Legislators have defeated a proposed North Dakota constitutional amendment allowing county commissioners to decide when a newly elected sheriff begins work.

The proposal gave commissioners a range of potential starting dates for the sheriff after an election, from Dec. 1 until the first Monday in January. Representatives voted 76-14 to defeat it Tuesday.

It was introduced because of a dispute in Burleigh County, where commissioners frequently clashed with former Sheriff Steve Berg.

Berg was defeated for re-election last November by Pat Heinert, who had lost to Berg four years ago in the first electoral matchup of the two men.

Rep. Mark Owens, R-Grand Forks, said the amendment, SCR4023, was unnecessary. An earlier amendment that required election of the sheriff, which voters approved in 1998, did not need to be changed, Owens said.

Two proposed constitutional amendments remain alive in the North Dakota Legislature out of the 14 that have been proposed since the session began. One (HCR3045) would establish a trust fund for oil tax revenues. The second (HCR3016) would make it easier for North Dakota legislators to get state government jobs.

- AssociatedPress