North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong inadvertently vetoed $35 million from the state’s housing budget when he intended to strike specific line items from an agency budget bill approved by the state legislature. This uncommon situation has left state officials trying to determine the best course of action. John Bjornson, the legislative council director, noted the rarity of such an incident during his 37 years of service.
In a parallel development, Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen also faced a potential oversight regarding his line-item vetoes. He announced cuts totaling about $47 million from budget bills, including significant reductions for the Nebraska Supreme Court. However, the Nebraska Legislature, led by Speaker John Arch, informed Pillen that he had missed the deadline to file these vetoes, effectively allowing the original funding to remain law. Pillen’s office insists the veto was handled correctly and is contemplating consultation with the state attorney general.
In North Dakota, Armstrong’s team characterized the veto error as a “markup error,” with efforts underway to address the issue. The governor’s office expressed confidence in rectifying the mistake and indicated readiness to call a special session if necessary, although they aim to avoid the costs associated with one. If the legislature does reconvene, it could explore reinstating only the $35 million housing budget or addressing other vetoed bills. With six days remaining in the 80-day session limit, a special session could present further opportunities for the legislature to consider overriding some of Armstrong’s other vetoes from this session, which includes portions of four bills.
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