Those of you are familiar with my work know that I’ve got little love for collegiate athletics generally, and little interest in football specifically. But even I’ve noticed some of the griping about empty seats at North Dakota State University football games. The Bison are apparently on pace for another championship season, yet according to…
On Day of Heitkamp’s Farewell Speech, Democrat Leader in the Senate Trashes North Dakota
It’s pretty clear that Democrats don’t have much affinity for states like North Dakota. Even our liberal friends right here in North Dakota often talk about our state as though they wish they lived somewhere else. What’s kinda rare, though, is when Democrats come right out and admit this stuff. Today there was a remarkable…
Burgum’s Budget Makes Spending of Oil Tax Revenues More Transparent
I’m a fan of Governor Doug Burgum’s executive budget. It’s not perfect, but it’s very good, not just for its restrained (and at times even innovative) spending but because of the way it’s structured. Case in point, some time back during John Hoeven’s tenure as governor the executive branch (with an assist from lawmakers) figured…
Maybe Heidi Heitkamp Could Give Some of Her Left Over Money to Her Campaign’s Victims
Senator Heidi Heitkamp has a lot of money left over from her unsuccessful 2018 campaign. Earlier this year the Senator’s vote against confirming Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh bought her a tidal wave of money from left wing political donors across the country. “So much money was flowing into North Dakota that it appears she had…
Doing Bad Things to the Environment in the Name of Environmentalism
Certain very large, very noisy factions of the American left have taken to opposing the construction of pipeline infrastructure vigorously. I’m not just talking about political and legal obstruction. Roadblocking a pipeline by gumming up the regulatory process, or seemingly endless litigation, is one thing. But often these projects are opposed with violence and criminal…
Legislation Could End North Dakota’s Open June Primary, Which Is Good in Principle but Could Be Bad for Republicans in Practice
Do most voters understand how candidates end up on the ballot in November? I’m not sure they do, and perhaps they can’t be blamed. Here in North Dakota, the process is a little convoluted. The political parties – Republicans, Democrats, sometimes even the Libertarians – hold a series of conventions to endorse candidates. First there…
Senator Heidi Heitkamp: “I Think I’m Done With Electoral Politics”
After losing big on election day to Republican Kevin Cramer, many wondered what the future might hold for outgoing Senator Heidi Heitkamp. North Dakota Democrats have struggled mightily to recruit candidates for some time now. In fact, the only Democrat to win in the statewide ballot in North Dakota since 2008 is Heitkamp, who was…
Governor Burgum’s First Real Budget Might Be the Most Fiscally Conservative Spending Plan North Dakota Has Seen in Two Decades
Although he was elected to office in the 2016 election cycle, and headed up the executive branch during the 2017 legislative session, the budget Governor Doug Burgum delivered to lawmakers today is really his first. Burgum had been in office just weeks when he was due to delivered a budget address to the 2017 legislative…
U.S. Supreme Court Decision Could Mean Big Changes for North Dakota Bar Association
Lawyers in the State of North Dakota pay dues to what’s called an integrated bar. The State Bar Association of North Dakota is both the official regulatory body for the legal industry in our state, administering the licensing and discipline of lawyers who work in our state, and an advocacy group for the legal industry.…
“I’m Not Asking for Money or a Tax Rebate. Just Leave Me Alone.”
In my Sunday print column I wrote that “aggressive, interventionist government policies seems like hubris to me when the side effects can be so unpredictable.” The example I used was school enrollment dates causing a spike in diagnoses of A.D.H.D. for children with August birthdays, but other lessons on the hubris of big government are…