North Dakota Lawmakers Hire Outside Lawyers to Defend State in Term Limits Lawsuit

(Photo by Kyle Martin/For the North Dakota Monitor)

(North Dakota Monitor) – North Dakota legislative leaders have voted to hire outside attorneys to represent them in a new lawsuit over a ballot measure that would change voter-approved legislative term limits.

The suit, filed last week, argues that the Legislature violated the state constitution when it passed a resolution creating the ballot measure last year.

The ballot measure, if approved, would alter the 2022 constitutional amendment that established legislative term limits. But that 2022 amendment contains a provision that specifically says state lawmakers may not propose an amendment to “alter or repeal” those term limits.

Believing the resolution to be a violation of that clause, two North Dakotans who organized in support of the 2022 term limits amendment — former Minot lawmaker Sen. Oley Larsen and Grand Forks County commissioner Terry Bjerke — have sued the Legislature and Secretary of State’s Office. They filed the suit directly with the North Dakota Supreme Court.