Governor Armstrong Calls North Dakota Special Session Over Kratom

Governor Kelly Armstrong called a special session of the North Dakota Legislature beginning September 2 to address the regulation, sale, and criminal penalties associated with kratom. The move follows reports of overdoses and deaths, leading Armstrong to implement a 30-day statewide ban on all kratom products starting August 5, which he described as "addicting and deadly."

A legislative committee known as Legislative Management will meet Monday to review 20 submitted pieces of legislation to determine which will advance to the session. Lawmakers intend to complete the session within three days. Proposed measures include four bills targeting kratom—ranging from total bans to labeling requirements—as well as a ban on non-FDA-approved vape products and a $9 million increase for the Child Care Assistance Program.

Other proposals include mandates for data center reporting, a moratorium on AI data centers, and "right to repair" legislation. Additionally, State Senator Jeffrey Magrum proposed a resolution urging President Donald Trump to grant clemency to Scott Faul and Yorie Kahl, two men convicted of killing federal marshals in 1983. Attorney General Drew Wrigley has publicly demanded the withdrawal of the clemency resolution, citing the brutality of the original crimes.