Report Card Time: How Lawmakers Scored on Property Rights, Ag, and Energy

Every session, North Dakota lawmakers make decisions that impact our land, water, and way of life. And just like your high school math teacher, Dakota Resource Council believes in grading those decisions. This year’s DRC Legislative Report Card is in—and let’s just say, some folks need to stay after class.

We graded legislators on three categories: property rights (especially eminent domain), agriculture (small vs. corporate), and energy (where DRC meets big industry lobbying). Each vote counted, and no one got to hide in the back of the class.

Let’s start with the good news:
Senate Democrat Sen. Tim Mathern earned top honors with an A, showing consistent support for landowners, family farmers, and common-sense energy policy. Other Senate Dems averaged a solid C, with strong marks on ag issues (80%) and property rights (72%).

House Democrats were a mixed bag—averaging a D overall. But members like Rep. Liz Conmy, Rep. Lisa Finley-DeVille, and Rep. Lori Hager pulled up the average with C grades, thanks to strong votes on agriculture and landowner protections.

Now the tough part:
House Republicans and Senate Republicans scored near the bottom, both averaging a D overall. The Senate GOP had an especially rough semester, flunking energy (48%), property rights (45%), and ag issues (49%). That said, a few bright spots emerged.

Top-Scoring Republicans: Breaking the Curve

In the House, Rep. Terry Brown (District 12) stood out with a B (86%), the highest score among all Republicans. He voted with landowners on eminent domain, backed small ag, and posted a perfect score on energy issues.

Also earning a C+ (78%) were Rep. Cole Maki (District 10) and Rep. Jayme Morton (District 30), who both showed more balanced voting records that aligned with DRC priorities on energy and ag.

A handful of others—including Reps. Zachary Henderson, Scott Heilman, Steve Osowski, Michael Rios, Karen Rohr, Cole VanWinkle, and Don Vigesaa—hovered just under the B range. Notably, Rep. VanWinkle earned a B- (80%) and scored 86% on energy issues.

Senate Republicans: Slim Pickings

Sen. Jeff Magrum (District 8) earned a B+ (89%), making him the top-performing Senate Republican by a wide margin. He voted with DRC 100% of the time on both property rights and energy—an impressive and rare combo.

Other passable scores came from Sens. Dean Enget, Kyle Paulson, David Van Oosting, and Dean Luick, who earned C or C+ grades and showed some independence from party-line votes.

What does this mean for you?
It means DRC members and allies have work to do. Legislators respond to pressure—especially from constituents. If your rep scored low, let them hear from you. If your senator stood up for rural North Dakota, tell them thank you.

This report card isn’t just about grades—it’s a roadmap for organizing and a reminder that bipartisan support for landowners, small ag, and fair energy is possible.