MINOT, N.D. — Back in March a ballot measure to implement term limits for state lawmakers and the governor was kept off the statewide ballot after Secretary of State Al Jaeger’s office disqualified more than 29,000 signatures, many of them for alleged fraud. The matter was referred to Attorney General Drew Wrigley’s office for possible…
Rick Becker, a rank hypocrite, launches independent campaign for U.S. Senate
MINOT — Outgoing state Rep. Rick Becker, who failed to receive the NDGOP’s endorsement at their state convention this spring, has made a career out of portraying himself as the perfect distillation of consistency in politics. Becker sticks to his principles, we’re told. He talks about it endlessly. So what, then, to make of his…
Pro-choice Kansas? I’m just glad Americans can govern themselves on abortion again
MINOT, N.D. — It was a surprising result in Kansas last night, as voters rejected a constitutional amendment that would have allowed state lawmakers to put new restrictions on abortion. It was a landslide. The “no” votes won by nearly 18 percentage points . This, my friends, is what democracy looks like. Whether you like the outcome…
Thank you, Nancy Pelosi, for visiting Taiwan
MINOT, N.D. — I’m a conservative, so here are some words I never thought I’d write: Thank you, Nancy Pelosi. As I write this, the speaker of the House has just landed in Taiwan, despite saber-rattling from China who tried to bully the Califonia Democrat, the woman who is third in line for the presidency,…
Burleigh County state’s attorney says she sees no crime in AG’s office email scandal
MINOT, N.D. — For the last week or so there has been a lot of intense focus on Attorney General Drew Wrigley and his decision to eschew an external investigation into the deletion of the official email accounts of his predecessor, Wayne Stenehjem, and his deputy Troy Seibel. Yesterday, Democrats held a news conference in…
Judge’s decision to delay North Dakota abortion clinic’s closing was correct, but also a technicality
MINOT, N.D. — There were many headlines yesterday trumpeting a decision by South Central Judicial District Court Judge Bruce Romanick to delay the impending closure of North Dakota’s only abortion clinic. Some of the headlines said the judge ruled “in favor” of the clinic in Fargo, and while that’s accurate, it may have also given…
Kid Rock, the North Dakota State Fair, and our overweening sense of entitlement
MINOT, N.D. — My hometown recently made national headlines in a way that you don’t want your hometown to make national headlines. Detroit rap rocker Kid Rock was scheduled to play the North Dakota State Fair here in Minot on Friday night, July 22. Only, he didn’t take the stage. The opening act, Night Ranger, played for…
Let’s not abuse the whistleblower in the email debacle at the Attorney General’s Office
MINOT, N.D. — Here’s an uncomfortable truth revealed by the recent scandal over deleted email accounts in the North Dakota Attorney General’s Office: For the assurance of fair access to crucial public records, we rely almost entirely on the honesty and integrity of state officials. I have filed thousands of open records requests in my…
Attorney General Drew Wrigley is making a mistake by refusing an outside investigation
MINOT, N.D. — This week, Attorney General Drew Wrigley announced that he will not be outsourcing an investigation into the deletion of official, state-issued email accounts for his predecessor, Wayne Stenehjem, or Stenehjem’s deputy, Troy Seibel. He is rejecting calls to let outside investigators explore the matter, and potentially bring charges. If you’re just catching up, the…
Attorney General’s Office has an email retention policy, but it’s pretty much worthless
MINOT, N.D. — The deletion of email accounts for former Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem, who died earlier this year, as well as his former deputy Troy Seibel, has raised a lot of eyebrows. Stenehjem’s long-time executive assistant, Liz Brocker, said she ordered the deletion Stenehjem’s email account with the permission of Seibel. She then ordered…