Legislative UPdate Week 8

​We're at crossover! The session is on break for a few days. Take a breath, check out what's been going on, and get ready for the second half.

Click here for the updated tracking grid. The session is at Crossover – or half time. All bills have finished in the side of the chamber in which they were introduced. The legislature even broke sooner than expected when they finished early in the day on Thursday, February 23. They don’t return until Wednesday, March 1.

• The Senate already took up a few of the anti-protester bills from the House. HB 1304, the bill that prohibits wearing masks when committing a crime, passed the Senate by a vote of 33-12. The House agreed to the changes the Senate made, and it is now on the way to the Governor’s desk.

YEAS: Armstrong; Bekkedahl; Bowman; Burckhard; Campbell; Casper; Clemens; Cook; Dever; Erbele; Holmberg; Kilzer; Klein; Krebsbach; Kreun; Laffen; Larson, D.; Lee, G.; Lee, J.; Luick; Meyer; Myrdal; Oehlke; Osland; Poolman; Roers; Rust; Schaible; Sorvaag; Unruh; Vedaa; Wanzek; Wardner
NAYS: Dotzenrod; Grabinger; Heckaman; Hogue; Kannianen; Larsen, O.; Marcellais; Mathern; Nelson; Oban; Piepkorn; Robinson
ABSENT AND NOT VOTING: Anderson; Davison

• House Bill 1012 passed the house by a vote of 86-3, which is the Department of Human Services budget. This DOES include Medicaid Expansion. This is great news. As long as the Senate upholds the inclusion of this when they review the budget, North Dakota will continue to provide health coverage to more North Dakotans through the Medicaid Expansion program.

​As the Legislature returns next week, the following are bills we follow that have hearings posted:

• 03/01/2017, 02:15 PM; SB 2185 - Relating to high school graduation requirements. House Education; Coteau A Room                               

• 03/01/2017, 02:30 PM; SB 2201 -Relating to the freedom of expression of student journalists. House Judiciary; Prairie Room

• 03/01/2017, 03:45 PM; SB 2117 Relating to criminal history record checks for medicaid services applicants, providers, and staff members; to amend and reenact section 50-06-01.9 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to criminal history record checks for job applicants, department staff, county employees, contractors, and medicaid services applicants, providers, and staff members; to provide an effective date; and to declare an emergency.   House Judiciary; Prairie Room                    

• 03/02/2017, 09:15 AM; HB 1251 - Relating to an inmate program to construct homes for low-income home buyers. Senate Government and Veterans Affairs; Sheyenne River        

• 03/03/2017, 08:30 AM; SB 2135 - to provide for the creation of an initiated and referred measure study commission; to provide for a report to the legislative management; to provide an appropriation; and to declare an emergency. House Government and Veterans Affairs; Fort Union Room

• 03/03/2017, 08:30 AM;  SB 2124 - Relating to the achieving a better life experience plan. House Government and Veterans Affairs; Fort Union Room

• 03/03/2017, 09:00 AM; SB 2281 -Relating to notice of a motor vehicle operator's license restriction for nonpayment of child support. House Transportation; Fort Totten Room