MINOT, N.D. — “We have opportunities that are being missed,” says Shannon Roers Jones. Roers Jones is currently a state representative, having been elected to the House from District 26 in 2016. She was just re-elected to that seat by a small but comfortable margin in 2020, and now she’d like to be mayor of…
UND hasn’t earned the trust to implement a controversial gender inclusion policy
Minot, N.D. — Back in October this column brought to public light a draft gender inclusion policy at the University of North Dakota. Among other things, the policy would punish students or university employees who intentionally use the wrong pronouns. It would also grant transgender students the right to use all university facilities, including bathrooms and even…
Port: A North Dakota cop seized a journalist’s cellphone. The public is owed more than an apology
MINOT, N.D. — Not so long ago I was writing a series of stories about an abusive and unprofessional city manager working, at the time, for the City of Minot. Among my sources for those stories were city employees who were speaking to me on condition of anonymity because they feared retribution from the manager,…
If North Dakota can’t spend rental assistance money prudently, then we shouldn’t spend it at all
MINOT, N.D. — The State of North Dakota received $352 million in funding through the federal government’s Emergency Rental Assistance program. The money was intended to help renters who had fallen behind during the pandemic, but now the state is set to return about 42% of that funding, or $149 million dollars. Why? The state…
Plain Talk: Majority Leader Pollert reflects on career, Rep. Howe talks possible secretary of state campaign
MINOT, N.D. — After more than two decades in the North Dakota Legislature, having served in some consequential ways, as an influential appropriator and eventually leader the majority Republican caucus, Rep. Chet Pollert is calling it a career. On this episode of Plain Talk, he talked about that decision, as well as what changed during…
Is it illegal for Sen. John Hoeven to seek a third term?
MINOT, N.D. — Sen. John Hoeven, first elected to his current office in 2010, has announced that he’ll be seeking a third term in 2022. Under section 16.1-01-13.1 of the North Dakota Century Code, that’s illegal. “A person is ineligible to have that person’s name placed on the ballot at any election for the office of United…
Sen. Cramer, you can’t fight hypocrisy with hypocrisy
MINOT, N.D. — During a recent appearance on the Larry Kudlow show on Fox Business, Sen. Kevin Cramer, rightly, decried Democratic efforts to federalize elections. “[Democratic Majority] Leader Schumer wants to bring up the voting rights bill which is just an absolute fake crisis that they’re trying to create so they can open up the…
Let’s get the university presidents out of sports
INOT, N.D. — Dean Bresciani, the outgoing president of North Dakota State University, is not good at his job. That’s why he got canned by the State Board of Higher Education. His institution’s enrollment numbers and academic metrics stalled during his tenure. He feuded with elected leaders. He clashed with faculty. The only thing he…
Plain Talk: An unsexy technology that could lead to some sexy outcomes for government
MINOT, N.D. — I make a living writing and talking about politics, and I divide the topics I cover up into two categories. First, there’s the sexy stuff. The hot-button stuff. Topics that immediately stir up interest from the audience. It’s the stuff we spend most of our time talking about. How big should the…
Port: The ‘You Betcha’ guy has tapped into a underserved market
MINOT, N.D. — Why are we so divided? It’s a question we’re all grappling with. What drives the culture war? Why does it seem like so many Americans are living their lives in different reality bubbles? Perhaps we have an answer from an unlikely place: The comedic stylings of a washed-up local football star turned…