Politicians denied North Dakota residents their citizen ownership income

Lawmakers reject direct payments to residents: (March 2013)

The North Dakota House killed a pair of resolutions that would have allowed the state to pay money directly back to residents.

Two-thirds majority votes killed House Concurrent Resolutions 3036 and 3032, which would have allowed the direct payments if approved by voters in 2014.

The majority of Wednesday’s debate centered on HCR3036. It would require that the payment be uniform to all eligible residents who have lived in North Dakota for at least a year. Other eligibility conditions would have to be established by lawmakers.

Do the North Dokota residents like to get direct payment for their ownership of their state? We will never know. The politicians there prevented the bill from going to the voters.

Rep. Eliot Glassheim, D-Grand Forks, said the voters should have the opportunity to weigh in on the issue of direct payments.

“I think it’s something the people of North Dakota would love to have the chance to vote on and I think they’d like to pass it,” Glassheim said.

All is not lost. A significant number of the politicians supported this idea of wealth distribution to residents, following the Alaska Permanent Fund model.

There will be another day.

Follow-up: There is a video record of the lawmakers' discussion.