Gov. Doug Burgum has vetoed Senate Bill 2055, citing legislative overreach and an unconstitutional delegation of power to the Legislature’s Budget Section.
In his veto message, Burgum referenced the North Dakota Supreme Court ruling last year that found the Legislature had overstepped its constitutional authority by delegating power over spending decisions to the Budget Section, which consists of 42 of the Legislature’s 141 members.
“This bill is fundamentally flawed because it disregards the Supreme Court’s ruling and attempts to enshrine in state law the Budget Section’s unconstitutional practice of acting as a mini-Legislature,” Burgum said. “Instead of addressing the issue raised in last year’s ruling and properly balancing authority between the branches of government, Senate Bill 2055 makes the problem worse. We urge legislators to reject this bill and work collaboratively with the executive branch to avoid further litigation and develop common-sense policy that benefits the taxpayers of North Dakota.”