 during a Friday morning meeting of the Senate State and Local Government Committee. As chief sponsor of the plan, he believes its approval will strengthen the legislative process, improve decision-making and ensure "long term efficiency in government."
North Dakota's Legislature is one of just four states that still meet every other year. Fifty years ago, more than 40 states followed the every-other-year schedule.
Technically, HB 1408 seeks to amend and reenact a section of the North Dakota Century Code, "relating to annual reconvened sessions of the legislative assembly." If passed in its current form, HB 1408 would maintain the 80-day limit but would instead distribute them over two years, starting in 2027.
The bill passed the House 64-26 and is working its way through the Senate process.
The goal, Bahl said, is to improve responsiveness and allow for more timely decision-making. Additionally, according to his written testimony, it could better attract "high-quality legislative candidates by making public service more accessible. Annual sessions would allow more North Dakotans, especially those unable to commit to four months at a time, to serve, fostering a more experienced, diverse and representative Legislature."
He also believes the change would improve the effectiveness of interim legislative committees.
"Don't get me wrong. I think we all enjoy our interim committees, but I think we can all agree that they may not be the most effective — not because of who is leading them, but just simply because of how the process unfolds for those committees," Bahl said during Friday's hearing.
He was pressed on that. Committee member Sen. Judy Lee, R-West Fargo, said "I respectfully take umbrage that you think interim committees are not effective. ..."
Bahl clarified: "I never said interim committees are not effective. I said they could become more effective."
Lee called the proposal a "big fruit basket upset."
Opponents believe annual sessions could give too much power to or put too much work on the shoulders of Legislative Management, a body that works between sessions to provide services to lawmakers. Scott Hanebutt, director of public policy for the North Dakota Farm Bureau, believes it could increase state spending and limit farmers from being in the Legislature.
During testimony against SB 1408 on Friday, Hanebutt said he has worked as a lobbyist elsewhere and said "I wouldn't mess with a good system, which is what we have here.
"Every state is a little bit different so I am sure we can find examples on both sides of the argument," he said. "Our (Farm Bureau) members have certainly always believed that increasing to an annual session would increase budgets and would make it harder to get farmers to run for the Legislature. So we feel this isn't a good idea for our state, and for the rural people of our state."
Rep. Scott Louser, R-Minot, testified in favor, saying he has previously been against all proposals to change to annual sessions. He said this year's proposal prompts creative ideas and "outside-the-box" thinking.
Further, he said, the length of the state's current single sessions comes with a certain level of tedium.
"I want to be careful how I say this, but we all get mental fatigue in April. When the most important decisions are being made for North Dakota, we are tired," he said. "... I think there is a lot of benefit in doing (the change to annual sessions)."
Among those who testified Friday was Jim Mehlhaff, the majority leader in the South Dakota Senate. He gave neutral testimony, providing an outline of the work that is done in that state's annual schedule.
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