Grand Forks Herald Q&A: A look at District 17 before the start of the North Dakota Legislature
Dec. 27—When the 2023 session of the North Dakota Legislature convenes on Jan. 3, District 17 will have two newcomers to state politics among the delegates.
Sen. Jonathan Sickler and Rep. Landon Bahl both are entering their first session. They're joined by incumbent Mark Sanford, who has 12 years of experience in lawmaking after a career in education and administration.
All three are Republicans from Grand Forks. District 17 includes southern Grand Forks, as well as an area to the south of town.
Following are their full answers to a legislative questionnaire sent by the Herald.
Years of service in Legislature: I was appointed to fill a vacancy in June 2022 and elected to my first full term in November 2022.
Herald: Do you have any particular bills you'll present or sponsor in the upcoming session? If so, please give details.
Sicker: As a new legislator, I intend to listen a lot more than I talk and learn a lot more than I propose.
State government is complex and legislative ideas often have serious consequences, not all of them intended. With that said, I will support legislation and appropriations that enhance our quality of life and appropriately encourage private economic development. For example, the governor's child care initiative is a thoughtful effort to try to increase availability of quality childcare for working families. As another example, I will support bills that would take advantage of the expertise at UND to enhance North Dakota's research and development capabilities, particularly as it relates to our energy industry.
Herald: North Dakota appears to be in good financial standing. Do you believe that? And if so, how might the state's financial standing affect the coming session? If there is money to spend, do you have ideas (or predictions) on where it should be spent?
Sicker: As a result of past good management, North Dakota is in a strong financial position. The Legislature in 2023 can make long-term investments while also addressing key short-term needs. Some of the long-term investments include large-scale infrastructure like the Red River Valley Water Supply Project, which will deliver water from the Missouri River to communities in the eastern and central portions of the state, including Grand Forks. This project will ensure a stable water source for much of the state's population, while also protecting North Dakota's Missouri River water rights from encroachment from downstream states. The state should also continue efforts to build an intrastate natural gas pipeline from the Bakken to Grand Forks. This project too is valuable across the state in that it provides an accessible market for Bakken gas producers while enhancing Grand Forks' ability to further develop a value-added agricultural processing industry.
We also have a unique resource in the Legacy Fund. This legislative session will, at least in part, set the precedent about how these funds will be used well beyond the 2023 session.
Legacy Funds can be best used for transformational investments with significant state or regional impacts.
The more immediate priorities will include competitive salaries for teachers, higher education faculty and staff, and other state employees. The success of our public schools and universities largely turns on the quality of our teachers, staff and faculty. We need to pay appropriate wages to fill empty teacher positions and retain our best educators. Similarly, good government requires experienced and knowledgeable staff to perform critical functions. The compensation package needs to be competitive in order to maintain and further build a highly-talented workforce.
Herald: In Grand Forks, a planned technical education center (the Career Impact Academy) received more than $10 million in donations in hopes of getting $10 million in state funding. But construction hasn't yet begun due to a holdup of federal funds flowing to North Dakota — funds that in turn will be distributed by the state. Is there a solution to get this project rolling? And should the state disburse additional funds to accommodate the delays and associated inflationary costs?
Sickler: Expanded technical education was a good idea a few years ago and remains a good idea today.
We should not let federal funding delays derail these needed technical education centers. North Dakota needs more electricians, plumbers, carpenters and other skilled trades as well health professionals and computer technicians. The purpose of the Career Impact Academy is to train students in the very skills that are in high demand. The Legislature should support both bridge funding that would allow construction to begin before federal funds are released as well as additional funding to reflect the extraordinary inflationary period since the original appropriations were made.
Herald: We've heard much about property tax relief in the state, including from the governor's office. Is this a top-of-mind issue for members of the Legislature? Should this be a high priority? And if so, what should be done?
Sickler: Property tax relief is clearly a concern for many North Dakotans. However, I'm not certain that the Legislature is in the best position to provide that relief. Property taxes are set by local political entities. For those who support the concept of local control, as I do, then the focus of property tax relief efforts should be with those local elected leaders — school boards, city and commissioners, and park districts. I'm concerned that additional state funding of schools to replace local funds, for example, may not ultimately result in more money in taxpayer pockets.
Property taxes are impacted by property valuations and the decisions of local taxing authorities, both of which are outside the direct control of the Legislature. In addition, the more that local political entities, including school districts, are funded by state dollars, the greater the justification for legislative involvement in local affairs. Right or wrong, it's a foreseeable consequence that legislators and local elected officials need to consider.
Regardless of what happens to property taxes, I'm interested in proposals that would make a broad-based, significant cut to state income taxes. Lower income taxes help families more easily bear the costs of raising children and help everyone pay for necessities, especially considering historically high inflation. It would also make North Dakota a more attractive place for those considering coming to our state as we try to ease the workforce shortage. Many states, like South Dakota, can attract new residents by touting no or low state income taxes.
North Dakota should better position itself in that competition for new residents and lower our income taxes.
Herald: What do you feel is Grand Forks' biggest legislative concern as the session begins, and what should be done about it?
