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Dakota Download Governor Burgum's Weekly Update - March 28, 2021

Burgum signs ‘pathways to graduation’ bill, providing flexibility to promote personalized learning

Bill was No. 1 recommendation from Innovative Education Task Force

Gov. Doug Burgum this week signed legislation that caps a four-year collaborative effort to pave the way for authentic learning and flexibility in pathways for North Dakota students to achieve graduation.

“Senate Bill 2196 is a monumental victory for North Dakota students, opening the door for school districts to design student learning that recognizes space, place and time not as barriers but as levers to transform how we deliver a world-class education to all students,” Burgum said. “This could not have happened without the partnership with teachers, administrators, and legislative and executive branch leaders to be a voice for change. We’re deeply grateful to the bill sponsors and the House and Senate members for their support of this legislation.”

Senate Bill 2196 was introduced by Sen. Donald Schaible and co-sponsored by Sens. Kyle Davison and Erin Oban and Reps. Pat Heinert, Cynthia Schreiber-Beck and Denton Zubke. It received overwhelming support in both chambers, passing the Senate 46-1 and the House 90-2.

Creating personalized graduation pathways to complement the traditional credit-hour K-12 education system was the No. 1 recommendation provided by the Governor’s Innovative Education Task Force, which Burgum formed through executive order in September 2017. The 15-member task force included legislators, teachers, administrators and other K-12 education stakeholders who met 10 times over the course of 14 months and endorsed a dozen policy recommendations, including creating the K-12 Coordinating Council that meets quarterly.

“A student’s ability to learn is not completely dependent upon how much time he or she spends sitting in a classroom,” said State Superintendent Kirsten Baesler, who served on the task force. “This bill offers flexibility to our students to achieve other academic goals and methods of learning after they’ve mastered a subject. It allows for more personalized education. And it does this while maintaining academic strength and accountability.”

The legislation provides the state the flexibility to recognize a certified learning continuum as a rigorous, personalized pathway for students to demonstrate knowledge, skills and understandings beyond the traditional learning model.

“Senate Bill 2196 is a landmark piece of legislation for the state of North Dakota,” said Cory Steiner, Northern Cass School District superintendent. “It will allow districts to personalize the learning experience and create a system which values every learner as an individual. This bill is historic and will allow our state to truly build a learner-centered model of education.”

Burgum: Great River Energy enters exclusive negotiations to sell Coal Creek Station

Potential buyer would purchase power plant and transmission line

Gov. Burgum announced that Great River Energy (GRE) is in exclusive negotiations to sell Coal Creek Station and GRE’s high-voltage, direct current transmission system. If such a sale occurs, the buyer would continue to operate Coal Creek Station and GRE would not shut it down.

Last May, GRE, a not-for-profit wholesale electric power cooperative providing power in Minnesota and Wisconsin, announced plans to retire Coal Creek Station, a 1,151-megawatt (MW) coal generating power plant in Underwood, N.D., during the second half of 2022.

Since then, the Burgum-Sanford administration has worked diligently with GRE and potential buyers to assist in finding solutions for the plant to continue operating, with Lt. Gov. Brent Sanford taking a critical lead role in the efforts. Coal Creek Station has been in operation since 1979 and has 240 employees. North American Coal’s nearby Falkirk Mine, the lignite coal supplier to Coal Creek Station, employs approximately 450 people.

“This is wonderful news for Coal Creek Station’s employees, their local communities and the entire state of North Dakota,” Burgum said. “Great River Energy has had a positive impact on North Dakota’s energy and agriculture industries for more than 40 years and has always been a great corporate citizen. They are continuing that record as we work on solutions for Coal Creek Station’s future. We’re deeply grateful to Lt. Gov. Sanford, GRE, the Legislature, our state’s congressional delegation and everyone involved in creating a viable path forward for Coal Creek Station and our lignite coal industry.”

After conducting a national search to identify and engage potential buyers of Coal Creek Station and the high-voltage transmission line, GRE has entered exclusive negotiations with one potential buyer who is proposing to buy the plant and the line. The interested party plans to pursue carbon capture and sequestration, which was a major factor in GRE’s decision to negotiate exclusively with the party. Carbon capture and sequestration is the process of capturing carbon dioxide from power plants or industrial processes and injecting it into deep underground rock formations that trap the gas and prevent it from escaping into the atmosphere.

Burgum accepts resignation of Indian Affairs Commission Executive Director Scott Davis

Davis to join Sanford Health as head of Native American outreach

Scott Davis

Gov. Burgum accepted the resignation of North Dakota Indian Affairs Commission Executive Director Scott Davis, effective April 30, thanking him for nearly 12 years of leadership in building state-tribal relations. Davis will leave Team ND to join Sanford Health as head of Native American outreach.

Davis was appointed executive director of the Indian Affairs Commission in April 2009 by then-Gov. John Hoeven and re-appointed by former Gov. Jack Dalrymple and by Burgum in December 2016. As executive director, Davis serves at a cabinet level between North Dakota's state and tribal governments to address issues regarding education, court systems, economic development, social services, gaming, oil-energy, law enforcement, transportation, health care, veterans and youth.

