North Dakota Democrats To Make Official Request For Special Legislative Session

According to Bismarck Tribune reporter Nick Smith, North Dakota Democrats plan on asking for a special session to address western North Dakota spending needs.

Obviously part of the Democrats’ election year strategy. Their principle challenge in 2014, in a state that was just ranked as the most contented in the nation, is to convince North Dakotans that they’re unhappy.

The time for a special session to address western North Dakota needs was probably two years ago, in the middle of the 2011-2012 biennium. Despite some of the caterwauling from overwrought local government officials in the west, who seem motivated by opportunism than legitimate needs (I firmly believe that local budgets in the west need to be scrutinized for priorities), the state has been dumping money on western North Dakota. Both during the legislative session and during the interim.

Challenges remain, to be sure, but this call for a special session is more about election year politics than sound governance.