Governor, First Lady encourage attendees to build on momentum at eighth annual Recovery Reinvented
‘Thank you for not giving up hope for recovery,’ first lady says, urging recovery champions to continue grassroots efforts in their communities
Gov. Doug Burgum and First Lady Kathryn Burgum hosted the eighth annual Recovery Reinvented at the Bismarck Event Center on Wednesday, encouraging participants to build on the progress made over the past eight years toward eliminating the shame and stigma of the disease of addiction and helping individuals find hope in recovery.
Now in recovery for over 22 years, the first lady recalled breaking her silence about her recovery from alcohol addiction publicly for the first time in an interview in February 2017, and deciding to make recovery and eliminating the shame and stigma of addiction her platform issue.
“I want to thank you for eight incredible years of working together to eliminate the shame and stigma of addiction. Your support and participation in Recovery Reinvented has made this movement possible,” she said to the more than 700 people gathered in person at the Event Center and hundreds more watching online. “The progress we’ve made in North Dakota in eliminating the stigma of addiction is a direct result of your efforts. ... I want to thank you for your courage, your strength and your resilience. Thank you for not giving up hope for recovery.”
The governor and first lady highlighted significant progress made to eliminate the shame and stigma of the disease of addiction and to promote and expand recovery options in North Dakota since the governor signed an executive order in January 2018 to create the Office of Recovery Reinvented, which is funded with private donations. Examples include:
- The Free Through Recovery program has substantially increased recovery support services to individuals involved with the criminal justice system who have behavioral health concerns. This program, administered by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Behavioral Health Division, currently has more than 1,500 participants and has served nearly 7,100 individuals since the program launched in 2018.
- More than 1,200 peer support specialists have been trained to use their lived experience to assist others on their journey to recovery and wellness.
- The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has continued to address addiction by increasing access to effective medications and providing peer support training for those incarcerated.
The governor noted that while overdose deaths nationwide decreased in 2023 for the first time since 2018, more than 105,000 overdose deaths were still recorded nationwide. He cautioned that the decrease may not necessarily indicate less substance abuse but may stem from the wide availability of the overdose-reversing drug naloxone (Narcan). Burgum signed an executive order in 2017 directing state cabinet agencies to work with law enforcement and local and tribal governments to make naloxone readily accessible to first responders, community leaders and opioid users and their family members. Overdose deaths also decreased in North Dakota last year, from 136 to 120, according to preliminary data. Burgum said there should be a louder cry for action given that approximately 300 Americans die each day from overdose.
“It has to start somewhere. It starts right here with all of you, and we can be the pebble in the pond that starts the ripples,” he said, noting Recovery Reinvented has spurred a Youth Ending Stigma Challenge, recovery-friendly workplace training and other programs designed to eliminate the stigma of addiction through storytelling. “When you’re out talking and normalizing the conversation, you’re part of the solution.”
Recovery Reinvented features state and national addiction and recovery experts who focus on reinventing recovery through the sharing of stories, creating recovery-friendly cultures in the workplace and community, and eliminating the stigma surrounding the disease of addiction.
Keynote speakers for this year’s event included:
- Dr. William Moyers, vice president of public affairs and community relations at Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, who since 1996 he has been a passionate public advocate for addiction treatment and recovery, delivering powerful messages to audiences nationwide.
- Gregory Tatro, co-founder and co-executive director of Jenna’s Promise, a treatment center based in Johnson, Vermont.
- Natasha Silver Bell, founder and CEO of SilverBell Global, which takes a multidisciplinary approach to recovery, and co-founder of Inservice Foundation, dedicated to providing mental health support to underserved populations.
The event was again highlighted by North Dakota community members and organizations who were recognized as Recovery Champions for their efforts to implement innovative solutions to address the disease of addiction. This year’s Recovery Champion award recipients were:
- Jonathan Layne, founder and owner of Providence House in Arnegard, received the Phoenix Award for turning his experience with addiction and recovery into a supportive drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility where individuals can rebuild their lives with dignity and purpose.
- Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians Chairman Jamie Azure and the Turtle Mountain Recovery Center Board of Directors received the Zezula Award for establishing a recovery center in their community to provide culturally based recovery and healing.
- Laura Anderson, policy director for the Behavioral Health Division, received the Trailblazer Award for leading the way in shaping state policies that prioritize effective, accessible and sustainable services for those in need.
- First Lady Kathryn Burgum was surprised with the Pioneer Award for her courage and inspiration in creating Recovery Reinvented and making it her platform issue to eliminate the shame and stigma of the disease of addiction and help others find hope in recovery.
