(KNOX) – The special legislative session regarding a potential ban for kratom and several other topics will start today at the State Capitol. There are five bill drafts that will be discussed over three days, and Governor Kelly Armstrong will also give a State of the State speech to the Legislature this morning at 10:00.
There are two proposals to ban kratom. They would establish criminal penalties, as well as regulating sales and consider synthetic 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) derivatives as Schedule I controlled substances. There are also bill drafts regarding funding for the construction of the Military Gallery Museum in Bismarck, a property tax correction related to state property tax credits, and a non-disclosure agreement for date centers.
Republican State Senator Scott Meyer of Grand Forks will be attending the first day remotely, and the rest of the session in person. He says he will be participating virtually because of a Grand Sky event that will feature the Under Secretary of the Army. Meyer says there’s one important difference when participating remotely.
Meyer serves on a joint appropriations committee and he will be working on the funding pause for the construction of the military museum at the North Dakota Heritage Center in Bismarck.
Lawmakers are considering a $35 million line of credit from the state-owned Bank of North Dakota to pay for some of the project’s funding. Part of the $78 million project is supposed to come from private fundraising. $20 million of credit has been spent, and Meyer says there is already a lot that has gone into the construction process.
Meyer will not be sitting in the committee that will discuss a potential kratom ban, but he does believe a ban….
Meyer is also emphasizing how timely the legislature needs to be when deciding on the five bill drafts they will discuss.
This is the second time this year a special session has been called and this one will cost $216,000. It’s the first time in state history that two special sessions have happened in a single year. The session is scheduled to last from today through Friday.
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