Investing in Rural North Dakota

In Bismarck, the North Dakota House approved a bill to create a ‘Rural Catalyst Fund’ with a 68-24 vote. The proposal calls for $5 million in state money for grants supporting economic development projects in communities with 3,000 people or less. At least half of those dollars would target towns with less than 1,500 people. The original bill called for a $50 million ‘Rural Community Endowment Fund,’ but the dollar amount was reduced to $5 million in the Senate. The bill now returns to the Senate for second consideration.