Bismarck native and former Miss America Cara Mund has announced a bid to be the first woman from North Dakota to serve in the U.S. House.

North Dakota’s Supreme Court has struck down key portions of a state law that a landowners group says was unconstitutional. The so-called pore space law passed the 2019 Legislature over the use of voids or cavities in underground rock formations. Pore spaces are used when the petroleum industry injects saltwater from oil and gas production underground for storage or for enhanced oil recovery. landowners sued the state arguing the law deprives them of their right to be compensated for the use of their pore space.  A state district judge last year ruled the law unconstitutional. Justices largely agreed.

A major spending initiative aimed at infrastructure projects outside North Dakota’s oil patch is on pace to be fully funded for the first time since the Legislature approved it three years ago, due to strong oil prices and steady production. “Operation Prairie Dog” is supposed to provide $250 million in every two-year budget cycle for infrastructure spending in non-oil producing areas. The Legislature assumed oil production and prices would hold after passing the bill, but they slipped due to the pandemic and only about $30 million was distributed in the last budget cycle. Joe Morrissette, the state’s top budget writer, said Wednesday that if oil revenue continues at the current rate, Prairie Dog will be fully funded this current budget cycle.

A South Dakota government ethics board on Wednesday pressed forward in its investigation of two complaints against Gov. Kristi Noem. It resisted an effort from the Republican governor to see them dismissed and extended the time it has to examine the allegations. Noem is under scrutiny from the state’s Government Accountability Board for allegations she misused the powers of her office by interfering in her daughter’s application for a real estate appraiser license and flying on state-owned airplanes to political events. She has denied any wrongdoing. The board’s three retired judges voted unanimously to deny motions from the governor to dismiss the complaints. They then voted to grant a 60-day extension while they consider the complaints' merits.

North Dakota's top Senate Democrat is calling on the governor and attorney general to initiate an investigation into a $1.8 million constructi…

North Dakota's state government is losing a top human resources official.

Job seekers in North Dakota are getting more help through two recently announced programs.

North Dakota’s highest honor has been bestowed on International Music Camp founder Merton Utgaard.

Three state treasurers on Tuesday told a panel of North Dakota lawmakers about their concerns related to investing practices that consider cli…