Governor Doug Burgum’s executive budget his ignited several debates over policy and spending across the state. Perhaps one of the most heated so far is the proposed relocation of the Dakota Women’s Correctional and Rehabilitation Center, a prison facility for female inmates current located in New England, North Dakota. On one side of the debate is…
Rep. Rick Becker: What I Learned by Watching 30 Minutes of the Last State Board of Higher Education Meeting
This guest post was submitted by state Rep. Rick Becker, a Republican representing District 7 in the Bismarck area. A few days ago I read that the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education (SBHE) was considering allowing college presidents to offer out-of-state students the in-state tuition rate. Because this touched on two bills I…
NDGOP State Committee Votes Against Endorsing Legislation to End North Dakota’s Open Primaries
Tonight the North Dakota Republican Party voted against a resolution endorsing legislation aimed at ending North Dakota’s open primary system. Here’s the vote tally, per the party: 19-Yes 29-No 8-Absent/Not Voting The resolution would have needed 29 “yes” votes to pass, so it wasn’t particularly close. The issue was brought to the state party by District…
Governor Burgum and a Republican Lawmaker Want to Exempt Military Pay and Pensions From State Income Taxes and It’s a Solid Idea
North Dakota has thousands and thousands of military members, both active duty and retired, living in our state. North Dakota has a chronic labor shortage. North Dakota is also one of just eight states which still fully taxes military pay to retirees. Governor Doug Burgum, along with state Rep. Shannon Roers Jones (R-Fargo), each aim…
Print Column: Legislative Pettiness Leads to Marginalization of Burgum’s Conservative Budget
MINOT, N.D. — Traditionally in North Dakota the governor’s executive budget, delivered to lawmakers as an address in December, is introduced as actual spending bills at the beginning of the actual legislative session in January. Last week legislative leaders changed the rules. While Burgum’s budget proposals will be available to lawmakers, the actual legislation introduced…
Read It: Governor Burgum, Senator-Elect Cramer Tell NDGOP in Letter Not to Give up Open Primary
Last week I wrote about proposed legislation, being considered for endorsement by the North Dakota Republican Party, which if passed would end North Dakota’s open primary system. In our state the political parties hold endorsing conventions, but the actual nominees are chosen in a statewide vote in June of election years. Some, arguing that political…
Teddy Roosevelt Library Is a Good Idea, but Please Don’t Call It Mt. Rushmore
“North Dakota’s Mount Rushmore,” is a term Governor Doug Burgum has been throwing around, touting the $50 million in interest earnings from North Dakota’s nearly $6 billion Legacy Fund to the build out of a $150 million Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora. I cringed when I read that Burgum was calling the project that.…
Steve Burian: Research by UND and NDSU Critical to North Dakota’s Diversification
This guest post was submitted by Steve Burian, the Grand Forks-based CEO of AE2S and co-chairman of the Valley Prosperity Partnership. In his budget address this week, Governor Burgum stated “our revenues remain largely dependent on commodity prices we cannot control.” The collapse of commodity prices forced our legislature to make difficult budget cuts during…
Print Column: Burgum’s Proposed Pension Bailout Must Be Tied to Real Reforms
MINOT, N.D. — It’s not the sexiest political topic, so you might be forgiven if you’re unaware of North Dakota’s chronic problems with underfunded pensions. But the problems are real, and while Gov. Doug Burgum proposes addressing the issue with a cash infusion from the state’s reserves, that bailout needs to be coupled with real…
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…