Roosevelt library offered to governor's office budget over constitutional concerns

Days after passing the North Dakota Senate, the bill for a Theodore Roosevelt presidential library has hit a snag over constitutionality.

House Speaker Lawrence Klemin, R-Bismarck, expressed concerns over the bill — built from amendments which replaced a water project bill — from a provision of the state Constitution that says: "No bill may be amended on its passage through either house in a manner which changes its general subject matter."

"My concern with any kind of amendment like this is it has to be defendable in court," Klemin told reporters Friday after a conference committee meeting on the governor's office budget bill, where House members offered an amendment identical to the bill as passed.

Legislative Council Director John Bjornson said the issue is how "germane" the library bill is to the original legislation, but wouldn't comment on the degree of change to the bill.

Read more: https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/roosevelt-library-offered-to-governor-s-office-budget-over-constitutional/article_b907cc4f-e9af-55f6-b27f-391887d90736.html