Once again, our legislators are wasting the taxpayers, time and money by putting forth two ballot measures with two subjects the voters have defeated numerous times. Measure one, on the June ballot, is the single subject measure. It is an underhanded way to destroy the people’s right to self-govern. It is impossible to write a measure with only one subject. It also gives the Secretary of State more power than the constitution gives him.
The second measure, on the November ballot, is to raise the winning vote from 50% plus one to 60%. If either one of these bills had been in place in the past, we would not have the Bank of North Dakota with $10.8 billion in assets, the oil extraction tax, the Legacy fund with $13 billion, the State Mill and Elevator with over $400 million in profits since 1971, the Ethics Commission to fight corruption, term limits, and many more.
The wealth created for the state by the initiated measure process is incalculable. The Bank of North Dakota has financed loans for farmers, infrastructure loans and grants creating jobs and tax income. It has been a catalyst for growth. The State Mill and Elevator has created good paying jobs for families who then pay taxes and raise their families here in North Dakota. It has also given the farmers access to better paying grain markets. This wealth generation and improved quality of life is all because some people rolled up their sleeves, raised money and collected signatures. The power of the people has built North Dakota. Don’t take that power away.
Why the assault on the constitution? It comes down to a power grab by our politicians and dark money contributions to campaign coffers. The politicians and big corporations did not like the oil extraction tax, the Ethics Commission and term limits. They do not want anything like those measures to ever happen again.
The legislature passes unconstitutional bills, and the people must raise money and collect signatures to get their constitutional rights back. This has got to stop.
Protect the constitution and vote no on Measure One.
David Schwalbe, Bismarck, ND Verified by telephone, May 28, 2026 – LAO
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