Public Questions Property Taxes, Culture War Bills | News, sports, work

Senate Majority Leader David Hogue said the hearing is progressing “Extremely good”, In its initial days during which 990 invoices were entered.

“Off to a great start. We are acting on as many bills as we need to stay on course toward reaching the intersection,” Hogue said. “We have a nice budget surplus, so we have the ability to send money back to the taxpayers, which is my number one priority. We also have the ability to fund our priorities, which we will.”

Hogue said the state’s general fund revenue is about $500 million above projections, and the strategic investment and infrastructure fund is over $1.6 billion. Hogue said this revenue allows the Legislature to address a number of benefits for North Dakota citizens, chief among them being significant property tax relief.

While there are a number of bills this session attacking the property tax issue, Hogue said there is a strong possibility the most significant reform on the horizon will be the cap to tax tax increases for political subdivisions. Hogue pointed to House Bill 1176 as an example of this method, saying he and the people of North Dakota supported the concept.

“I would say the ship probably hasn’t sailed yet, but the bow is eventually going to sea for hats. A lot of states have done it, so we’re not alone. From my perspective, I appreciate the idea that it affects local control , “ Hogue said. “But at the same time, I’ve been in the Legislature since 2009. We’ve been providing property tax relief to cities, counties and school districts since 2007. People are telling us we’re still not seeing tax relief. We’ll wait and see.”

Culture War Bills

Senator Bob Paulson asked a question about House Bill 1145, which asked whether the bill that would require the placement of the Ten Commandments in all public school classrooms supports the right of religious freedom for all students.

Paulson cited a recent court decision in Washington state that overturned an earlier precedent known as “The Lemon Test” and replaced it with a test based on history and tradition.

“For something to be considered a proper show, it has to have history and tradition. I think it’s pretty hard to argue that the Ten Commandments don’t have those two. I would predict that the bill will succeed,” Paulson said.

Rep. Christina Wolff said HB 1145 was in her committee and bill sponsor Rep. Jeff Hoverson was considering some changes, which will be reviewed sometime this week.

Another question was raised against HB 1430, which seeks to open the door for social workers to provide treatment plans or counseling to individuals questioning their sexuality that aligns with heterosexuality or the individual’s biological sex. Rep. Matt Ruby acknowledged the bill did not comply with the state’s social worker ethical standards, but said there was confusion about the administrative rule.

“If someone walks into a social worker’s office seeking counseling, saying they believe they like the same sex but would like to live a life within their personal views or religious views, the way the rule is written, some believe that the social worker is not allowed to work with them there”, Ruby said. “What they are trying to prevent is conversion therapy. (When) Most people think of conversion therapy, they think of shock therapy or gay camp. “

Ruby noted that a similar bill was introduced in the 2023 session that failed, and the intent of the bill’s current language required some more jobs to be more compliant. Ruby said he’s not there yet, and has a large number of bills ahead of him on his priority list in the coming weeks.