North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong declared a drought emergency Tuesday for counties and tribal nations experiencing extreme and long-term drought conditions. Nearly all of North Dakota, except part of Dickey County, is listed as abnormally dry or suffering moderate, severe or extreme drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. “I’m worried,” Armstrong said in […]
Gov. Kelly Armstrong has appointed a longtime aide to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, North Dakota’s largest state agency. Conner Swanson has been a senior adviser to Armstrong since he took office in December 2024. Before that, he was a policy adviser and communications director for Armstrong from 2020-2024, when Armstrong was […]
North Dakota lawmakers are grappling with how to restrict kratom and related products after a stream of testimony Wednesday from people including a concerned mother, a smoke shop owner, medical professionals and others with varying views on the substance the governor recently banned. The Legislature’s Kratom Working Group heard the testimony as it works on […]
North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong on Wednesday lifted a ban on TikTok for state-owned devices, citing a change in ownership for the social media company. The TikTok ban for state government devices had been in place since a 2022 executive order from then-Gov. Doug Burgum. The prohibition aimed to safeguard the state’s cyber infrastructure and […]
North Dakota lawmakers on Friday began talks about restricting kratom and related substances, part of a process the public will get to weigh in on next week. Lawmakers are preparing for a special session next month called by Republican Gov. Kelly Armstrong to consider prohibiting and regulating aspects of kratom products, including criminal penalties. Kratom […]
North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong on Friday declared a statewide fire emergency as drought conditions have spread across the state. North Dakota also is activating the State Emergency Operations Plan as the risk of wildfires has intensified during a hot, dry summer. The emergency declaration directs all state agencies, including the North Dakota Department of […]
Kratom and derivative products are now illegal in North Dakota just days after Gov. Kelly Armstrong announced a ban on the substance and related derivatives. Lawmakers are preparing to draft legislation restricting kratom for a special session. The attorney general has announced how to dispose of kratom products. And police and prosecutors will be dealing […]
North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong on Monday declared a public health emergency banning all kratom products and called a special session of the Legislature for September to further address enforcement. Kratom is a substance derived from a tropical tree in Southeast Asia that officials say can be synthesized into highly potent forms and put into […]
North Dakota Republican lawmakers are set to discuss a possible special session to ban the substance kratom and address a fundraising shortfall of the state Military Gallery, which has paused construction. Senate Republicans on Wednesday received a videoconference invitation for a Sunday meeting from Senate Majority David Hogue, R-Minot, in which he said he had […]
A state panel on Wednesday gave final approval to revisions to a scrutinized bonus program for employees of the office that oversees billions of dollars in state funds. The unanimous decision by the governor-led State Investment Board followed little discussion. The board previously heard about the proposed changes for fiscal year 2027 in June. The […]
