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Thursday, March 28, 2024

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Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

ND: Budget Policy & Priorities

The Congressional Budget Office estimated as early as 2023, Social Security might have a harder time paying full benefits to beneficiaries because program revenues will not be keeping up. (Adobe Stock)

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Possible cuts to Social Security come back into focus

Congress just avoided a partial government shutdown by approving a budget through the end of September, but a new blueprint is renewing debate about …

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U.S. researchers said there is a belief that boosting lawmaker pay might lead to more working-class legislators, but their information gathering does not back that up. North Dakota lawmakers are part-time, only meeting in Bismarck every other year. (Adobe Stock)
Study: Working class woefully underrepresented in state legislatures

In North Dakota and all other states, the backgrounds of people serving in state legislatures largely leave out a key demographic, the working class…

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In a national report evaluating states on how much they support public education, North Dakota earned 98 out of a possible 111 points. (Adobe Stock)
ND makes grade in national report evaluating public school support

North Dakota is sometimes swept up in national rhetoric about public schools. However, the state fares well in a new report looking at how much it …

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When North Dakota lawmakers reconvene in 2025, they're expected to consider ideas from a task force about getting more teachers into classrooms. The panel is just beginning to hold discussions. (Adobe Stock)
ND task force zeroes in on teacher recruitment

This coming Thursday, a new task force will meet to advance discussions about boosting teacher recruitment and retention in North Dakota. The panel …

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A new poll regarding North Dakota's Legacy Fund shows voters want the agency in Bismarck overseeing investments to shift their focus, including leveraging the account for property tax relief. (Adobe Stock)
Poll: Big disconnect between North Dakotans and 'people's fund'

In a new poll, North Dakota voters say they'd like to see big changes to the state's Legacy Fund, which operates as a savings account funded by oil …

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In a multistate project, Summit Carbon Solutions wants to capture carbon emissions from Midwestern ethanol plants and run those emissions through a maze of pipelines to be stored underground in North Dakota. (Adobe Stock)
ND law at center of carbon pipeline fight now under scrutiny

A North Dakota lawmaker is calling into question a state law change that drew a lot of attention this week. At issue is a regulatory decision for a …

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Leading up to a 2023 vote to overhaul its pension system, North Dakota had an underfunded liability approaching $2 billion. (Adobe Stock)
National report issues cautionary tale after ND pension overhaul

CLARIFICATION: North Dakota will be closing its main public pension plan next year. An earlier version of this story did not indicate that several …

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According to the U.S. Conference of Mayors, 23 million lower-income households have benefited from the FCC's Affordable Connectivity Program. (Adobe Stock)
Federal funds drying up to keep internet service on for low-income households

Low-income households across the United States now face a deadline to sign up for federal funds that give them a break on their monthly internet bills…

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Policy experts say as it now stands, roughly 19 million children in the U.S. don't benefit from the federal Child Tax Credit because their families' incomes are too low. (Adobe Stock)
Federal Child Tax Credit could see another expansion with new deal in play

Congress is poised to consider renewing the expanded Child Tax Credit and policy analysts said the latest effort could help tens of thousands of North…

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North Dakota's Department of Environmental Quality said its new survey regarding water quality threats will not lead to policy or regulation changes but could help staff better identify which waterways are of greater concern. (Adobe Stock)
Concerned about water quality? ND wants to hear from you

In early January, some North Dakotans might be daydreaming about summer water activities but certain forms of pollution remain a threat to various …

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Cognia, a nongovernmental organization that accredits primary and secondary schools, says declining birth rates might make it harder for colleges and universities to maintain solid enrollment in the coming years. (Adobe Stock)
To boost enrollment, public university systems go big on tuition discounts

States like North and South Dakota are in a fierce battle to keep college affordable as public schools navigate the ebbs and flows of enrollment trend…

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In a new educator union poll, North Dakota teachers say they don't feel district administrators, school boards and elected officials respect their opinions and experience. (Adobe Stock)
Poll: Teacher retention issue in ND not improving

Eighty-eight percent of North Dakota teachers feel that school districts will have a harder time keeping enough staff next school year, according to …

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