Current:Home > NewsOutgoing North Dakota Gov. Burgum sees more to do for the ‘underestimated’ state-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Outgoing North Dakota Gov. Burgum sees more to do for the ‘underestimated’ state
View Date:2024-12-24 10:35:41
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — The day after he announced he won’t seek a third term, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum highlighted his administration’s accomplishments and remaining hopes in his annual State of the State address.
North Dakota’s biennial Legislature isn’t in session this year, but Burgum has made the speech an annual tradition. He said his last year in office will be an active one, and hinted at announcements to come in 2024. In December, just before his term will end, Burgum will present his final two-year budget plan to the Legislature.
He reflected on a raft of achievements during his tenure, including tax cuts, addiction help and healthy state government finances, and touted North Dakota as a growing state and its status as a major oil and agricultural producer.
“We’re underestimated. That’s the state of our state. We are so good at so many things, and we’ve never been stronger financially, economically, people-wise, we’ve never been stronger,” Burgum said.
Burgum also blasted regulations “being jammed down on us by the federal government” and highlighted challenges of the state’s labor shortage, such as child care. North Dakota is tied with Maryland for the lowest unemployment rate in the nation, at 1.9% in December, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The outgoing governor sees more to do ahead, such as addressing housing issues, increasing financial literacy and eliminating the state’s individual income tax.
“We have taken incremental steps for far too long. It is time we say goodbye to the state income tax,” he said.
He also announced the new Office of Community Development and Rural Prosperity within the state Commerce Department, “a central hub of communication” for improving rural community development.
Later on Monday, the same day he announced he won’t run again, Burgum appeared in New Hampshire to campaign for former President Donald Trump with previous Republican presidential rivals. Burgum ended his presidential campaign in December and endorsed Trump before the Iowa caucuses.
His endorsement and the former president’s praise of the little-known governor have led to speculation that Burgum might have a role in a possible second Trump administration. Burgum told reporters on Monday that is “hypothetical at this point in time.”
veryGood! (12)
Related
- Disruptions to Amtrak service continue after fire near tracks in New York City
- Eric Church gives thousands of fans a literal piece of his Nashville bar
- Oklahoma panel denies clemency for death row inmate, paves way for lethal injection
- A Texas GOP brawl is dragging to a runoff. How the power struggle may push Republicans farther right
- Bill on school bathroom use by transgender students clears Ohio Legislature, heads to governor
- LNG Exports from Mexico in Limbo While Pipeline Project Plows Ahead
- Oklahoma panel denies clemency for death row inmate, paves way for lethal injection
- TSA testing new self-service screening technology at Las Vegas airport. Here's a look at how it works.
- Channing Tatum Drops Shirtless Selfie After Zoë Kravitz Breakup
- TJ Maxx's Designer Bag Deals Are Fashion's Best-Kept Secret For Scoring Luxury Bags for Less
Ranking
- 'Wheel of Fortune' contestant makes viral mistake: 'Treat yourself a round of sausage'
- Mississippi lawmakers moving to crack down on machine gun conversion devices
- Caucus chaos makes Utah last state to report Super Tuesday results
- 4 people arrested, more remains found in Long Island as police investigate severed body parts
- Man killed in Tuskegee University shooting in Alabama is identified. 16 others were hurt
- Maryland abortion clinics could get money for security under bill in state Senate
- Is a 100-point performance possible for an NBA player in today's high-scoring game?
- Activists and members of Serbia’s LGBTQ+ community protest reported police harassment
Recommendation
-
Sean Diddy Combs' Lawyers File New Motion for Bail, Claiming Evidence Depicts a Consensual Relationship
-
For social platforms, the outage was short. But people’s stories vanished, and that’s no small thing
-
The Masked Singer Epically Pranks Host Nick Cannon With a Surprise A-List Reveal
-
Federal inquiry into abuse within the Southern Baptist Convention ends with no charges
-
The state that cleared the way for sports gambling now may ban ‘prop’ bets on college athletes
-
Uvalde City Council to release investigation of the police response to 2022 school massacre
-
Kentucky man says lottery win helped pull him out of debt 'for the first time in my life'
-
Missouri governor offers ‘deepest sympathy’ after reducing former Chiefs assistant’s DWI sentence