KX Net
North Dakota’s Supreme Court is hearing arguments about whether a voter initiative on pharmacy ownership should get a statewide vote this fall. Attorneys representing both sides are making their case Wednesday morning. The Supreme Court is expected to rule before Sept. 8. That’s the deadline for Secretary of State Al Jaeger to provide county auditors with a final copy of the November ballot.
A proposed North Dakota ballot measure would require lawmakers to swear they’ve read and understood any bill before they’re allowed to vote to approve it. The initiative would require North Dakota legislators to sign a sworn statement before they could vote on any bill. The statement would say they hadn’t been influenced by bribes or vote trading. The proposal says the text of a bill would have to be posted on the Internet for four days before the Legislature could vote on it.