Alisa Mitskog for ND House

09/05/2026

Legislative session recap:
You spoke, I listened, and I voted for District 25.
I’m back from Bismarck after a special legislative session that turned out to be a great reminder of what happens when we work together, and how far we still have to go.
Okay, first up, kratom, the key reason why we met. Yesterday, we voted to ban synthetic kratom products, ensure that protections are in place for natural kratom to be used by adults 21 and older, and keep in place responsibilities for kratom users and sellers.
The ND Attorney General will over see licensing and enforcement as well as truth in labeling. Protecting our citizens and keeping businesses responsible are critical.
Financial responsibility is also important, especially when it comes to finishing what’s been started. I voted to approve the $20 million line of credit/construction loan from the Bank of North Dakota to continue the Military Gallery. I support the bill because
the project was too far along to abandon it.
I feel strongly in accountability and we need answers on how this project started without having the required financial commitment that was supposed to come from private fundraising.
The bill ensures that there will be greater oversight by the Capitol Grounds committee and reporting to the Legislature on a regular basis.
I’m proud of my fellow Democratic and Nonpartisan League folks for seeking to keep up the discussion on more childcare funding, and for the Republicans who joined us.
It was extremely disappointing that childcare funding was not addressed. I know the discussion will continue, grow louder, and gain the support of more North Dakotans. In this case, it’s not about parties. It’s about children, families & childcare providers. They deserve our unity.
Labor Day is on Monday. Tuesday marks eight weeks until Election Day. We’ve got less than 60 days to go, and I’m going to continue listening, meeting, and doing all that I can for District 25.

09/02/2026

We’re back in Bismarck today for a special session called by Governor Armstrong to address kratom and kratom-related products.

The Legislature will consider how North Dakota should handle both synthetic kratom derivatives such as 7-OH and natural kratom products. Proposals before us range from banning synthetic derivatives and placing them on the Schedule I controlled-substance list to regulating natural kratom and restricting its sale to those 21 and older or an all out ban.
We will also consider several other issues:
• Correcting how the primary residence property tax credit is applied
• Prohibiting state agencies from entering certain nondisclosure agreements involving data centers and industrial projects
and addressing funding issues for the Military Gallery project in the Capitol grounds.

These are important issues, and I’ll be listening carefully to the testimony, asking questions and working to make thoughtful decisions on behalf of District 25.
I welcome your input.
-Alisa

08/30/2026

A successful day of putting up campaign signs! 🇺🇸

A BIG thank you to Allen for doing the heavy lifting and helping get the signs out across District 25. I may be temporarily sidelined, but thankfully, I have a pretty great campaign crew keeping things moving! ❤️💙

Teamwork makes the campaign work!

08/22/2026

Right now, our students are starting at or coming back to local schools for a year of fun, learning, and memories.

At our schools, these kids will be taught and guided by some of the most important people in their lives, their teachers.

Supporting education, and healthy pay for teachers, is something that unites us all.

The National Educators Association (NEA) recently revealed that North Dakota is 41st across America for teachers’ compensation. The state average of $60,704 in 2024-25 was $14,535 less than the national average.

Levi Bachmeier, our state superintendent, is calling for North Dakota to do better in compensation, along with making sure teachers can realistically do their jobs now and in the future.

My friend and colleague Cindy Schreiber Beck knew how much education means, not just to a state and its economy, but to a community, its neighbors, its families, and most importantly, its students. I’m going to continue working to hear teachers and parents’ voices, seek solutions, and make all of our Southern Valley schools something to keep being proud of.

We owe it to our kids.

For more information on the NEA report, please visit

NEA’s Rankings and Estimates report provides a wide array of K-12 education finance statistics, including national and state average teacher salaries.

08/20/2026

As a member of the North Dakota Interim Advanced Nuclear Energy Committee, we wrapped up our interim work yesterday, examining the future of advanced nuclear energy in our state.
(I attended virtually because of my leg injury).

HB 1025 directed the committee to examine siting, grid connectivity, land use, economic impacts, nuclear waste, SMRs and microreactors, state-law barriers and community acceptance.

The discussion focused on community education and engagement, workforce development, siting, and lessons from other states already moving forward with advanced nuclear energy projects.

One thing is clear: if North Dakota considers nuclear energy, our citizens and communities need accurate information, transparency, and a meaningful voice in the process.
The plan will be to develop a statutory committee to continue discussions about nuclear energy in North Dakota.

