BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party leaders are calling for a special legislative session to determine how to spend the rest of the federal coronavirus relief aid sent to the state.
But, Republican Gov. Doug Burgum has rejected the push for the special session.
The state received $1.25 billion through the federal CARES Act economic rescue package. The state’s Emergency Commission and the Legislature’s 43-member Budget Section last month approved spending more than $524 million of the amount.
The Emergency Commission is to meet Thursday to decide on spending another big chunk - more than $400 million, the Bismarck Tribune reported. The Budget Section meets next week.
“Citizens deserve to be involved in how we spend this money to recover from the pandemic,” said state Sen. Tim Mathern, a Fargo Democrat who pushed for the session. “Legislators have a responsibility to do our job in restarting our faltering economy.”
“We’ve worked closely with legislators from both parties and many other stakeholders to deploy Coronavirus Relief Fund dollars in the most impactful way possible under the narrow set of federally defined eligibility rules, and a special session isn’t needed to continue that collaborative approach,” Burgum said in a statement.
Four Democratic lawmakers on Wednesday presented a $1 billion plan that would direct $230 million to cities, counties and townships and $770 million for infrastructure projects statewide.
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