North Dakota Governor Regains Power to Hire Workers’ Comp Director

North Dakotans have endorsed a proposal to allow the governor to hire the state’s workers’ compensation director.

An 11-member board now appoints the chief executive of the Workforce Safety and Insurance agency.

Critics of WSI put an initiative on the ballot that restores the governor’s authority to hire the director. The power was transferred to the board by the 1997 Legislature.

North Dakotans approved the change Tuesday. With 86 percent of the precincts reporting, 67 percent of the voters endorsed the measure, while 33 percent opposed it.

The measure also gives civil service protection to Workforce Safety and Insurance employees.

It requires the agency to hire independent administrative law judges to review benefit disputes. The measure says WSI may not change the rulings of the independent judges.