Senate still showing little appetite for income tax buydown

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota's Senate doesn't appear to be budging on its opposition of tapping funds from the state's voter-approved oil tax savings account to help offset income taxes.

The Senate already has killed the House bill that would use half of the earnings from the Legacy Fund to reduce individual and corporate income taxes.

The proposal is now inserted in the Tax Department's budget, where it's embroiled in conference committee negotiations.

Democratic Sen. Larry Johnson says there continues to be "little, if any, support" for the proposal in his chamber.

Republican Rep. Craig Headland, the bill's primary sponsor, argued that the income tax relief would spur the economy and make North Dakota more competitive with other states that don't have income tax.