North Dakota Attorney General Says Governor’s Veto Clear and Unambiguous

Attorney General Drew Wrigley and Chief Deputy Attorney General Claire Ness. (Mary Steurer/North Dakota Monitor)

(North Dakota Monitor) – North Dakota’s attorney general said that Gov. Kelly Armstrong’s veto was “sound,” dismissing a differing conclusion by legislative staff that his intent was unclear and the Legislature should hold a special session to fix the error.

The opinion by Attorney General Drew Wrigley means $35 million for housing programs Armstrong’s office unintentionally crossed out in a May line-item veto can move forward unless the matter is challenged in court or the Legislature reconvenes.

“There’s been a bit of a tempest created in all of it, but what the governor did was a very modest veto,” Wrigley said.

Armstrong’s veto message for the Industrial Commission budget described cutting $150,000 set aside for a Native American-focused organization to fund a homelessness liaison position. But a markup of the bill also crossed out a $35 million appropriation for affordable housing and homelessness — funding Armstrong had intended to leave intact. His office later said there had been a “staff markup error