BISMARCK — The secretary of state is asking for a formal legal opinion from the attorney general on the North Dakota Ethics Commission’s authority, including whether it had the right to issue a recent advisory opinion.

The request joins previous questions about the commission’s authority raised by other executive branch leaders. The Legislature empowered the commission to issue advisory opinions if a public official wants to know whether an action is permitted under state law. But the governor and other elected officials say the agency has overstepped, with the conflict contributing to a stalled process to fill vacancies on the commission.

Secretary of State Michael Howe asked in a July 22 letter for Attorney General Drew Wrigley to weigh in on the overlapping responsibilities of his o

See Full Page