Burgum highlights North Dakota's effort to combat addiction in 'Face the Nation' interview

Governor also joins POLITICO's Anthony Adragna in an interview for 'The Fifty: America's Governors'

Last week, Gov. Burgum joined host Margaret Brennan on CBS's "Face the Nation" to discuss a number of topics including the nation's fentanyl crisis.

Also joining the interview were Govs. Chris Sununu of New Hampshire, Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico and Wes Moore of Maryland.

Brennen kicked off the panel discussion by asking Gov. Burgum about the fentanyl crisis, which was a topic when governors from across the nation recently joined administration officials at the White House as part of the National Governors Association's Winter Meeting.

"Well, I think all of our governors, we're all border states now with the fentanyl that's coming into this country, perhaps manufactured in China, coming across the southern border," Burgum said. "But in North Dakota, we've really taken an approach of understanding that if you're going to have a war on drugs, which is this thing we've been doing in our country since the 1970s and 80s, it can become a war on people who have a health issue they've got -- addiction is a disease. And so we want to be very tough on the people that are, you know, importing and distributing.

"But we also have to understand that if people have the disease of addiction, it's not a moral choice or a failure, if they have the disease of addiction, any more than it's a moral choice or failure to have cancer or diabetes," Burgum continued. "And if we think that the way we're going to stop drug consumption is with with longer prison terms, or higher penalties, we're actually just incarcerating people that have a health issue. And so we've taken an approach on a number of fronts. One of the things that's been most successful is a treat - treating the disease of addiction is with peer support specialists, because we know now that someone who's got lived experience whether that's in the criminal justice system, or living with the disease of addiction, and in recovery, that they can help people through it as much as uh an addiction counselor.

"In a rural state like North Dakota, we had a huge shortage of treatment centers and and in addiction counselors, now we have over 800, certified peer support specialists across the state that are helping people recover, and helping people that are coming out of the criminal justice system stay out by finding a job, getting a driver's license, and finding a place to live," Burgum said. "And so the whole approach is we've turned it towards one of - of treating this as a national health crisis, which it is. So we want to be tough on suppliers."

While in Washington, D.C., for the NGA meeting, Burgum also was among a handful of governors who participated in one-on-one interviews with POLITICO as part of its program, "The Fifty: America's Governors." Burgum and POLITICO reporter Anthony Adragna discussed a range of topics include energy, infrastructure and tax relief.

Watch the Face the Nation interview

Watch the POLITICO interview

Blue Cross Blue Shield ND and NDSU Center for Social Research release study on social determinants of health

36% Living in Shortage Area

Over a third of North Dakotans live in an area experiencing a shortage of primary care providers.

15 of 53 Counties

Over a dozen North Dakota counties lack licensed child care spots to reach all young children who may need it.

#2 in Binge Drinking

Only one other state has a higher rate of binge drinking than North Dakota.

31% Preschool Enrollment

North Dakota has the lowest percentage of young children enrolled in early learning programs in the nation.

35.3 Median Age

North Dakota is the only tate to become younger in the past 10 years.

Lt. Gov. Tammy Miller delivered opening remarks on Wednesday at the release of a study on the social determinants of health by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota's Caring Foundation and North Dakota State University's Center for Social Research.

The purpose of the study is to better understand social determinants of health across North Dakota to gain valuable insights for the future. The study can serve as a tool for discussion and collaboration on how to develop community-driven solutions to improve the well-being of North Dakota's citizens.

"By collaborating, investing in community resources, and working to change behavior we can improve the health and well-being of individuals and families and help them reach their full potential, while at the same time reducing the need for safety net services provided DHHS and other providers in our state," Miller said. "And to do that, we need to acknowledge and understand the disparities and barriers that exist, and we need to collaborate to reduce those barriers and break cycles. And that's why we are so grateful for this study by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota's Caring Foundation and NDSU's Center for Social Research."

Following the release of the study, BCBSND hosted roundtable discussions surrounding the results and impact on North Dakotans.

Read the full study

Water Commission Approves $47.7M in cost-share for water projects

At the North Dakota State Water Commission (SWC) meeting chaired by Gov. Doug Burgum Monday, the SWC approved $47.7 million in cost-share requests. The SWC voted to approve funding for several flood mitigation, general water, and municipal, regional and rural water supply projects, including large construction contracts related to the Northwest Area Water Supply (NAWS) project.