Sickler: People are more mobile than perhaps at any time in recent history. With the expansion of remote work, urban residents from around the country are realistically considering what it would be like to live in places just like Grand Forks. We have much to offer with everything that UND adds, a strong health care system, great schools, fantastic parks and recreational offerings, a vibrant fine arts community, and so much more. In the upcoming session, the Legislature should support those civic institutions and investments that make Grand Forks an attractive place to live.
Infrastructure projects like the 47 th Avenue interchange will allow our city to continue to grow via expanded housing and commercial developments. The 42nd Street underpass has long been a quality of life and safety matter that should be a priority in 2023.
The Children's Museum is a great initiative that would expand educational and recreational activities for children in the whole region. These matters that impact the day-to-day lives of Grand Forks citizens should be at the forefront of what the Legislature accomplishes for Grand Forks in 2023.
Years of service in Legislature: First year.
Herald: Do you have any particular bills you'll present or sponsor in the upcoming session? If so, please give details.
Bahl: In the 2023 session, I look forward to working with other Grand Forks legislators on many bills that will greatly impact Grand Forks. I am most excited to assist and support issues regarding workforce development and retention, property tax relief and property rights, in addition to infrastructure.
Herald: North Dakota appears to be in good financial standing. Do you believe that? And if so, how might the state's financial standing affect the coming session? If there is money to spend, do you have ideas (or predictions) on where it should be spent?
Bahl: North Dakota is in a great financial position. With this very positive financial position comes much greater responsibility for the Legislature. We will need to carefully vet where we should be spending the taxpayers' dollars. A couple places that I feel strongly about placing funds would be our education system, roads and bridges, and workforce development and retention. I am a strong advocate that we need to continue to make North Dakota one of the best places to have our young professionals remain in great paying jobs, and feel the comfortability and support of raising a family here.
Herald: In Grand Forks, a planned technical education center (the Career Impact Academy) received more than $10 million in donations in hopes of getting $10 million in state funding. But construction hasn't yet begun due to a holdup of federal funds flowing to North Dakota — funds that in turn will be distributed by the state. Is there a solution to get this project rolling? And should the state disburse additional funds to accommodate the delays and associated inflationary costs?
Bahl: Getting the state's Career Impact Academy centers built and running needs to be a focus for the Legislature. I would support Governor Burgum's solution which consists of utilizing the Bank of North Dakota to fund the other half of the project costs until the federal government releases the funds earmarked for these centers.
Herald: We've heard much about property tax relief in the state, including from the governor's office. Is this a top-of-mind issue for members of the Legislature? Should this be a high priority? And if so, what should be done?
Bahl: The Legislature should have property tax relief on the docket. The current financial position of our state and in the coming years should allow us to pass relief of some sort relating to property tax.
Herald: What do you feel is Grand Forks' biggest legislative concern as the session begins, and what should be done about it?
Bahl: I feel our vision amongst Grand Forks legislators is quite united and clear. Our concerns should be local infrastructure funding assistance (Merrifield interchange & 42nd underpass/overpass), education support, Grand Sky/UAS general support, and workforce retention strategies. This will ensure and help our city continue to be able to recruit new companies, provide great paying jobs, and make Grand Forks a very strong community that is open for business and open to people building a life and raising a family in our city.
Years of service in Legislature: 12 years.
Herald: Do you have any particular bills you'll present or sponsor in the upcoming session? If so, please give details.
Sanford: I have chaired the Higher Education Interim Committee the last ten years so many of my bill introductions have represented the recommendations of that committee. That will be the case again. Specific proposals will include efforts to attract and retain students to fields of study that align with our workforce needs in North Dakota, including Nursing, Teacher Education, Construction Trades, and other needs areas identified by Job Services. Enhanced needs based grants, forgivable loans based on post training services in our state, and tuition waivers are examples of some of the options being forwarded by the committee.
Herald: North Dakota appears to be in good financial standing. Do you believe that? And if so, how might the state's financial standing affect the coming session? If there is money to spend, do you have ideas (or predictions) on where it should be spent?
Sanford: Our state's financial condition is positive. My understanding is that an income tax reduction bill is being introduced and that a school property tax reduction bill is also in the works. As alluded to above, workforce needs will receive attention across the board. Considerations will include compensation increases for state employees, budget assistance for k12 and higher education programs and support for early childhood programs including daycare. Mental health issues will receive attention as well. A key piece of the state income equation will be the use of the Legacy Fund earnings — we did appropriate some of that money last session and it will be a part of the income resources going forward.
Herald: In Grand Forks, a planned technical education center (the Career Impact Academy) received more than $10 million in donations in hopes of getting $10 million in state funding. But construction hasn't yet begun due to a holdup of federal funds flowing to North Dakota — funds that in turn will be distributed by the state. Is there a solution to get this project rolling? And should the state disburse additional funds to accommodate the delays and associated inflationary costs?
Sanford: There seems to be interest in some additional support for the career academies. The delay has created a shortfall in the budgets of the groups in the second wave of allocations.
Herald: What do you feel is Grand Forks' biggest legislative concern as the session begins, and what should be done about it?
Sanford: I believe workforce issues are the common concern for our local and state levels.