“For more than a decade, Scott has been a dedicated leader in advancing state-tribal relations, continuously and passionately advocating on behalf of each of our state’s five tribal nations at the state and federal level for solutions and partnerships to address the many complex and generational challenges in Indian Country,” Burgum said. “Scott’s role is one of the most challenging and important in our state. He has been fearless in advocating for closing the serious gaps that exist for enrolled tribal members who are citizens of North Dakota. He has always worked to bring positive change by bringing all sides of the issue together to a point of greater understanding, often amidst emotionally charged topics and deeply held views. We are deeply grateful to Scott for his long service on behalf of the Indian Affairs Commission and we look forward to continuing to work with him in the health care sector as he develops opportunities for tribal nations and their members.”

Davis has played a key role in carrying out the Burgum-Sanford administration’s Tribal Engagement initiative, one of the administration’s five strategic initiatives. Progress has included a historic oil tax revenue sharing compact with MHA Nation; updated comprehensive agreements to enhance child welfare services for Native American children and families; establishing memorandums of understanding on law enforcement jurisdiction; and expanding opportunities for communication and collaboration with tribal nations through the Strengthening Government-to-Government Partnerships and Relationships Conference.

In his resignation letter, Davis noted that during his almost 12 years as executive director, he has served three governors, 23 tribal chairs and five tribal nations, along with numerous state and federal agencies, to strengthen tribal-state relations.

“Within those processes I have been blessed to have worked with thousands of amazing, professional, highly skilled people,” he stated. “This decision does not come easy. Throughout my entire career, my heart directs me to strengthen opportunities for my Tribal members across the State. There is still much work to be done.”

Davis said it has been an honor to serve the Burgum administration, adding, “You have certainly elevated Tribal Engagement for our State and our Tribal Nations!”

The Indian Affairs Commission executive director position will be posted immediately.

Burgum urges feds to keep existing MSA criteria, preserve metro designation for Bismarck, Grand Forks

Gov. Burgum urged the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to abandon its plan to change the Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) criteria, which would cause Bismarck and Grand Forks to lose their MSA designation and risk access to federal funding and information.

In a letter Friday to OMB Deputy Director Dominic Mancini, Burgum said North Dakota “strongly opposes” OMB’s proposed revised criteria for MSA designation, which would increase the minimum urban area population from 50,000 to 100,000. The proposed change would remove the MSA designation for Grand Forks and Bismarck and put MSA designation further out of reach for the growing city of Minot.

“Removing the MSA designation from these cities would be detrimental to policymakers, private industry and our state,” Burgum stated, noting the proposal fails to consider the downstream impact to affected communities. “Without defining the downstream application of this proposed change, those smaller MSAs will be at risk of losing funding from federal programmatic agencies as well as information from federal statistical agencies. This could put heavily rural areas of the country such as North Dakota at a disadvantage to those areas that retain more MSA designations under this proposal.”

“Without accounting for these impacts and defining how the change in MSA criteria will be implemented, the uncertainty and risk to smaller MSAs is unacceptable,” Burgum added. “We urge the Office of Management and Budget to abandon this course of action and retain its existing MSA designation criteria.”

Burgum catches up with sixth-grade teacher

Gov. Burgum received a visit last week from one of his childhood teachers, Daryl McKenzie, later posting on social media about the trip down memory lane: "Mrs. McKenzie was one of my two very special 6th grade teachers in Hunter, N.D., in the Dakota School District. Grateful for the chance to reminisce, for her years of service as an educator and for all of the math and social studies lessons being put to good use every day."

Applications being accepted for Governor’s Band/Orchestra Program and Choral Program

Gov. Burgum is encouraging school, community and church bands, orchestras and choirs across North Dakota to apply to serve as the Governor’s Official State Band/Orchestra Program and Choral Program for the 2021-2022 school year.

The Governor and First Lady will select the Governor’s Band/Orchestra Program and Governor’s Choral Program from the applications received based on musical talent, achievement and community involvement. The band/orchestra and chorus may be invited by the governor to perform at official state functions held throughout the year, including the State of the State Address.

Interested groups should submit an application, references and a musical recording to the Office of the Governor by Tuesday, April 6. The Governor’s Band/Orchestra Program and Governor’s Choral Program will be announced in mid-April and may be invited to perform at the Capitol in mid-May 2021.

Please complete the application and provide materials at the link below.

Team ND is working as one to slow the spread of COVID-19.

The North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) and other state agencies are working around the clock to slow the spread of COVID-19 in North Dakota. In partnership with federal, local and tribal partners, Team ND is tackling this pandemic through a whole-of-government, whole-of-community approach.

  • For the most up-to-date COVID-19 information, see the NDDoH website.
  • Visit the governor's website for a recap of what's happened this week.
  • NDResponse.gov is your one-stop site for the latest news, as well as state and federal resources for COVID-19.