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N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The North Dakota Senate and House has approved the budget for the Department of Transportation.

It allows DOT to close eight local maintenance shops – in Courtenay, Starkweather, Gackle, Litchville, Fessenden, Finley, Mayville and New England. However, in an agreement worked out in a House-Senate conference committee, it allows DOT to lease those shops to local governments – and give the snowplows to local governing bodies.

It also says if a DOT employee continues to live in a city with a closed shop – but works at another shop – that person would be allowed to park a snowplow at home during the months of November through March, or when a major winter storm is forecast. Valley City Democrat Senator Larry Robinson said the compromise buys us a little more time over the next two years.

Jamestown Republican Senator Terry Wanzek said this isn’t quite what he had hoped for but it is an acceptable compromise.

Montpelier Republican Representative Craig Hedland told the House he couldn’t go along with the bill as it is.

Representatives of the affected cities tried to lobby the Legislature to keep those shops open. The Senate passed it 44 to 1 on April 18th. It passed the House 53 to 40 on April 19th.