North Dakota Legislature to Boost Program Oversight With New Hires

John Bjornson, right, Emily Thompson, center, and Allen Knudson, left. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)

(North Dakota Monitor) – The North Dakota Legislature is adding staff to help lawmakers better analyze policy and evaluate whether programs are effective.

Legislative Council is adding 25 staff members in 2025-27, starting with recruiting four policy analysts to help with research, policy proposals and other analysis. The goal is to expand the nonpartisan research arm of the Legislature and form a policy and program evaluation division, said John Bjornson, director of Legislative Council.

“We’re excited about the idea of having this new resource on our staff where we can engage in what would be a greater legislative oversight function that we’ve never been able to provide before,” Bjornson said.

More than 50 people applied for the initial openings, he said. The new hires could be on board as soon as September.