"Consensus" is one indicator of the need for a special session of the Legislature. It's clearly not present even in western North Dakota, the region that would benefit from such a session.
That's why Gov. John Hoeven is right to say "no" to state lawmakers and others who want a special session.
At the same time, the chorus of special-session advocates is too big to be ignored. To answer their concerns, the governor and Legislature should take up the issue of the west's infrastructure as vigorously as possible during the interim.
Now is the time to conduct the studies, draft the proposals and set the priorities for what the region needs. The 2011 Legislature will have the final say, of course, and even will be free to reject or completely rewrite the proposals.
But that's unlikely to happen if plans are drawn up in a bipartisan fashion today. By using the rest of this year in this manner, North Dakota can get most of the benefits of a special session with little of the inconvenience or cost. Elected leaders of both parties should ramp up their planning efforts in order to best ensure that lawmakers in 2011 pass a comprehensive bill.
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U.S. Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., started the ball rolling when he called for a special session a few weeks ago. "The state is making a big mistake by not having a session of the Legislature, a special session, to address the significant infrastructure issues that no city and no county can address themselves," Dorgan said.
On Tuesday, that call was joined by four western North Dakota lawmakers. The "needs in the west are at an emergency level," the lawmakers' news release states.
If leaders throughout the region agreed, a special session would be warranted. But they don't agree. In fact, they've taken pains to disagree, starting with the mayor of Williston, N.D., in an op-ed: "We no longer are seeking a special session and in fact, we won't be prepared for the regular session for several months yet," he wrote.
And the North Dakota Association of Oil and Gas Producing Counties agrees. The association "voted against the idea when it was brought to them last week," a story in The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead reported.
Like Mayor E. Ward Koeser of Williston, association members say they need more time to prepare for the upcoming session. Those words hold the key as state lawmakers now look for a way forward.
Because a special session's not going to happen, state and local officials should make sure the regular session in 2011 is as productive as possible. That means doing the hard work of meeting, planning, drafting reports and building consensus now rather than later.
The west's needs are a statewide issue, not a local issue. They're also an issue that transcends party lines. So, if ever there was a time for bipartisan cooperation, that time is now. State and local leaders should put partisanship aside and redouble their efforts to answer the region's call.
