North Dakota – North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong announced today that $35 million in housing funds will be released as originally approved by the Legislature, following a formal opinion by Attorney General Drew Wrigley that clarified the scope of the governor’s earlier line-item veto in Senate Bill 2014.
Wrigley’s opinion, issued earlier the same day, concluded that the governor’s written objections—not a marked-up visual version of the bill—constitute the official and legally binding veto message, as defined by the North Dakota Constitution. The ruling confirms that the housing-related funding was not vetoed and therefore remains valid.
“The written veto message is the controlling document because it clearly states our objection to the bill as required by the North Dakota Constitution,” Armstrong said. “There was no ambiguity in our veto message, which was printed in the official Legislative Journal and is what lawmakers should rely upon when interpreting a veto.”
The governor’s initial veto message drew scrutiny due to a mismarked version of the bill used as a visual aid, which some legislators and observers mistakenly interpreted as indicating a veto of the housing funds. That interpretation raised concerns that the funding might be blocked, potentially requiring a special legislative session to resolve the issue.
Armstrong emphasized that the administration never intended to veto the housing provisions and welcomed the attorney general’s clarification.
“We appreciate the Attorney General’s determination, which clarifies the matter, avoids the cost of a special session, and nullifies the flawed interpretation that initially blew this up into something much bigger than it needed to be,” he said. “We always said we would honor what the Attorney General found, and we appreciate his assistance.”
The $35 million in housing funds are intended to address housing development challenges across the state, particularly in rural and workforce-constrained communities. With this latest development, the funds are expected to be disbursed without further legislative delay.
Senate Bill 2014, a broader appropriations bill, had passed with bipartisan support earlier in the legislative session. Armstrong’s partial veto targeted separate provisions within the bill, but the housing allocations were not part of that objection, Wrigley’s opinion affirmed.
No additional legislative action is expected following the opinion.
