FARGO, N.D. (KFGO-AM) The North Dakota Senate has rejected a bill that would require further study on a planned Red River diversion channel around Fargo, but project opponents have gained a temporary victory with a proposal meant to protect cemeteries.
The Senate voted 24-21 Tuesday in favor of a bill to safeguard rural cemeteries south of Fargo that would be flooded by the diversion in times of high water. Fairmount Sen. Larry Luick, who sponsored the bill, told senators he was worried that the flooding could cause caskets to float to the surface.
West Fargo Senator Judy Lee argued against the bill and called it a ``pre-emptive strike'' against the diversion.
The Senate voted down a separate bill to study the diversion, a measure that project supporters called a ploy to delay construction.