MINOT, N.D. — The Trump administration has given the states and local governments the ability to opt-out of federal refugee resettlement. The feds, or the private groups doing resettlement for the feds, haven’t always been cooperative. City and county governments, not to mention school districts and social service organizations, have often found themselves struggling to…
Governor Burgum Tells Trump Administration That North Dakota Will Continue to Accept Refugees
Last month President Donald Trump’s administration issued an executive order asking that state and local governments consent, in writing, to refugee resettlement before it happens. This afternoon North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum’s office issued a press release announcing that our state will continue to accept refugees. “We are grateful for the administration’s consideration of states’…
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection port of entry near Carbury, North Dakota. Photo via Google Street View
Let’s Not Make It Harder for Our Canadian Friends to Visit North Dakota
Last week Governor Doug Burgum sent a letter (see below) to U.S. Customs and Border Protection urging them not to limit the hours of three ports of entry along North Dakota’s border with Canada (map). The hours of operation for the U.S. side of the crossings at Antler, Carbury, and Maida are 9am to 10pm.…
North Dakota Attorney General Asks for Law Enforcement Investigation Into Commerce Department Audit Findings
In September, Auditor Josh Gallion’s office released the report of an audit of the North Dakota Commerce Department. You can read the full report at the link above, but this is a summary of the findings: In a response included in the audit report, the Commerce Department agreed that funds were not used in the…
Mayor “Discouraged” City Government Will Have to Start Holding Meetings Which Are Accessible to the Public
I like Minot Mayor Shaun Sipma, though I’ll admit I was more enamored with him when he was candidate Sipma pushing for reforms in city government. Since becoming mayor, he’s spent far too much time serving city government as opposed to those who elected him. In particular, Sipma seems in the thrall of city manager…
Plain Talk: Auditor Gallion Says Things Are “Cordial” With Governor Burgum Despite Campaign Announcement Snub
“Regardless of what you do…you’re going to have critics.” That’s what North Dakota Auditor Josh Gallion, a Republican who announced his re-election campaign last week, told me on this episode of Plain Talk. Gallion has drawn the ire of at least some of his fellow Republicans during his first term in office. After some aggressive…
Auditor: Department of Commerce Skirted State Law in Creating Governor Burgum’s Pet Project State Logo
Last week state Auditor Josh Gallion announced his re-election campaign. A number of the state’s prominent Republicans helped in that announcement, including Senator Kevin Cramer, Insurance Commissioner Jon Godfread, and others. But buried at the end of my colleague Jeremy Turley’s article about Gallion’s announcement was this sentence: “A spokesman for Republican Gov. Doug Burgum,…
Amid Scandal and a Push for Impeachment North Dakota’s Top Elected Officials Join Trump’s Re-Election Campaign
There were some headlines earlier this week about incumbent President Donald Trump losing some popularity in North Dakota ahead of the 2020 election year. That was according to one poll, anyway, and I’m dubious of its findings for several reasons. Still, scandal has enveloped the Trump administration, and there is an ardent for impeachment in…
Will North Dakota Democrats Spend Their Money Supporting This Trump-Loving Conservative Politician Again?
Michael Coachman, a regular if marginal candidate for statewide office in North Dakota, has announced yet another campaign. In 2020 he’ll be running for governor, taking on incumbent Republican Doug Burgum (who hasn’t announced yet but has been polling his candidacy) and an eventual Democratic candidate. Good for Coachman, I think. His past campaigns have…
North Dakota Needs Workers, but Those Workers Need Shakespeare
Last year I was invited to participate in a campus dialogue event at Minot State University. The event was titled, “Should We Chuck Shakespeare Out of the Tower? Considering the Role of the Liberal Arts in our 21st Century Educational Climate,” a topic inspired by the push toward career-driven higher education. The event organizers were expecting me…