AN ACT to provide an appropriation for defraying the expenses of the state fair association; to repeal section 4.1-45-22.1 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to state fair facility operations and maintenance costs; and to declare an emergency.
SB2009 appropriates funds to the North Dakota State Fair Association for the 2025-27 biennium. The bill provides a total appropriation of $2,192,833, including $642,833 from the general fund for ongoing expenses and $1,550,000 from the Strategic Investment and Improvements Fund for two one-time capital projects: a campground rest facility and safety and security infrastructure.
The bill also declares the $1,550,000 in one-time funding to be an emergency measure, allowing those projects to proceed immediately. In addition, it repeals section 4.1-45-22.1 of the North Dakota Century Code, which relates to state fair facility operations and maintenance costs, removing that statutory provision from law.
SB2009 changes state law by making a targeted appropriation to the State Fair Association and by repealing a statute governing state fair facility operations and maintenance costs. It directs $1,550,000 from the Strategic Investment and Improvements Fund to one-time infrastructure improvements and establishes a cost-share structure for the campground rest facility, capping state support at $750,000 and requiring $2 of state funding for every $1 of state fair funds. The bill affects the State Fair Association, state budget appropriations, and the legal framework for fair facility funding and maintenance.
The bill appears to have broad legislative support, passing the Senate 44-3 and the House 76-14, with the emergency clause also receiving the required supermajority support. The vote totals suggest general agreement that the state fair merits funding for both operating needs and capital improvements. The absence of recorded committee transcripts limits insight into detailed debate, but the strong margins indicate overall favorable sentiment.
The main points of potential contention are the use of state funds for a local or quasi-public facility, the repeal of an existing maintenance-related statute, and the allocation of $1.55 million from the Strategic Investment and Improvements Fund for one-time projects. The cost-share requirement for the campground rest facility may also have been a point of discussion, since it ties state support to matching fair funds and caps the state contribution. The relatively smaller House margin compared with the Senate suggests some members may have questioned the spending level, the emergency designation, or the policy choice to fund these improvements through state appropriations.