MINOT, N.D. — This year’s primaries, from local legislative races to the national midterms, are in many ways a referendum on the influence of disgraced former President Donald Trump and his movement’s ongoing influence on the GOP. What did we learn after this week’s primary elections? And the fundraising numbers we’re seeing in North Dakota’s…
Plain Talk: Lawyer talks about fight over haze regulations, Fargo commission candidate talks about campaign
MINOT, N.D. — When it comes to regulating air quality — both in terms of health and cosmetic measures like visibility — North Dakota, by all applicable measures, does an excellent job. We have some of the cleanest air in the nation. Ours is one of only four states to have never violated a federal…
Plain Talk: NY Times reporter previews new book, and a discussion of the political implications of ending Roe
MINOT, N.D. — On Jan. 6, 2021, as rioters were infiltrating the U.S. Capitol building, New York Times reporter Jonathan Martin was in the building with many of our national leaders, such as Sen. Ted Cruz and Sen. Kevin Cramer. He and co-author Alexander Burns tell that story in a new book, just released this…
Plain Talk: Nobel laureate says Biden canceling Keystone pipeline was ‘symbol’ that led to higher gas prices
MINOT, N.D. — When President Joe Biden, as one of his first moves in office, canceled the Keystone XL pipeline, it was “a symbol” for the oil and gas industry that the political situation would be hostile to them in the coming years. That lead them to curtail their investments in new production capacity, something…
Plain Talk: Landowners want a better deal on the Midwest Carbon Express pipeline
MINOT, N.D. — Carbon capture and storage is a big deal for North Dakota. Not just because our state’s economy is dominated by commodity-based industries — energy and agriculture — that emit a lot of carbon, but because the geology under our feet lends itself to storing captured carbon. There are billions in investments lined…
Plain Talk: A conservative North Dakota lawmaker talks about her struggles with the culture warriors
MINOT, N.D. — Sen. Jessica Bell, a Republican from District 33, has a lengthy track record of reliably conservative policy making in the North Dakota Senate, which includes her consequential work to save a coal-fired power plant that employs, directly and indirectly, thousands of her constituents. Yet the delegates at the NDGOP’s local district convention…
Plain Talk: Shouldn’t a constitutional amendment require 60% of the vote?
MINOT, N.D. — North Dakota’s initiated measure process has become a venue for deep-pocketed special interests to hire local fronts, pay mercenaries to collect signatures, and then pound their issues into the heads of voters with big-money marketing campaigns. What was intended to empower grassroots activists to keep state government honest has turned into a…
Plain Talk: Fargo commission candidate says mayor’s emails to detectives crossed ‘ethical boundaries’
MINOT, N.D. — Ves Marinov serves the state of North Dakota as a member of the Highway Patrol. He’s also a citizen of Fargo who is running for a city on the city’s commission. He’s campaigning on a platform of addressing crime, eliminating special assessments, moving the city to a ward system for its elected…
Plain Talk: A new campaign to legalize marijuana in North Dakota
MINOT, N.D. — Medical marijuana is legal in North Dakota, having been approved by voters by way of a ballot measure. Recreational marijuana, however, has taken a rockier road. Multiple ballot measure campaigns have failed in the past. House Bill 1420, considered during the last legislative session, and which would have also implemented legalization of…
Plain Talk: Is approval voting in Fargo inspiring more candidates to run for office?
MINOT, N.D. — Ben Hanson made an interesting point on this episode of Plain Talk. He’s a former state lawmaker and candidate for the Cass County Commission, facing off against Tony Grindberg, who is another former state lawmaker. His race won’t be settled by approval voting, but he lives in Fargo where approval voting is…