House OKs $50K for Agency to Throw Parties, Dinners

The North Dakota House approved a Republican lawmaker's bill to give the workers' compensation agency $50,000 for office parties and to entertain the monopolistic insurer's clients. Rep. Frank Wald, R-Dickinson, requested the gift and party fund in the Legislature's two-year budget bill for the Workforce Safety and Insurance agency. The agency is the state's monopolistic workers' compensation insurer for employees and benefit provider for injured employees. Wald reportedly told House members on Tuesday he proposed the $50,000 fund after the state auditor last year questioned about $18,...