(North Dakota Monitor)
( North Dakota Monitor) – North Dakota lawmakers will be paid at least $41,500 for absences during the 2025 legislative session so far, though most legislators with more than a handful of missed days said they were due to family or medical reasons, military service or their jobs.
Rep. Lori VanWinkle, R-Minot, said earlier this week she felt singled out by criticism from the House majority leader over taking five days off to go on a vacation. Five lawmakers have missed six or more days during the legislative session, including VanWinkle, who has missed seven days of the session.
In total, 84 lawmakers of the Legislature’s combined 141-member body were absent for at least one day since the session began in early January. They accumulated 195 missed legislative days as of Thursday, according to Legislative Council. The North Dakota Monitor excluded from the analysis the absences of Rep. Josh Christy, who died in office in February.
Legislators are paid for days they are absent unless they ask Legislative Council to withhold their pay, said Legislative Council Director John Bjornson. They are paid $213 per calendar day during the legislative session, with committee chairs and other leadership positions earning slightly more. That’s in addition to a monthly salary of $592.
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