North Dakota Governor Unintentionally Vetoes $35 Million for Housing Programs

Gov. Kelly Armstrong. (Mary Steurer/North Dakota Monitor)

(BY: MARY STEURER AND AMY DALRYMPLE. North Dakota Monitor) – Gov. Kelly Armstrong said that he accidentally vetoed part of a bill that set aside $35 million for a state housing development fund.

Senate Bill 2014 is the budget for the North Dakota Industrial Commission.  Armstrong announced two line-item vetoes for the bill. His office said a “staff markup error” led to the unintentional veto of $25 million for housing projects and programs and $10 million to combat homelessness.

Staff from the governor’s office met with Legislative Council to discuss options for correcting the error.

“If necessary, we will call the Legislature back to ensure the appropriate funding is delivered, but we hope to avoid the expense of a special session. This was an honest mistake, and we will fix it,” Armstrong said in a statement.