North Dakota State Senator Jamie Selzler (D-Fargo) on WDAY Radio’s WDAY Midday
BISMARCK, N.D. — Newly appointed North Dakota State Senator Jamie Selzler (D-District 44) is stepping straight into the fray as lawmakers convene for a special legislative session called by Governor Kelly Armstrong.
Selzler, who was appointed roughly three to four weeks ago following the resignation of former Senator Joshua Boschee after his election as mayor of Fargo, described the rapid transition as a steep learning curve.
“Definitely drinking from the fire hose,” Selzler said during an interview on WDAY Midday. “A new senator, and I’m already in a special session, so it’s been an interesting experience, that’s for sure.”
Prior to joining the legislature, Selzler spent nearly 20 years in executive leadership at Amazon, managing large-scale operations and thousands of employees across the globe. He also brings years of political experience as a National Committeeman for the North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party. Selzler stated he hopes to bring a pragmatic “business mentality into the state legislature.”
While public attention surrounding the special session has largely centered on the regulation of kratom, Selzler highlighted two other major proposals set to draw significant debate: transparency around data center developments and additional state funding for a stalled military museum project.
The first proposal aims to prohibit public entities from signing non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) with data center developers or industrial project organizers.
“This comes from up in Harwood with the concerns with Applied Digital and other places where city commission or council members will sign a non-disclosure agreement so they can negotiate in private,” Selzler explained. “And then not announce it until later… often well past an opportunity to really change anything. It does not give people an opportunity to ask questions or voice concerns. I suspect that bill will pass.”
The second key topic involves a state military museum being constructed on the capital grounds adjacent to the Heritage Center. After exhausting a $20 million loan, construction on the project has stalled, prompting a request for an additional $35 million state-backed bank loan to resume work.
“I think that’s going to be the major controversial topic of the week,” Selzler said, noting that fiscal concerns span party lines. “I suspect there’s a lot of Republicans who are concerned about this lack of fiscal discipline, and I certainly share their concerns.”
Additionally, Selzler addressed rumors regarding potential movement on a universal school meals bill, clarifying that the measure is unlikely to reach the floor during the special session. Under legislative rules, introducing a non-approved bill during a special session requires a two-thirds majority vote in either the House or Senate—a threshold he considers unlikely to be met.
With the session scheduled to begin with public testimony before the Special Ad Hoc Policy Committee, Selzler stressed the importance of constituent feedback.
“I am a Democrat, but I’m not a Democratic senator for the district—I’m the district’s senator,” Selzler said, encouraging North Dakotans to reach out to their representatives via the state legislative website. “In my case, especially about kratom, which I don’t have experience with, I want to hear from people about their experience… I’ve probably gotten about 250 messages so far on that issue specifically.”
North Dakota law mandates that a legislative bill receive its first and second readings on separate days, meaning the special session must run at least three days. Selzler expressed confidence that lawmakers will complete their work by Friday ahead of the Labor Day holiday weekend, barring unexpected complications.
