Earlier this month Governor Doug Burgum’s office announced the completion of a “refresh” of North Dakota’s brand identity. “To refresh North Dakota’s brand for today’s audiences, adjustments were made to the tagline from Legendary to Be Legendary,” Burgum’s office said in a statement. “The new design will keep parts of the visual elements from the…
Governor Burgum’s Super Bowl Trip Couldn’t Have Happened Under His Office’s New Ethics Policy
Earlier this year Governor Doug Burgum, who rode into office on the back of a campaign which castigated a supposed “good old boys club” in Bismarck, accepted a trip to the Super Bowl that was worth roughly $40,000. The trip was paid for by Xcel Energy, which has the largest electrical utility customer base in…
Now for Some Good News: State of North Dakota Getting Their Online Act Together
My job is to write critically about things in government. Politicians and campaigns. Public policy. Waste and abuse of taxpayer resources. That sort of thing. But every once in a while even I get tired of that. So when I read this article about the efforts the State of North Dakota is making in providing…
Cato Institute Rates Doug Burgum One of the Most Fiscally Conservative Governors in America
In a white paper report which “grades governors on their fiscal policies from a limited-government perspective,” the right leaning Cato Institute has named North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum the 3rd most fiscally conservative governor in America. Burgum scored a 68 in their ranking, earning him an “A” grade. He comes in behind second place Henry…
Jay Schuler’s Resignation Is a Symptom of This Ugly Moment in American Politics
On Monday, October 1, at 9:23am North Dakota Commerce Commissioner Jay Schuler sent an email with his thoughts on the controversy surrounding Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh from his official state email account to employees of the Commerce Department. By 10:06am a Democratic state lawmaker named Erin Oban, who represents a Bismarck area district in…
In Email After Resignation Schuler Says He Didn’t Feel Kavanaugh Email Was Offensive
Yesterday we got some surprising news. Governor Doug Burgum announced that he had accepted the resignation of Commerce Commissioner Jay Schuler after he sent out an email to state employees Burgum described as “unacceptable.” The email was about the controversy surrounding Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court. You can read it in full…
Will Doug Burgum’s Victory at the State Supreme Court Mean Yearly Legislative Sessions for North Dakota?
Earlier this year the state Supreme Court issued in opinion in ND Legislative Assembly vs. Governor Doug Burgum which found that both sides of that dispute had been operating beyond their constitutional restraints. The court struck down four of Burgum’s vetoes from the 2017 legislative session, but they also found that the Legislature itself had…
New Revenue Forecast Shows Improving Budget Numbers but Burgum Says Cuts Still Needed
North Dakota’s Office of Management and Budget has released a new forecast for North Dakota’s tax revenues, and the numbers are an improvement over previous forecasts. According to the forecast, released by Governor Doug Burgum’s office, revenues for the rest of the 2017-2019 biennium are projected to be 4.4 percent (or more than $136 million)…
The Public Deserves Details About the Cost of Governor Burgum’s Security
For a while now there has been a lot of hot gossip in North Dakota’s capitol building about Governor Doug Burgum’s travel expenses and his security expenses. The rumors hold that Burgum has traveled excessively and often has an excessive security detail in tow. State Auditor Josh Gallion, to his credit, took a look at…
Christopher Dodson: Governor Doug Burgum Has Yet to Support Policy Changes Restricting Use of State Funds for Abortion Referrals
This guest post was submitted by Christopher Dodson. He is the executive director and general counsel of the North Dakota Catholic Conference. On May 22, 2018, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) proposed revisions to the Title X family planning program. These changes will allow North Dakota agencies to follow long-standing state law…