N.D. House kills Department of Commerce budget bill

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BISMARCK — North Dakota's House has killed the budget bill for the state Department of Commerce.

House Republican majority leader Al Carlson of Fargo says parts of the spending plan will be attached to another bill later.

Some lawmakers were unhappy about changes that the North Dakota Senate made to the spending bill.

Senators restored $13 million for a "centers of excellence" program to benefit North Dakota colleges after the House took the money out.

Senators also removed almost $5 million in day care center assistance that the House put in.

Normally House and Senate negotiators hold conference committees to work out differences in a spending bill.

But Tioga Rep. Bob Skarphol asked today that the measure be killed. He said the Senate's changes weren't made in good faith.

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