ND Lawmakers Prickly on Cactus Conservatory

ISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Some North Dakota lawmakers are a bit prickly about spending state money on a conservatory for cactus.

The project is part of the two-year budget for North Dakota's parks department. It won final approval in the Legislature on Wednesday.

The budget includes $242,000 to expand a conservatory at the International Peace Garden.

The garden already houses part of a huge cactus collection. The expansion would allow the Peace Garden to house the rest of the cacti.

Lawmakers have been arguing about the cactus building and a proposed study of whether prison property near the Missouri River should be turned into a park.

The final budget kept the cactus and dropped the park study. Hazen Sen. Randy Christmann objected. He said taxpayers' money shouldn't be used for a cactus collection.

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