Associated Press

North Dakotans have endorsed a proposal to allow the governor to hire the state's workers compensation director.

An 11-member board now appoints the chief executive of the Workforce Safety and Insurance agency.

Critics of WSI put an initiative on the ballot that restores the governor's authority to hire the director. The power was transferred to the board by the 1997 Legislature.

North Dakotans approved the change Tuesday. With 86 percent of the precincts reporting, 67 percent of the voters endorsed the measure, while 33 percent opposed it.

The measure also gives civil service protection to Workforce Safety and Insurance employees.

It requires the agency to hire independent administrative law judges to review benefit disputes. The measure says WSI may not change the rulings of the independent judges.

North Dakota voters also have approved a proposal to spend more money on anti-smoking programs.

With 86 percent of the precincts reporting Tuesday, 54 percent of the voters supported the proposed law, while 46 percent opposed it.

Former Attorney General Heidi Heitkamp was chairwoman of the voter initiative.

It sought to earmark a share of money from a lawsuit settlement against the nation's largest tobacco companies to fight smoking and smokeless tobacco use.

The money is now divided among funds that benefit education, water projects and community health programs.

Heitkamp helped to negotiate the settlement. She says more of its earnings should be used to fight tobacco use.

Heitkamp says North Dakota will spend less treating tobacco-related illnesses if it has more effective tobacco-fighting programs.