The event was livestreamed and the playback can be viewed at www.recoveryreinvented.com.
Burgum, Miller lead beam signing ceremony marking major milestone for North Dakota State Laboratory
Gov. Burgum and Lt. Gov. Tammy Miller led a beam signing ceremony Monday to celebrate the placement of the final structural beam for the new North Dakota State Laboratory in the northeast corner of the Capitol grounds.
The ceremony represented a pivotal moment in the construction of the new State Laboratory, a state-of-the-art facility designed to enhance public health and environmental quality monitoring across North Dakota. The $70 million investment, approved by the legislature and funded through federal sources, will house approximately 50 staff members from the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services (DDHS) and the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). The anticipated completion is June 2026.
"This beam signing represents the completion of a structural phase while also symbolizing our ongoing commitment to safeguarding public health and the environment in North Dakota," Burgum said. “The new laboratory will enable us to respond more effectively to health challenges and support clean air and water for North Dakotans. We’re grateful to the legislature for recognizing the need and approving funding for this project, the architects and contractors for the incredible progress they’re making, and the teams at DHHS and DEQ for their tireless work to keep North Dakotans safe and healthy.”
Miller, who chairs both the North Dakota State Laboratory Steering Committee and the Capitol Grounds Planning Commission, echoed the governor’s sentiments.
“This facility will facilitate greater collaboration among state agencies and enhance our ability to address emerging public health threats and environmental concerns,” Miller said.
After the remarks, attendees including statewide elected officials, state legislators, cabinet leaders and team members from DHHS and DEQ signed the beam before it was lifted into place by a crane. The ceremony was livestreamed on the governor's Facebook page, allowing citizens to participate in this momentous occasion as the state continues its investment in critical infrastructure.
For more information about the North Dakota State Laboratory project, please visit the DHHS website.
Burgum to present Steve D. Scheel with Rough Rider Award on Nov. 26 at Fargo SCHEELS store
Gov. Burgum announced the date and location of the ceremony to present the North Dakota Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider Award to Steve D. Scheel, board chairman emeritus of the popular Fargo-based sporting goods, apparel and footwear retailer SCHEELS.
The ceremony will take place at 8 a.m. Nov. 26 at the Fargo SCHEELS store at 1551 45th St. S. in Fargo. Space is limited on a first-come, first-serve basis, and those planning to attend are asked to RSVP at scheels.com/roughriderawards.
Burgum announced Scheel as the 50th recipient of the Rough Rider Award, the state’s highest commendation for its citizens, on Oct. 11. North Dakota Secretary of State Michael Howe and State Historical Society Director Bill Peterson both concurred with Burgum’s selection of Scheel for the Rough Rider Award.
Under Scheel’s leadership, the employee-owned company grew to more than 13,000 associates and 34 stores in 16 states. He also embraced and expanded the company’s tradition of being a major philanthropic partner to nonprofits, charitable organizations and communities.
- WHAT: Presentation of Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider Award to Steve. D. Scheel
- WHEN: 8 a.m. CT Tuesday, Nov. 26; doors open for attendees at 7:15 a.m. with a light reception
- WHERE: Fargo SCHEELS store, 1551 45th St. S., Fargo
The ceremony will be livestreamed on the Governor’s Office website.
Burgum op-ed: Measure 4 is wrong for North Dakota
The following is an op-ed from Gov. Burgum:
Measure 4, which is built on false promises and misinformation, actually does absolutely nothing to lower the cost of local government. Instead, it just shifts the burden for all existing local costs to other taxpayers across the state. And it dangerously erodes the decision making and accountability of your local elected officials.
Measure 4 locks in unfair and unequal subsidies forever. It doesn’t lower the cost of local government one penny – only your local elected officials can do that. However, it will create enormous inequities by freezing local funding statewide at 2024 levels. That will punish communities that have kept their costs and property taxes low, while rewarding cities that have seen the biggest property tax hikes due to uneconomical growth policies and large budget increases.
This is the equivalent of letting some local political subdivisions – cities, park districts, school districts, counties and townships – order steak, lobster and champagne at a fancy restaurant, and then forcing the family who wasn’t invited to dinner but stayed in and cooked a homemade meal to pick up the dinner tab, night after night – forever!
While frustration over the rate of property tax increases in some communities in our state is understandable, this permanent constitutional amendment is not the solution – in fact, it’s a recipe for chaos and guaranteed to create long-term animosities between the haves and have-nots.
