MINOT, N.D. — I’m going to make a prediction about the NDGOP’s upcoming state convention in Bismarck, but I’m going to say something about that prediction that you don’t often hear from a political prognosticator like myself. I hope I’m wrong. Here’s the prediction: The convention is going to be ugly. How could it not…
Becker backers may attempt an arcane rule change at NDGOP convention to circumvent the June ballot
MINOT, N.D. — Hold on to your hats, folks, because this is going to be a wild ride through the byzantine rules of party conventions and our state’s candidate selection process, but you need to pay attention. There is an effort afoot to circumvent North Dakota’s election laws that is not at all unlike disgraced…
Democrats get behind U.S. Senate candidate after cultural appropriation debacle
Minot, N.D. — I’ll tell you folks, democracy is never boring. Just when you think you know what’s going to happen, something else happens. I didn’t expect the Democratic-NPL’s U.S. Senate endorsement to be all that exciting. Katrina Christiansen announced her candidacy some time ago. When I arrived at the convention, I learned that a…
There was never a very good case for term limits in North Dakota anyway
MINOT, N.D. — A ballot measure aimed at amending North Dakota’s constitution to implement term limits for the governor and state lawmakers will not, barring some intervention from the courts, be on the statewide ballot in November. Secretary of State Al Jaeger found a laundry list of problems with the signatures collected for the measure…
Term limits petition circulator admits to payment based on number of signatures collected
MINOT, N.D. — According to the organizers of a term limits amendment recently kept off the statewide ballot by Secretary of State Al Jaeger, they’ve been done an injustice. They’re hatching conspiracy theories about politicians who contrived an excuse to keep the issue away from the voters. “I find it very hard to believe there…
Coal country may become ground zero for the NDGOP’s civil war
MINOT, N.D. — It’s been a bitter campaign season so far for the NDGOP. The party’s majority of competent, experienced incumbents has been under assault from an insurgency of Trump-aligned populists more concerned with the culture war than sound governance. Perhaps nowhere in the state’s legislative races was this more visible than in District 33,…
As criminal investigation commences, term limits group rips decision to disqualify signatures
MINOT, N.D. — Yesterday, Secretary of State Al Jaeger blocked a ballot measure that would have implemented term limits for state lawmakers and the governor if passed. Of the more than 46,000 signatures submitted by the ballot measure committee, Jaeger said only 17,265 could be authenticated. The rest were invalid for reasons ranging from notarized signatures “likely…
Secretary of state says term limits amendment had thousands of invalid signatures, won’t be on the ballot
MINOT, N.D. — Over the weekend I reported that the Bureau of Criminal Investigation had gotten involved in reviewing signatures for a constitutional amendment to implement term limits for the governor and the Legislature. Today Secretary of State Al Jaeger has determined, based on that investigation, that the amendment won’t be placed on the ballot after tens…
In Judge Jackson’s confirmation, North Dakota’s senators ought to vote like elections have consequences
MINOT, N.D. — President Joe Biden’s first nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court is before the Senate Judiciary Committee this week for the requisite hearings. And the requisite mudslinging which has become de rigueur for such proceedings in America. Wide and bipartisan Senate confirmation for even some very ideological nominees, like former Justices Antonin Scalia…
It is vital that North Dakota’s first carbon pipeline is built the right way
MINOT, N.D. — Gov. Doug Burgum has set a goal for North Dakota to be carbon neutral by 2030. It’s a big deal. “Big” isn’t really an adjective that covers it. During a recent episode of my podcast, Plain Talk, Commerce Commissioner James Leiman spoke to me about some $30 billion worth of projects which are in…