The SWC supports local sponsors in development of sustainable water-related projects in North Dakota through the Department of Water Resources’ (DWR) Cost-Share Program. The primary purpose of DWR’s Cost-Share Program is to assist local project sponsors with financial support of water development projects – making them more affordable to local constituents.

“The State Water Commission continues to fund critical infrastructure to meet our state’s flood protection and water supply needs,” Burgum said. “The cost-share requests approved today will benefit citizens across our state, including providing north-central and northwest North Dakota with infrastructure to support the development and growth of healthy, vibrant communities that can attract and retain a 21st century workforce.”

The NAWS construction-related approvals will support modifications at the Snake Creek Pumping Plant, which will pump raw water from Lake Sakakawea to the currently under construction Biota Water Treatment Plant near Max, N.D. – where water will be treated before being pumped again to the treatment plant in Minot. Funding was also approved to advance the 3-million-gallon Bottineau Reservoir and Pump Station. The SWC approved $23.3 million in cost-share for the Snake Creek Pumping Plant project and $7.4 million in federal, municipal, rural and industrial water supply program funds for the Bottineau Reservoir and Pump Station. NAWS will one day provide water service to 81,000 North Dakotans in north-central North Dakota.

“We are excited for the NAWS project to continue moving forward,” said Andrea Travnicek, DWR Director. “The improvements to the Snake Creek Pumping Plant and the new Bottineau Reservoir and Pump Station will help solve long-standing water supply and poor water quality problems in northern North Dakota by delivering high-quality Missouri River water to the region.”

The 10-member SWC consists of Gov. Burgum as chairman, Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring, and eight members appointed by the governor to serve six-year terms. For additional information, please visit http://www.dwr.nd.gov.

Burgum supports lawsuit filed in ND by 24 states challenging new Waters of the U.S. rule

Gov. Burgum issued the following statement Friday regarding a lawsuit filed in North Dakota challenging the Biden administration’s new Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule.

North Dakota is one of 23 states that joined West Virginia in bringing the lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, asking a federal judge to declare the rule unlawful and vacate it.

The EPA and Army Corps of Engineers published the final WOTUS rule in the Federal Register on Jan. 18. It repeals the definition of WOTUS that the Trump administration adopted in 2020 in its Navigable Waters Protection Rule. The final rule takes effect 60 days after it is published, unless legal action delays it. North Dakota is a co-leader in the lawsuit, which was filed in U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota.

“This overreaching rule would wrongly classify nearly every stream, pond and wetland as a federally managed water, creating confusion and driving up costs for consumers by unlawfully restricting the activities of farmers, ranchers, builders and landowners across the country, especially in North Dakota,” Burgum said. “We’re grateful for Attorney General Wrigley’s successful efforts to get this lawsuit filed in North Dakota, as our many wetlands and waterways make our state particularly susceptible to this misguided rule. In North Dakota, we continue to exercise our state’s authority to protect our own waters from pollution, and as a result we have some of the cleanest air and water in the nation.”

The 24 states involved in the lawsuit are Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming.

NDIT holds North Dakota Cyber Madness High School Tournament

Gov. Burgum attended the 2023 North Dakota Cyber Madness High School Tournament on Friday, helping welcome 20 high schools from across the state in the two-day event held at Bismarck State College.

The multi-round style competition is based on several concepts including physical and virtual addressing, packet encapsulation, network and endpoint security technologies, security principles and more. Each team consists of five students plus a coach and/or advisor. Teams must complete challenges to score points and advance in ranking.

"At ND Cyber Madness, we are fostering the next generation of cybersecurity leaders and paving the way for a secure future. The passion and talent displayed by these students is a testament to the success of North Dakota's PK-20W Initiative and the promising future of our industry,” said Michael Gregg, chief information security officer for North Dakota Information Technology. “Congratulations to the 2023 Cyber Madness champions, who have demonstrated a deep understanding of the importance of cybersecurity and a commitment to protecting our digital world."

Participating high schools include Alexander Public Schools, Beach High School, Bismarck High School, Century High School, Drake Anamoose High School, Fargo Public Schools, James Valley Career & Technology Center, Legacy High School, Red River High School, Tioga High School, Turtle Mountain Community High School, and Williston Public School. Female participation in the tournament tripled from last year as 33% of the students were girls.

ND Cyber Madness planning partners include North Dakota Information Technology, North Dakota Career and Technical Education, North Dakota Department of Public Instruction, North Dakota Department of Emergency Services, North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, and Palo Alto Networks.

The top-placing teams earned scholarships to the university of their choice while the champions also earned a $15,000 scholarship to the Digital Academy in Fargo.

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