North Dakota AG Says Workers’ Comp Board Talk Violated Law

North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem says members of a North Dakota workers’ compensation panel broke the law with private discussions about raising their own pay.

Stenehjem says an e-mail exchange between two board members about the pay changes should have happened during a public meeting.

North Dakota’s Workforce Safety and Insurance agency has an 11-member board of directors. The board also has smaller subcommittees that deal with different issues.

The sunshine law violation involved a three-member subcommittee that was formed to study how board members are paid.

Last June, the full board voted to increase its members’ pay for attending meetings and to pay them for days spent preparing for meetings.