Special Sessions of the ND Legislative Assembly

Under Article V, Section 7, of the Constitution of North Dakota, the Governor may call a special session of the Legislative Assembly on “extraordinary occasions.” The following is a list of special sessions of the Legislative Assembly:

June 1‑3, 1892, called by Governor Andrew Burke to:

• Provide for the election of presidential electors and state, district, and county officers.
• Create a State Board of Canvassers.
• Establish a mechanism for determining contests over the election of presidential electors.
• Appropriate funds for North Dakota’s exhibit and building at the World’s Fair in Chicago.

January 23‑29, 1918, called by Governor Lynn Frazier to:

• Revise the state’s county seed bonding law, thereby ensuring an adequate supply of seed and feed for increased crop production.
• Consider any other pertinent war‑related legislation.

November 25‑December 11, 1919, called by Governor Lynn Frazier to:

• Ratify Article XIX of the United States Constitution, giving women the right to vote.
• Provide aid for farmers in drought-stricken districts.
• Legislate means of further facilitating the state’s industrial program.

January 10‑17, 1928, called by Governor A. G. Sorlie to:

• Consider the report of the Senate Fact Finding Commission on the Mill and Elevator Association.
• Discuss the state’s grain marketing problems.
• Review the Missouri River diversion project in relation to federal flood control plans.

March 8‑10, 1937, called by Governor William Langer to:

• Pass a revenue measure for the continued financing of the state’s educational and other institutions. (The 1937 session failed to provide sufficient funds for those purposes.)

March 20‑28, 1944, called by Governor John Moses to:

• Write absentee voting legislation, particularly for members of the armed forces.

June 14‑21, 1965, called by Governor William L. Guy to:

• Protect and continue the fiscal operation of state government jeopardized by the filing of a referendum petition that on July 1 would suspend a major tax package passed by the 1965 Legislative Assembly.

December 6, 1984, called by Governor Allen I. Olson to:

• Consider recommendations of the Garrison Diversion Unit Commission.

December 2‑5, 1986, called by Governor George A. Sinner to:

• Make necessary appropriation reductions and revenue enhancements for the remainder of the 1985‑87 biennium. Without legislative action, the state faced a $27.7 million deficit at the end of the biennium.

November 4‑8, 1991, called by Governor George A. Sinner to:

• Redistrict the Legislative Assembly.

June 29‑July 1, 1994, called by Governor Edward T. Schafer to:

• Adopt a broadened sales tax exemption bill allowing the state to better compete for a corn processing plant being built in the Red River Valley region of North Dakota, South Dakota, or Minnesota.

November 26-30, 2001, called by Governor John Hoeven to:

• Redistrict the Legislative Assembly.

May 5-7, 2003, called by Governor John Hoeven to:

• Reconsider funding in three line item vetoes issued after adjournment of the 58th Legislative Assembly on April 25, 2003. The Governor asked legislators to address the education funding in Senate Bill No. 2154, particularly teacher compensation; the Information Technology Department funding and related policy issues in House Bill No. 1022; and the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation funding in House Bill No. 1016, specifically the number of corrections officers.

November 7-11, 2011, called by Governor Jack Dalrymple to:

• Redistrict the Legislative Assembly.