Without Lobbyists to Pay, North Dakota Republicans Want Taxpayers to Cover the Tab

During the 2018 elections, North Dakota voters went to the ballot box and resoundingly rejected lobbyist gifts for their local representatives. The language of the measure prohibited gifts between any public officials and lobbyists, including dinners and meals. The North Dakota Ethics Commission is tasked with figuring out how to implement this new law, and to put it plainly, some legislators are taking this measure harder than others.

Republican Representative Keith Kempenich expressed worry for himself and fellow lawmakers when he said dinners funded by lobbyists and other groups had gone from “steak and lobster to finger food.” Kempenich says he used to get fancy dinners from lobbyists, but now he has to eat spaghetti out of a can. Lawmakers used to joke about the weight they packed on during a session, but this session, he said, the free food is nonexistent.

As a result, Representative Kempenich is sponsoring HB1424 that would allow lawmakers who live outside Bismarck to claim reimbursement for meals. The bill has an estimated two-year cost of more than $424,000, or about $3,340 for each of the 127 qualified lawmakers during the maximum 80-day session.

This should hardly be a priority concern to the legislators of North Dakota. But, it’s getting a hearing this week in Bismarck.

Read more: https://ndxplains.com/2021/02/03/gould-without-lobbyists-to-pay-nodak-republicans-want-taxpayers-to-cover-the-tab/