ND Gov Presents State Of the State 2019

it's a new year, and the new Legislative is underway. Governor Doug Burgum kicked it off Thursday (1/3) with the annual North Dakota State Of the State address.

As the Bismarck tribune notes, the governor emphasized his budget proposals and the initiatives of his administration.

Mr. Burgum says the state stands on the cusp of a "new, prosperous era."

Burgum spoke for just under an hour on "the state’s natural resources, energy development, quality of life and efforts to combat behavioral health issues, including the Free Through Recovery program and first lady Kathryn Helgaas Burgum’s initiative on recovery from addiction, Recovery Reinvented." (Bismarck Tribune)

Some members of the state's Native American community are applauding one aspect of the governor's address: the announcement that the flags of North Dakota's five tribes are to take a permanent place at the capitol building in Bismarck.

Rep. Karla Rose Hanson, of Fargo, delivered the Democratic-NPL response to the speech, criticizing proposals to cut funding for certain state services.

[Source: Bismarck Tribune, Greg Cook via YouTube]