BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - Gov. Doug Burgum badly wants a presidential library for Theodore Roosevelt in western North Dakota. The wealthy former software executive also is determined to live up to a campaign promise to forgo his salary.
But getting both wishes appears impossible as the Legislature nears the end of its session.
House and Senate negotiators on Tuesday agreed that the first-term Republican governor must take a salary.
Burgum must be paid and he has “no discretion to reject it,” said GOP Sen. David Hogue, chairman of a conference committee that’s reconciling differences between chambers.
The full Senate approved the measure Tuesday night and the House likely will consider it on Wednesday, on Day 74 of the session that is capped at 80 days.
The action came a day after Senate conferees wouldn’t support the idea of forcing Burgum to take a salary and House negotiators walked out of a meeting in protest.
“This is a big deal for us,” GOP Rep. Jim Schmidt said after Senators surrendered to the House’s wishes. “Do whatever you want after you take it - donate it or whatever. But you have to take it.”
The governor’s salary is tied to a two-year funding bill for the governor’s office. It includes using $50 million from the state treasury and loans to help fund some costs of the proposed library in Medora that has been a top priority with Burgum.
Burgum’s refusal to take his approximate $130,000 annual salary has long been a sore spot with House members, and now has held up last-minute legislation for the second time in as many sessions.
Previous opinions by two North Dakota attorneys general have been critical of officeholders promising to take less money.
After much intraparty squabbling on the issue two years ago, House and Senate negotiators compromised by attaching “legislative intent” to a budget bill that makes clear Burgum is expected to take his pay but the money cannot be spent for any other purpose if he doesn’t.
State budget director Joe Morrissette said Burgum did not take a salary during the current two-year budget cycle. Burgum has been taking advantage of the state’s fully paid health insurance plan that has a value of about $1,500 monthly.
House members seized the opportunity to force Burgum to take his salary after a bill was stripped of its original intent last week and replaced with language to fund the library.
Republican House Speaker Lawrence Klemin said that action may have been unconstitutional and the legislation was then inserted into the governor’s own budget, where his pay is included.
Burgum spokesman Mike Nowatzki said the governor’s “intent” always was to turn down the salary to “save taxpayer money.” He said the governor would likely donate his pay now.
Roosevelt, who was president from 1901 to 1909, spent more than three years in North Dakota in the 1880s.
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