The committee will look at options for nuclear power development

08/16/2026

In 2023, North Dakota made a significant investment in child care because we recognized it as essential to our workforce and economy.

That investment worked. More working families were able to access child care, but participation grew beyond what was budgeted.
Now, a $35.5 million CCAP funding shortfall has resulted in a waitlist and reduced support for providers.
We made progress on child care. We can’t afford to go backwards.

Nearly 1,900 North Dakota families are on a waitlist for state childcare assistance. A bill draft to be considered for North Dakota’s upcoming special legislative session would add $9 million in state funding to get some of the neediest families off of the growing waitlist.

08/14/2026

I’ve worked with Conner on the DHHS budget. He will do a great job. Congratulations!

Armstrong appoints senior advisor Conner Swanson to lead ND Department of Health and Human Services

BISMARCK, N.D. (AUG. 13, 2026) – Gov. Kelly Armstrong today appointed Conner Swanson to lead the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), effective Aug. 29, citing his experience with complex policy issues at both the state and federal levels and his guidance to the agency through the Governor’s Office these past two years.

Swanson has served as a senior advisor in the Governor’s Office since Armstrong and Lt. Gov. Michelle Strinden took office in December 2024. His portfolio includes DHHS, the largest agency in state government with an approved two-year budget of over $5.7 billion, including federal funds, and a team of nearly 2,500 authorized FTEs. The DHHS commissioner is a member of the governor’s Cabinet. Swanson succeeds Pat Traynor, who took a civil service leave from his role as executive director of Dakota Medical Foundation to serve full-time as interim commissioner of DHHS starting in June 2025.

“From Capitol Hill to the State Capitol, Conner has navigated complex policy issues with skill and a depth of understanding that will serve North Dakotans well – a great example being his behind-the-scenes leadership on the Rural Health Transformation Program that is deploying hundreds of millions of dollars in federal grants to improve health outcomes across our state,” Armstrong said. “We look forward to Conner building on the work of outgoing Commissioner Traynor and the team at DHHS to make North Dakota the healthiest state in the nation.”

A Bowman native, Swanson previously served as a policy advisor and communications director for Armstrong from 2020 to 2024 during Armstrong’s tenure as North Dakota’s lone U.S. representative in Congress, and as senior advisor to the U.S. House Budget Committee. He also served in the U.S. Department of the Interior during the first Trump administration and as assistant to the North Dakota House Majority Leader.

While attending North Dakota State University, Swanson completed internships for then-U.S. Rep. Rick Berg and U.S. Sen. John Hoeven. He earned a master’s degree in natural resources management from NDSU in 2017.

“I’m grateful to Gov. Armstrong for this opportunity and excited to officially become a part of the team at the Department of Health and Human Services," Swanson said. "Since December 2024, I’ve worked closely with the department through my role with the Governor’s Office. I have seen firsthand their commitment to the mission and the people we serve, and I am thrilled to join HHS and help build upon that energy and dedication.”

Armstrong thanked Traynor for his service to the state as he returns to his leadership role at Dakota Medical Foundation.

“Pat’s boundless energy and passion for improving the health and well-being of all North Dakota citizens reverberated through not only DHHS but our entire administration. We appreciate his leadership on implementing the Rural Health Transformation Program and engaging in other initiatives and challenges during his brief but impactful tenure with the department,” Armstrong said.

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08/12/2026

Food insecurity is real. It’s causing 1 in 4 North Dakotans to rely on resources like the Great Plains Food Bank which has been speaking out about the record demand.

People in the southern Red River Valley are feeling the effects of increased food prices, cuts to federal food assistance programs, higher rents, and higher medication costs.

We cannot ignore food insecurity, not when our children, families, adults, and seniors know the squeeze on their grocery budgets and question how they can “get by.”

In the last two legislative sessions, I’ve secured funding for food pantries to purchase essentials including protein and meat.

I’m going to continue fighting for funding, and I ask you all to please consider supporting the Richland-Wilkin Emergency Food Pantry and the Backpack Program: https://bit.ly/3TX79FZ

Building better communities by fighting against food insecurity.

05/15/2026

Congratulations to the NDSCS graduates today🎉🎓 Good luck to all of you as you move on or start your careers.
Thanks for choosing to attend one of the best colleges around