North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong mistakenly vetoed a $35 million housing budget allocation, believing he was only striking a smaller line item. The error, described as a markup mistake by his office, has left state officials scrambling to correct the situation.
According to John Bjornson, director of the state’s legislative council, the incident is highly unusual, with no precedent in nearly four decades. Armstrong intended to veto just a $150,000 grant for a Native American homelessness liaison but instead invalidated a much larger housing fund in Senate Bill 2014. His office has acknowledged the mistake and pledged to resolve it, potentially by calling a special legislative session.
Armstrong, a first-term governor elected in 2024 and former U.S. congressman, faced his first legislative session this year. The housing budget veto is set to take effect on July 1 unless legislative action intervenes. If lawmakers want to restore only the $35 million in housing funds—excluding the liaison grant—they may need to draft and pass a new bill, which could take several days. The legislature still has six unused days from its 80-day session cap to hold a special session if necessary.
Meanwhile, in Nebraska, Governor Jim Pillen announced over $47 million in line-item budget vetoes, including cuts to the state Supreme Court’s budget. However, Speaker of the Legislature John Arch said Pillen missed the five-day deadline to formally submit his vetoes, meaning the targeted funding may automatically become law. Pillen’s office stands by its actions and plans to consult with the state attorney general on how to proceed.
Both cases highlight the complexities and potential consequences of errors in the line-item veto process, especially during the final stages of legislative sessions. In North Dakota, the mishap may also open the door for lawmakers to revisit and potentially override other vetoes made by the governor earlier in the session.
