News

Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem today filed a claim seeking $38 million from the federal government to reimburse the State of North Dakota for costs related to the protests over the completion of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL).

McKenzie Township violated the open meetings law when it held a special meeting but did not provide public notice. The township must amend the minutes to add additional details of the discussions held during the meeting.

The City of Lincoln violated the law when it took final action during the executive session portion of two special meetings.

If a city does not apply for an extension of its Renaissance Zone designation, it will expire. Once a Renaissance Zone designation expires, a city may not be approved for a new or reestablished renaissance zone.

A public entity is required by law to notify a requester if the requested records do not exist. The City of Sentinel Butte violated the law when it failed to respond to a request for records that it did not possess.

The Kenmare Public School Board’s use of group text messaging for purely ministerial matters, such as setting meeting dates or reminders of upcoming deadlines, did not violate the law. 

When an entity serves two public entities, notices of meetings must be posted at each jurisdiction.  The Bismarck-Mandan Mayors’ Committee for People with Disabilities alternates its regular meeting location between the two cities it serves.  The Committee violated the law when it posted notice of its May 2018, meeting only in the city where that meeting would be held.

Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem today released North Dakota’s crime statistics for 2017. “Overall crime ticked up only slightly last year with a point-four percent increase. The area of greatest concern, however, continues to be the increase in drug arrests, which went up again last year by four-point-four percent,” said Stenehjem.

"This is a victory for North Dakota’s brick and mortar retailers who have had to compete with online retailers that don’t collect sales or use taxes from their customers," Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem.

The Board of Higher Education has control over its institutions’ local funds. Legislative approval or appropriation is not needed for university system capital projects fully funded by local funds.