'Unusual problem' as ND GOP gov accidentally vetoes $35 million for housing budget

23 May

Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota) at the 2013 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland (Gage Skidmore/Flickr)

In North Dakota, Gov. Kelly Armstrong is dealing with a problem that, according to the Associated Press (AP), came about by mistake: He accidentally vetoed $35 for the state's housing budget.

The AP's Sarah Raza reports that on Monday, May 19, the conservative Republican governor went over items approved by the North Dakota Legislature. He meant to veto a "couple of line items" but not $35 million for housing in North Dakota, according to Raza.

The AP reporter explains, "Now, the state is figuring out how to deal with the unusual problem of a mistaken veto…. Armstrong wasn’t the only governor to possibly flub a line-item veto this week. Late Wednesday, Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen announced that he would be striking about $47 million in funding and cash transfers over the next two years from budget bills passed last week by the Nebraska Legislature. Those cuts included about $12 million over two years for the Nebraska Supreme Court."

Armstrong's staff, according to Raza, is describing his veto of the housing funds as a "markup error" and is meeting with North Dakota officials "to discuss options."

"Armstrong, a Republican who served three terms in Congress, was elected governor in 2024," Raza notes. "The legislative session that adjourned earlier in the month was his first as governor. In a message accompanying the veto, Armstrong wrote he had intended to veto a $150,000 grant to fund a Native American homelessness liaison position."

Raza continues, "The budget veto would take effect July 1. What happens next is largely up to the governor, (Legislative Council Director John) Bjornson said, but it is likely that the legislature will need to reconvene in Bismarck for a special session. The governor's office said it will call a special session if needed but hopes to 'avoid the expense.' If the legislature overrides the veto, that would include funding for the grant Armstrong had wanted to strike."

In an official statement, Armstrong — who served in the North Dakota State Senate during the 2010s and also chaired the North Dakota Republican Party during that decade — said of the housing veto, "This was an honest mistake, and we will fix it."

Read the full Associated Press article at this link.

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