Governor, First Lady urge continued focus on state-tribal relationships at sixth G2G Conference
Gov. Doug Burgum and First Lady Kathryn Burgum addressed attendees at the sixth Strengthening Government to Government (G2G) Conference on Tuesday, outlining the significant progress made on state-tribal relations during the past eight years and urging tribal leaders, government agencies and other stakeholders to continue building on that progress with the five sovereign tribal nations with whom North Dakota shares geography.
“My first challenge for all of you is to say, ‘Hey, this is just the beginning. … We’re keeping this thing going, we’re moving forward,’ ” Burgum told attendees at the Bismarck Event Center. “One of the advantages we have as a state is that we’re nimble, we’ve got all these abundant resources, and we can tackle even the biggest challenges.”
Over 300 people registered for the two-day conference, including tribal leaders and elders, state agency leaders and staff, statewide elected officials, local leaders, federal officials and legislators. The North Dakota Indian Affairs Commission office, led by Executive Director Brad Hawk, hosted the conference at the Bismarck Event Center.
In her remarks, the first lady stressed the need to stop the flow of fentanyl into the United States, begin the addiction recovery process while people are incarcerated and create a national certification program for peer support specialists, noting the state’s Behavioral Health Division has trained over 1,000 people with lived experience to become peer support specialists, with 22% of those trained identifying as American Indian. She also shared her personal story of addiction and recovery and emphasized the importance of storytelling in ending the shame and stigma associated with the disease of addiction.
“We are grateful for the many tribal members who have become faces and voices of recovery and have had the courage to share their powerful stories of addiction and recovery at the Recovery Reinvented event over the years,” she said, inviting attendees to the eighth annual Recovery Reinvented on Oct. 30 at the Bismarck Event Center. She also issued a challenge to “be advocates of change and help end the stigma of the disease of addiction by talking about how it has impacted your life or the lives of those you know. Talk will normalize the conversation around addiction.”
Topics for this year’s conference included tribal tourism, food sovereignty, autonomy and AI, workforce, tribal health, cybersecurity, behavioral health, law enforcement, missing and murdered indigenous persons, and youth leadership. Lt. Gov. Tammy Miller also led a panel discussion with tribal youth leaders.
Burgum expressed his thanks for the past eight years of collaboration and partnership with the chairs of the five tribal nations, including those currently serving: Chairman Mark Fox of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara (MHA) Nation, Chairwoman Janet Alkire of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Chairman Jamie Azure of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, Chairwoman Lonna Street of Spirit Lake Nation, and Chairman J. Garrett Renville of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate.
Burgum, who took office Dec. 15, 2016, and is not seeking a third four-year term, noted that his administration met with leaders of the tribes headquartered in North Dakota and the presidents of all five tribal colleges in the state during his third week in office, setting the stage for future collaboration. He highlighted several examples of progress on state-tribal relations since then:
- Burgum announced during his 2019 State of the State Address that, for the first time, the flags of the five tribal nations would be permanently displayed in the state Capitol – currently in Memorial Hall next to the Governor’s Office.
- Also in 2019, Burgum signed a historic oil tax revenue sharing compact and legislation with MHA Nation, changing how the state and tribe share tax revenue from new oil and gas activity on trust and fee lands. A follow-up bill in 2021 resolved the issue of sharing tax revenue from oil wells that straddle the boundary of Fort Berthold Reservation.
- The Legislature passed and Burgum signed legislation that allows the State Water Commission to directly enter into agreements with tribal nations for a cost-share program that provides state funding for water development projects, including water supplies, flood protection and other general water management efforts, rather than having to go through an eligible non-tribal partner.
- Burgum also signed legislation allowing each tribal nation to enter into a tax-sharing agreement with the state on alcoholic beverages sold at the retail and wholesale levels within their respective reservations, creating a fair and uniform framework for taxing alcohol on reservations while ensuring the bulk of the revenue goes to the tribes to support addiction treatment and other programs.
- In 2022, the governor signed gaming compacts with the chairs of all five tribal nations, cutting red tape, cleaning up issues with regulation and definitions, and allowing online Class III casino-style gaming and online sports betting, including mobile gaming, within the physical boundaries of the reservations.
- Agreements were signed with MHA and Spirit Lake to improve emergency response times by allowing the closest available peace officer – tribal or non-tribal – to respond to a call for service until the agency with primary jurisdiction arrives and assumes the lead.
- Burgum signed legislation in 2023 allowing North Dakota Information Technology to provide IT and cybersecurity services to tribal schools and colleges that want the services.
“We have an opportunity to keep working together to improve the quality of life for everyone. We know that challenges remain,” including with federal tribal health care, law enforcement and education programs, Burgum said. “The state stands ready to partner with the tribes to push back and try to get rid of the red tape and regulation that prevents us from doing our very best for everyone. … We can continue to be a role model for the nation when it comes to state and tribal relations.”
Solberg notifies Burgum of plans to retire as North Dakota Highway Patrol superintendent on Nov. 30
Solberg accepts position as state’s next Facility Management director
Gov. Burgum on Friday announced that North Dakota Highway Patrol Col. Brandon Solberg plans to retire from law enforcement Nov. 30 after nearly 6½ years as superintendent of the Highway Patrol. Solberg has accepted another position in state government as director of the Facility Management Division in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), effective Dec. 1.
