North Dakota’s coal industry is promoting electric cars. The Lignite Energy Council bought a Tesla, emblazoned it with pro-coal messaging, and has been driving it around. It’s an image so incongruous to some that The Washington Post recently featured the marketing effort in a national news article written by reporter Will Englund. Jason Bohrer, president of the LEC, joined this…
Plain Talk: Lawmaker who resigned citing ‘toxic’ political environment speaks out
Sen. Nicole Poolman has served in the North Dakota Senate since 2012. During last week’s special session, she announced her retirement, saying she won’t be running for another term. Some of her reasons were personal, she wants to spend more time with family, and some were professional, she wants to focus on her job as a teacher,…
Plain Talk: Dot’s Pretzels, the special session, redistricting, and the culture wars
North Dakota snack food startup Dot’s Pretzels has been acquired for $1.2 billion. The special session of the Legislature continues with fights over redistricting and culture war bills dominate. Rob Port and Chad Oban talk about these issues and more. Subscribe to Plain Talk on your favorite podcasting platform by clicking here.
Plain Talk: Tony Bender on ‘We the People’ rally, political tribalism, and special legislative session
On this episode, Rob talks to fellow columnist Tony Bender about the divides in the North Dakota Republican Party, the tribalism of American politics in 2021, redistricting, and the special session of the Legislature in Bismarck. Subscribe to Plain Talk on your favorite podcasting platform by clicking here.
Should the eviction moratorium end? Why was there so much outrage over Simone Biles? Watch the discussion live at 11 a.m.
Simone Biles has had some trouble competing at the Tokyo Olympics, and that has certain political commentators steaming. Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk called Biles a “sociopath,” as one example, and you’ve probably seen worse on social media. But why do people care so much? Does everything have to be culture war? Also, a federal moratorium on evictions is set to expire…
Are concerns about critical race theory valid? Watch the discussion with the head of North Dakota’s teacher union
Is critical race theory an attempt to take over our education system and indoctrinate students with left-wing orthodoxies about race and culture? Or is it controversy ginned up as a “lucrative side hustle” by various pundits and activists, as Nick Archuleta argues in a recent column? This debate has become heated, to the point of violence in some unhappy instances,…
First he was on, then he was off; Rep. Kelly Armstrong talks January 6 commission on Plain Talk Live
Click here to join the live chat Congressman Kelly Armstrong, a Republican from North Dakota, was all set to serve on the high-profile House commission aimed at investigating the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. Then, suddenly, he wasn’t. Armstrong joins this episode of Plain Talk Live to talk about the politics in selecting who sits…
Term limits, yes or no? Watch the debate with former Gov. Ed Schafer live at 2 p.m.
Does North Dakota need term limits? A ballot measure currently being circulated would implement limits for the Governor, and the Legislature, but no other statewide elected offices. Is it a good idea? Former Governor Ed Schafer says he’s come around to the idea of term limits after previously opposing them. He joins this episode of Plain Talk Live…
Will scorning people inspire them to get vaccinated? Watch the discussion live at 11 a.m.
“We are not supposed to insult these people for their decision to not get vaccinated. We are supposed to understand their position,” columnist Mike McFeely writes. “But should we be empathetic toward those with no good reason for not getting vaxxed?” “Most are supporters of Donald Trump and to call their decision-making deplorable is worse than insulting their…
LIVE AT 2 p.m.: North Dakota Republican lawmaker Dwight Kiefert responds to recall effort
There are some deep fractures in the North Dakota Republican Party. A faction of the party, loosely affiliated under the banner of the Legislature’s supposedly conservative Bastiat Caucus, is attempting to recall Governor Doug Burgum. They’re pushing a constitutional ballot measure to implement term limits. They attempted to take over leadership of the NDGOP this spring. Now they’re…