News

Gov. Doug Burgum and Lt. Gov. Brent Sanford  welcomed White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx back to North Dakota for an update on the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and continuing efforts to save lives and livelihoods.

Gov. Doug Burgum and First Lady Kathryn Burgum will host the fourth Recovery Reinvented online Wednesday, Oct. 28, at recoveryreinvented.com. The day will focus on eliminating the stigma of addiction, supporting innovation in virtual recovery support services and telehealth, illuminating the connection between mental health, addiction and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), and inspiring employers to create recovery-friendly workplaces.

Gov. Doug Burgum signed an executive order granting a request from county auditors to allow processing of absentee ballots to begin on Oct. 29, ensuring that election workers have adequate time to verify voter information and ensure election integrity and timely results on Election Day.

The North Dakota Emergency Commission unanimously approved the reallocation of turned-back federal funding to support the state’s COVID-19 response and recovery efforts, directing nearly $221 million to K-12 school districts, cities and counties, businesses including the hospitality industry, hospitals, and other programs.

Gov. Doug Burgum placed North Dakota Indian Affairs Commission Executive Director Scott Davis on administrative leave, with pay, pending an investigation into allegations of misconduct. 

With active COVID-19 cases continuing to rise in North Dakota, Gov. Doug Burgum announced updates to the ND Smart Restart guidelines to help reverse the trend and reduce the spread of coronavirus in communities. 

Competitive grants are now available to K-12 school districts for developing and improving the availability of distance or remote learning techniques and technologies, Gov. Doug Burgum announced.

Gov. Doug Burgum joined U.S. Sen. John Hoeven and other officials for the opening of the new U.S. Indian Police Academy Advanced Training Center at the North Dakota National Guard’s Camp Grafton training facility near Devils Lake, praising the project as key to meeting law enforcement needs in Indian Country and making communities safer.

Gov. Doug Burgum announced that North Dakota will soon be launching intermodal rail service – the culmination of more than two decades of effort to gain access to intermodal transportation to reduce shipping costs for the state’s agricultural producers and other industries.

Gov. Doug Burgum released a statement regarding former U.S. Sen. Mark Andrews, who passed away Saturday, Oct. 3, at age 94. Andrews represented North Dakota in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1963 to 1981 and in the U.S. Senate from 1981 to 1987.