North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong Delivers State of the State Address to Open Special Legislative Session

BISMARCK, N.D. — North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong delivered his formal State of the State address before a joint session of the 69th Legislative Assembly at the state capitol, outlining executive priorities and statutory imperatives as lawmakers convened for a targeted special legislative session in Bismarck.

Speaking from the House of Representatives rostrum alongside Lieutenant Governor Michelle Strinden and legislative leaders, Governor Armstrong outlined the administrative necessity of summoning the legislature ahead of the regular biennial session. The special session was prompted in part by emergency executive directives regarding public health regulations and substance control schedules, with Armstrong urging lawmakers to enact permanent statutory guardrails following federal Drug Enforcement Administration regulatory classifications.

Beyond emergency public health statutes, Governor Armstrong utilized the address to present a broader strategic vision for North Dakota's economic and fiscal future. Armstrong underscored the state's commanding fiscal position, anchored by the multi-billion-dollar sovereign Legacy Fund, while emphasizing the critical need for disciplined expenditure controls. He urged legislators to advance structured local property tax relief mechanisms that ease financial burdens on residential homeowners and agricultural producers without compromising foundational municipal and county services.

Energy dominance and electrical grid reliability formed another cornerstone of the governor's address. Armstrong reaffirmed North Dakota's commitment to supporting the Bakken basin's oil and natural gas production alongside coal-fired baseload electrical generation, cautioning that premature federal regulatory mandates on conventional power plants threaten regional grid resilience and industrial manufacturing growth across the Upper Midwest.

Legislative leadership from both chambers indicated that committee hearings on the special session call would proceed expeditiously. Majority leaders expressed strong alignment with the governor's focus on regulatory clarity and tax discipline, while minority members urged the assembly to also consider emergency childcare stabilization grants and expanded rural healthcare provider incentives during the session's floor proceedings.

Governor Armstrong concluded his address by calling for bipartisan cooperation and swift legislative deliberation, emphasizing that North Dakota's unique biennial legislative structure requires nimble governance to respond to evolving economic pressures and safeguard state sovereignty.