Measure 4 is corporate welfare in disguise. One important source of revenue for local communities is property taxes on commercial properties. Large, out-of-state, big-box retailers that require large amounts of infrastructure such as roads, sidewalks, sewer and water, will get a free ride on property taxes if Measure 4 passes. So will railroads, airlines, transmission lines, investor-owned utilities or pipelines. Measure 4 is being peddled as the ultimate panacea for homeowners, yet only about one-third of property taxes paid in North Dakota comes from residential properties.
Rural communities would be hit hardest. In many parts of our state, property taxes are the lifeblood of essential services such as rural schools, volunteer fire departments and local infrastructure. Shifting the burden to taxpayers statewide and giving funding authority to decision makers in Bismarck would severely diminish local control and impose more state-level bureaucracy and less flexibility with a one-size-fits-all approach that fails to meet the unique needs of rural North Dakota.
Our state spends billions of dollars every year to offset local costs, and the track record is clear. When state taxpayers subsidize local spending, local spending goes up, not down. The answer is not more taxes at the state level and more subsidies to unchecked local spending. The answer is more local accountability of city, park district and school and county elected officials for their decisions of what they build, where they build it and what level of services they choose to provide.
Measure 4 also invites out-of-state buyers to snatch up North Dakota land for hunting or recreational purposes, or investment purposes, with no property tax obligations to hold them accountable. This will drive up land prices for our existing farmers and ranchers and will devastate our agricultural sector and rural communities that rely on property taxes for basic services.
Measure 4 would undo decades of thoughtful, balanced policymaking in North Dakota.
Measure 4 is built on false promises.
Measure 4 doesn’t lower taxes, it only changes who pays them.
Measure 4 locks in unfair and unequal subsidies.
Measure 4 provides widespread corporate welfare.
Measure 4 is harmful to rural communities, schools, clinics and emergency responders.
Measure 4 doesn’t solve the property tax problem.
Measure 4 is wrong for North Dakota.
Public invited to send ornaments for North Dakota State Christmas Tree
The Office of the First Lady invites artists and craftspeople to provide handmade ornaments for the North Dakota State Christmas Tree. The tree will be on display in Memorial Hall at the state Capitol starting with a tree lighting ceremony on Dec. 5.
Submitted ornaments can vary from traditional to contemporary arts. Items that are commercially produced or made from kits are not eligible. This year’s theme, "Branches of Hope," is inspired by First Lady Kathryn Burgum’s initiative to end the stigma surrounding the disease of addiction. Just as a tree’s branches extend outward, the theme symbolizes how hope reaches everyone impacted by addiction. Ornaments may reflect personal recovery journeys, support systems or community resources, showcasing how hope branches out in many meaningful ways. Designers are also free to create ornaments in any shape or medium of their choosing.
Each ornament should include the name of the person entering it, their email address and a brief one- or two-line description of the ornament, including the art form used and the special circumstances through which it was created, such as a class or senior center project.
Ornaments must be received in the Office of Management and Budget office no later than Dec. 4. The ornaments become the property of the Office of the First Lady and may be hung on the state tree in ensuing years. Mail ornaments to State of North Dakota, Office of Management and Budget, Julie Strom, 600 E. Boulevard Ave., Bismarck, N.D. 58505.
Gov. Burgum and the first lady encourage the public to join them for holiday readings, music and carols at the annual North Dakota State Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 5 in Memorial Hall at the Capitol.
2024 Governor’s Photo Contest for Travel and Tourism Now Open
The North Dakota Governor's Photo Contest for Travel and Tourism is back, inviting residents to capture the beauty and excitement of our state for a chance to win cash prizes and statewide recognition. This year’s contest is a partnership between the Governor's Office, AAA of North Dakota, North Dakota Tourism and the North Dakota Council on the Arts.
“North Dakota is a state of extraordinary beauty and diverse experiences, and this photo contest is a wonderful opportunity for residents to showcase what makes our state special,” Gov. Burgum said. “We encourage everyone to participate, capture the magic of our seasons, and share their unique perspectives with the world. Let’s celebrate North Dakota’s beauty together and inspire others to discover our great state.”
This year's theme highlights North Dakota's diverse seasons, showcasing the unique appeal of our state throughout the year. Photographers can submit entries in eight categories:
- Winter Scenery & Winter Activities
- Fall Scenery & Fall Activities
- Spring Scenery & Spring Activities
- Summer Scenery & Summer Activities
The contest is open to all North Dakota residents. Photographers can submit their entries online through Instagram, the contest website, or Flickr, or by mail. The deadline for entries is Jan. 31, 2025.
Winners will be chosen in each category, with a grand prize winner receiving an additional cash prize and a free AAA membership. Winning photos will also be displayed in the State Capitol and used in promotional materials.
Full details and contest rules can be found at https://www.ndtourism.com/governors-photo-contest-entry.