Solberg has served as Highway Patrol superintendent since July 1, 2018, after being appointed by Burgum to succeed Col. Michael Gerhart. Solberg joined the Highway Patrol in January 1999, spending his first six years as a state trooper stationed in Grafton and Grand Forks before being promoted to sergeant and becoming a shift supervisor in Fargo. He was promoted to lieutenant in 2007, relocating to headquarters in Bismarck. He advanced to captain in 2011 and was promoted to major and chief of staff in 2014, managing the patrol’s budget and directly or indirectly supervising approximately 200 team members.
“North Dakota is a safer place to live and drive because of Col. Solberg’s highly capable leadership and nearly three decades of exemplary service in law enforcement,” Burgum said. “His unwavering commitment to public safety and willingness to embrace new technology and processes to enhance the effectiveness of the Highway Patrol have served our citizens well. We are deeply grateful for his service and appreciate his help in ensuring a smooth leadership transition in the Highway Patrol as he transitions to his new role with OMB.”
As superintendent, Solberg guided the Highway Patrol through several major initiatives and programs, including implementation of the Vision Zero traffic safety initiative that was launched in 2018 by the Highway Patrol, North Dakota Department of Transportation and Department of Health and Human Services. Annual traffic crash fatalities in North Dakota decreased to 98 in 2022, the lowest total in 20 years.
Under Solberg’s leadership, the Highway Patrol also:
- Created a dedicated criminal interdiction team consisting of officers who focus on intercepting criminal activity such as drug and human trafficking on state highways.
- Signed agreements with the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation and Spirit Lake Nation to improve emergency response times by allowing the closest available officer – tribal or non-tribal – to respond to a call for service until the agency with primary jurisdiction arrives and takes the lead.
- Started an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) program to help measure and process crash scenes quickly and to assist in other areas such as search and rescue efforts.
- Launched a crash assistance program, which consists of two members who focus on victim services and employee wellness.
- Signed the 30x30 pledge, a nationwide initiative to increase representation of women in law enforcement recruit classes to 30% by the year 2030.
“It has been an incredible honor and privilege to serve as a member of Gov. Burgum’s cabinet, and I appreciate him entrusting me with leading the highly professional team at the North Dakota Highway Patrol,” Solberg said. “Their commitment to public safety and providing the best law enforcement services possible is a benefit to North Dakota residents and visitors alike, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to have served with them. I look forward to joining Facility Management and continuing my service to the citizens of our great state.”
Solberg will succeed current Facility Management Director John Boyle, who is retiring after 22 years in the role. Burgum expressed his deepest gratitude to Boyle for his longtime service and assisting in the transition, and wished him all the best in retirement.
The Highway Patrol superintendent position will be posted in early fall.
Miller kicks off NDSP vs. USA Patriots exhibition softball game
Lt. Gov. also attends 5th Bomb Wing change of command ceremony
On Friday, Lt. Gov. Tammy Miller helped kick off the second annual exhibition softball game between the North Dakota State Penitentiary and the USA Patriots.
The USA Patriots America’s Amputee Softball Team travels the country playing able-bodied teams in competitive and exhibition softball games and made their return to Bismarck for the McQuade Softball Tournament. With their return to Bismarck, they once again played in an exhibition game versus a team of residents at NDSP in the second annual Softball Classic.
The USA Patriots bring a unique brand of softball, courage, and inspiration to communities nationwide. The team is comprised of competitive, athletic veterans who have lost limbs in combat and non-combat related injuries. While some are still in the service, others are attending college thanks to the post-9/11 GI Bill and others have moved on to new careers. These individuals continue to push the limits of modern prosthetics to inspire, motivate and offer a place for camaraderie and healing on and off the field of play and to continue Serving Beyond the Uniform.
In the afternoon, Miller joined members of the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot Air Force Base to welcome Col. Jesse Lamarand as the new commander and thank Col. Daniel Hoadley for his service and leadership.
Prior to assuming command of the 5th Bomb Wing, Lamarand was the commander of the 2nd Operations Group, Barksdale Air Force Base, La., leading daily operations for the Air Force's largest bomber group consisting of four operational squadrons, with over 560 personnel.
Those in attendance at the ceremony included families of both commanders, North Dakota civic leaders and all of the Airmen assigned to units that make up the 5th Bomb Wing.
Burgum, Wrigley welcome U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning Chevron doctrine
Gov. Burgum and Attorney General Drew Wrigley issued a joint statement Friday applauding a U.S. Supreme Court opinion overturning the Chevron doctrine, which stemmed from a 1984 decision in Chevron vs. Natural Resources Defense Council that gave deference to federal agencies in interpreting laws passed by Congress and delegated to the agencies to administer.
“Today’s Supreme Court opinion marks the beginning of the end of federal overreach by unelected bureaucrats who stretch and twist the laws passed by Congress to advance their own misguided agendas, raising costs for consumers by wreaking havoc on our key industries including agriculture, energy and manufacturing,” Burgum and Wrigley said. “This is a major win for North Dakota and a huge boost to our efforts to push back against federal overreach, with more than 30 federal rules and regulations currently being challenged. The Supreme Court has appropriately tipped the scale away from unelected federal bureaucrats and back toward the people’s Congress while also restoring states’ rights, because no one cares more about the land, water and air in North Dakota than the people who live here.”