Legislative Update, Week 6 (Note from CEO & President)

A Note from GNDC CEO & President:
Last week was a good week for ND businesses and GNDC – we saw a lot of bad bills die through floor votes. A big part of our legislative strategy is defense – ensuring the killing of anti-business proposals. It’s not exactly a vendetta against these specific bills but instead we take our role in upholding the state’s business climate seriously. Bad bills place mandates, impose additional regulations, increase business costs, and tarnish opportunities for current and future businesses in North Dakota. Our business climate has been carefully constructed for years, however like a reputation, this careful work can be undone quickly.
 
In talking with my peers across the nation, I realize how our state does support those generating the wealth and this coupled with our natural resources – North Dakota is positioned well. This does not mean that we can become lackadaisical. This is why GNDC keeps fighting the bad bill fight, why we weigh in and why we have opinions.
 
We’ll keep at it while you keep doing what you do best to ensure the future of our state.
 
Arik Spencer
 
 
Bill Count: 960

• House count: 553
• Senate count: 407

Active bills: 886 (74 have failed/withdrawn)
Signed into law: 1 (HB 1199)
GNDC tracking: 177
Days left in the session: 57 (max)
 

WEEK 5 GNDC RECAP:

• Bad Bill List that died
  • HB 1460: Employee opt-in employer paid family medical leave program  
    • This would allow employees to opt a business into the program and require employers to grant 12 weeks of leave for a physical or mental health condition of the eligible employee or family member without verification from a medical provider and with no limit on how often family leave could be taken. 
    • Strongly Oppose
    • It came out of committee with a Do Not Pass recommendation and failed on the House floor (vote of 16-77).
  • HB 1507: Minimum wage spike
    • This bill set out to increasing minimum wage to $9/hour followed with automatic annual increases indefinitely
    • Oppose
    • It came out of committee with a Do Not Pass recommendation and failed on the House floor (13-80).
  • SB 2031: Drug price fixing
    • Aimed to help, this bill secured unintended consequences of limiting access and stifling innovation of pharmaceuticals.
    • Oppose
    • It was attempted to be amended, but came out of committee with a Do Not Pass recommendation and failed on the Senate floor (14-33). 

 

• Additional Bills We Worked:
  • HB 1382: Scholarships for registered apprenticeships
    • Support
    • Received a due pass out of committee.
  • HB 1421: $2M to Dept of Commerce for workforce development grants for New Americans
    • Support
    • One of our policy positions supports workforce readiness opportunities for transitioning populations. We did make a recommendation to tie this program with the High-Demand Occupation list and also coordinate with the business community.
  • HB 1503: Limit Foreign Ownership of Real Property
    • Oppose
    • This bill could limit access to financing and capital and create an inconsistent regulatory environment with increased burdens on businesses 

Insider’s Peek: Check out our Opposition Testimony to HB 1503 heard in House Agriculture.
“HB 1503 is retroactive to real property acquired after July 31, 2020. This inconsistency in the regulatory environment can create a lack of confidence from an investment standpoint. Additionally, companies that have chosen to invest in North Dakota would be required to divest the ownership interest in the real property. This will directly lead to existing companies leaving the state and a loss of jobs in North Dakota.”