dalrymple-GovBISMARCK, N.D. (AP) – Gov. Jack Dalrymple has called a special session of the North Dakota Legislature to address shortfalls in the state treasury.

Dalrymple made the announcement Wednesday after a new revenue forecast on the same day showed tax collections continuing to decline due to depressed oil and farm commodity prices.

The session is slated to begin Aug. 2 and will run for at least three days.

Dalrymple in February ordered state agencies to make immediate cuts and raided the state’s rainy day fund to make up for about $1.1 billion in shortfalls for the current two-year budget cycle. Tax collections since then are down an additional $100 million.

North Dakota’s Constitution allows the governor to call a special session for “extraordinary occasions.” The governor’s action is the fifteenth time a special session has been called since statehood.