ND Watchdog Network Brings Ballot Initiative Forum to Valley City

The ND Watchdog Network is bringing its statewide ballot initiative tour to Valley City on Saturday, April 11, with a free public session focused on three 2026 ballot measures that critics say could fundamentally reshape how North Dakotans exercise their constitutional rights.

Dustin Gawrylow, Managing Director of the Bismarck-based civic education group, will present "Protecting the Rights Reserved to the People: North Dakota's Upcoming Ballot Initiatives" at Sabir's Dining and Lounge, 338 Winter Show Road, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Attendance is free and open to the public, including Stutsman County residents making the short drive from Jamestown into neighboring Barnes County. Those planning to attend are asked to RSVP by April 7 by calling 701-490-2132.

All three measures Gawrylow will examine were placed on upcoming ballots by the North Dakota Legislature, not through citizen petition. The first, appearing on the June 9 primary ballot as Measure 1, would restrict constitutional initiatives to a single subject, with the Secretary of State left to determine what qualifies. Voters rejected a nearly identical proposal in 2024, and the current version is already the subject of an active lawsuit.

The second measure, headed for the November 3 general election, would require 60% of voters to approve any citizen-initiated constitutional amendment. Sponsored by Rep. Robin Weisz, R-Hurdsfield, through House Resolution 3003, the threshold would apply to both citizen petitions and legislative constitutional changes. The ND Watchdog Network argues the supermajority requirement would hand minority opposition the power to block measures that most voters support.

Also on the November ballot is a proposed rewrite of the term limits amendment North Dakota voters approved in 2022. Critics contend the legislative proposal would allow lawmakers to effectively double their allowed terms.

Gawrylow said the group uses events like this one "as an entry point to get discussion going," and described what is at stake heading into the election cycle: "2026 is going to be a pivotal year for the North Dakota Constitution."

The Valley City forum is the latest stop on a statewide townhall tour the ND Watchdog Network launched in late January 2026, following earlier sessions in Bismarck, Fargo, and Minot. Former Democratic-NPL state lawmaker Tracy Potter and Scott Skokos, executive director of the Dakota Resource Council, participated in some of those earlier events.