The governor believes the state has the ability to adjust to America’s shifting needs, and also feels he can cut back on some committees at the state level.
The North Dakota Capitol building. (Kyle Martin/For the North Dakota Monitor)
BISMARCK, N.D. – The second and final day of the Chamber at the Capitol event featured a meeting with Governor Kelly Armstrong, who discussed why it’s so important to have face-to-face meetings with business leaders.
“Because government doesn’t create a single job. Government doesn’t create economic growth,” he explained. “These guys do.”
He also addressed the repeated elephant in the room – workforce – saying he wanted to help create a strong educational pipeline that provided ready-made employees for companies in the state. At the same time, he said that he believes North Dakota is uniquely equipped to be a major player in the American economy in the coming years.
Shannon Full, representing the Chamber, agrees, saying that everyone has a sense of “really overwhelming optimism,” adding, “We are in such a great position as a state.”
Still, Armstrong wants to look into DOGE-style cutbacks at the state level to try and increase efficiency while reducing the average taxpayer’s contribution.
“We have a hundred and fifty-four boards and commissions in state government, of which I’m responsible of appointing a vast majority of people to,” he said.
“So we’re going to examine that.”