BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) –  North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple is recommending a $12.8 billion, two-year budget to the Legislature.
 
     His blueprint includes big spending increases for public works, local schools and North Dakota’s university system.
 
     It provides slight reductions for North Dakota’s income taxes on corporations and individuals.
 
     It gives western North Dakota’s oil-producing counties a greater share of state tax revenues. It sets aside chunks of oil tax money for renewable energy and conservation projects.
 
     Dalrymple wants the Legislature to double the current state subsidy for local property taxes to $714 million.
 
     If the idea is approved, Dalrymple says local school property taxes will be about one-third of what they were more than five years ago.
 
     The governor’s budget raises state general fund spending by 18 percent over two years.

 Western North Dakota’s oil-producing counties would get a greater share of oil tax revenue under Gov. Jack Dalrymple’s budget proposal.
 
     The plan also includes almost $1 billion for road work in the region, including money for truck bypass routes and interchanges.
 
     Oil counties now get a share of state oil taxes, but their percentage is gradually reduced as the amounts get bigger.
 
     Dalrymple’s spending plan says the amount of oil money local governments get should double, to $521 million over two years.
 
     They’ll get the first $5 million in tax collections, and then get a constant 25 percent of the oil taxes after that.
 
     The budget includes $300 million for four-lane highway projects. One proposal is to make U.S. Highway 85 a four-lane road between Williston and Watford City.

 

North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple’s proposed two-year budget includes property and income tax reductions.
 
     Dalrymple laid out his plan for the North Dakota Legislature on Wednesday as lawmakers finished their organizational session.
 
     The Legislature already sets aside $342 million every two years to pay for local school property tax cuts. Dalrymple wants lawmakers to raise it to $714 million.
 
     If the plan is adopted, a school district’s property tax levy will be about a third of what it was more than five years ago. It would cut a homeowner’s existing property tax bill by about 20 percent.
 
     The governor’s income tax cuts would reduce the top individual income tax rate from 3.99 percent to 3.74 percent.
 
     The top corporate tax rate would go from 5.15 percent to 4.84 percent.

 

North Dakota law enforcement and regulatory agencies may be getting dozens of new employees.
 
     Gov. Jack Dalrymple unveiled his proposed two-year budget to the North Dakota Legislature on Wednesday.
 
     It asks lawmakers to approve 15 new Highway Patrol troopers, and spend almost $7 million to improve the patrol’s Bismarck training academy.
 
     North Dakota’s Department of Mineral Resources would get 23 new jobs, including petroleum engineers and field inspectors. The Health department would get more staffers to check for environmental violations.
 
     Dalrymple says his budget includes 171 new state workers, mostly in law enforcement, public safety and public health. He says most of the jobs are needed because of the expansion of North Dakota’s oil production.

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) – North Dakota’s colleges have a number of building projects in Gov. Jack Dalrymple’s proposed budget.
 
     The University of North Dakota’s medical school would get a new $68 million building as part of an expansion of its ability to train new doctors.
 
     The governor also wants $12 million to renovate the UND law school.
 
     North Dakota State University would get $29 million for a new science and engineering building. Bismarck State College is in line for $13 million to replace its library.
 
     Dalrymple’s budget includes money to renovate a gym at Mayville State University and administrative buildings at the state College of Science in Wahpeton and Williston State College.
 
     Lake Region State College at Devils Lake would get $6 million to expand a technical center that is used for nurse training.

DEMOCRATIC RESPONSE

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) – Democratic leaders in the North Dakota
Legislature say Republican Gov. Jack Dalrymple left some pressing
needs out of his budget proposals.
     Dalrymple presented a $12.8 billion budget plan to legislators
Wednesday shortly before they ended their three-day organizational
session.
     House assistant Democratic leader Corey Mock says Dalrymple’s
plan doesn’t mention bringing more people into the Medicaid health
insurance program.
     The federal health care reform law offers state incentives to
cover low-income adults who don’t have children. Mock says the
state should grab the opportunity to expand coverage.
     Senate Democratic leader Mac Schneider says Dalrymple’s plans
for cutting school property tax bills should benefit renters as
well as property owners.
     Dalrymple wants to cut corporate tax rates, and Schneider says
the money would be better used to cut property taxes.