News

Gov. Doug Burgum, Lt. Gov. Brent Sanford and Department of Human Services (DHS) Executive Director Chris Jones held roundtable meetings with child care providers and business leaders from across the state to discuss the impacts of North Dakota’s child care shortage and explore ways to increase access to child care to support caregivers, employers and economic growth.

Gov. Doug Burgum appointed entrepreneur Kevin Black of Minot and reappointed business consultant Danita Bye of Stanley to the North Dakota Board of Higher Education.

Gov. Doug Burgum participated in the grand opening of the new Mission and Network Operations Center (MNOC) for Vantis, the first-of-its-kind statewide network that supports unmanned aircraft system (UAS) operations in North Dakota beyond visual line of sight.

Gov. Doug Burgum announced that North Dakota Commerce Commissioner James Leiman has resigned from the position effective June 30 but will continue working for Commerce on a part-time basis to drive economic development projects in the state. Burgum has appointed Deputy Commerce Commissioner Shawn Kessel to serve as interim commissioner until a replacement for Leiman can be appointed.

Gov. Doug Burgum welcomed tribal members and other attendees to the fourth Strengthening Government to Government Partnerships and Relationships Conference, highlighting progress made through collaboration between the state and North Dakota’s tribal nations over the last two years and outlining challenges and opportunities to address in the upcoming legislative session and beyond.

Gov. Doug Burgum, cabinet leaders and representatives from the Governor’s Office met with Spirit Lake Nation Chairman Doug Yankton, Devils Lake Mayor Dick Johnson and U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer to discuss health care access, the rising elevation of Devils Lake and other issues important to the tribe and community.

Gov. Doug Burgum and fellow speakers at the sixth annual Governor’s Summit on Innovative Education emphasized the importance of equipping students with the essential skills for life and learning and ensuring that graduates are choice-ready for college, career or the military.

Gov. Doug Burgum and Lt. Gov. Brent Sanford joined officials from ADM and Marathon Petroleum Corp. (MPC) at the Spiritwood Energy Park to help break ground on the Green Bison Soy Processing plant, North Dakota’s first dedicated soybean processing plant, highlighting the project as an example of how partnerships between agriculture and energy are growing both sectors in North Dakota.

In a video conference call requested by Gov. Doug Burgum, the governor urged U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Chris Magnus to restore pre-pandemic hours of operation at several ports of entry on the U.S.-Canada border where hours were reduced in April 2020.

Gov. Doug Burgum along with Bitzero Strategic Investor Kevin O’Leary, Bitzero CEO Akbar Shamji, and Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara (MHA) Nation Chairman Mark Fox announced North Dakota as Bitzero’s headquarters and hub for all North American operations.