Sen. Michelle Powers

Maddy summaryHCR 3025 is a ceremonial resolution honoring Fargo, North Dakota police and first responders following a July 2023 shooting incident. It specifically commends Officer Jake Wallin (who died in the line of duty), Officers Andrew Dotas and Tyler Hawes, Sergeant Zach Robinson, and civilian Karlee Koswick for their actions during the incident. The resolution expresses gratitude to all first responders and directs copies to be sent to the named individuals, their families, and the Fargo Police Department. As a non-binding resolution, it has no policy effect beyond symbolic recognition.

Maddy summaryHB 1472 would have created a legal framework for microschools in North Dakota - defined as educational programs serving no more than 50 students, operated by parents, entrepreneurs, or teachers. The bill would have allowed microschools to operate in homes, community spaces, or public venues without special zoning approvals, while exempting them from standard teacher certification, building codes, and childcare regulations. Parents would have needed to notify school districts of their child’s enrollment, but students would have still met school attendance requirements and been required to take standardized tests in grades 4, 6, 8, and 10. The bill also ensured microschool students could not face discrimination in public school admissions or activities. (Note: The bill failed to pass in February 2025 with 41 votes in favor and 49 against.)

Maddy summaryHB 1244 would create a North Dakota income tax credit for parents who home-educate their children. It allows taxpayers to claim a credit of up to $10,000 per qualifying child annually (or $5,000 for married filers filing separately) for qualified educational expenses like books, tuition, computers, and software. To qualify, the child must be a dependent under 19, home-educated under North Dakota law, and the expenses must be directly related to home education. The credit would apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2024, and cannot exceed the taxpayer’s total income tax liability. This bill directly affects North Dakota parents who homeschool their children and choose to claim this tax benefit.

Maddy summaryHB 1514 would have prohibited "harmful atmospheric activity" in North Dakota, including weather modification techniques like cloud seeding, stratospheric aerosol injection, and unmarked aircraft operations that could harm humans or the environment. It defined specific prohibited actions, set a class C felony penalty with up to $500,000 fines for violations, and created a reporting system for citizens to document suspected incidents with evidence like photos or radiation measurements. The bill also established technical limits for electromagnetic radiation and required sheriffs or the environmental director to investigate reports within 24 hours. This bill failed to pass in the North Dakota legislature on February 24, 2025, with 28 votes in favor and 63 against.

Maddy summaryHB 1242 would establish a legal presumption that shared parenting (joint decisionmaking on major issues like education and health, plus approximately equal time with each parent) serves children's best interests in custody cases. This presumption applies unless a court finds specific exceptions, such as evidence of child harm, domestic violence involving serious injury or weapons, or sexual abuse. The bill requires courts to document specific reasons when overriding this presumption and mandates supervised parenting time for abusive parents in domestic violence cases. It directly affects parents in custody disputes and North Dakota courts handling parental rights decisions.

Maddy summaryHB 1353 would limit how much property taxes can increase annually for North Dakota taxing districts (like cities, counties, and school districts) without voter approval. It caps annual increases at either the Consumer Price Index (CPI) or 3%, whichever is lower, with specific exceptions for new taxable property, changes in exemptions, or existing debt payments. Taxing districts could carry forward unused increases for up to three years but must seek voter approval (60%+ vote) for any increase exceeding the cap. The bill would apply to all taxing districts except for certain bonded debt payments, state medical center levies, and specific conservation district taxes.

Relating to the determination of state school aid, the primary residence credit, and removal of the homestead and disabled veterans' credit; to repeal sections 57‑02‑08.1, 57‑02‑08.2, and 57‑02‑08.8 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the homestead credit and disabled veterans' credit; to provide an effective date; and to declare an emergency.

Maddy summaryHB 1585 requires North Dakota peace officers (such as police and sheriffs) to report individuals they reasonably believe are in the U.S. illegally to U.S. immigration authorities. Officers must use a designated tip line or online form as soon as possible after forming this belief. Violating this requirement would be classified as an infraction, not a criminal offense. The bill failed to pass in the legislature on February 7, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1273 would prohibit North Dakota cities, counties, and the state from adopting policies, orders, or ordinances that restrict individual speech - including those related to hate crimes. The bill states that any such local policy would be invalid and cannot be overridden by city or county home rule charters. It directly affects municipal governments and local regulations by blocking restrictions on speech at the community level. The law would take effect if passed, making speech-limiting local rules unenforceable.