Glenn Jackson, director of the driver’s license division at the North Dakota Department of Transportation, joined me today to address some of the confusion around North Dakotans getting Real ID cards. Congressman Kevin Cramer was on for his weekly open phones segment. Also, Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring joined to talk about the outlook for agriculture…
It Is Inexcusable That the North Dakota Industrial Commission Is 8 Months Behind on Meeting Minutes
According to the Associated Press the North Dakota Industrial Commission – a powerful triumvirate consisting of the Governor, Attorney General, and Agriculture Commissioner which regulates, among other things, oil and gas development – is eight months behind in approving meeting minutes. This is absurd. The excuse from the commission is that an assistant working for…
Podcast: Ag Commissioner Doug Goehring Says Trump’s Trade Efforts “Really Starting to Play Out Pretty Well”
On Friday I interviewed North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring on my radio show. Earlier in the week I had interviewed his opponent this election year, state Senator Jim Dotzenrod, who was actually quite complimentary of the incumbent. “He’s been pretty good at his job,” Dotzenrod told me. [mks_pullquote align=”left” width=”300″ size=”24″ bg_color=”#ffffff” txt_color=”#000000″]”We’ve been…
Podcast: Democratic Ag Commisioner Candidate Praises Republican Incumbent: “He’s Been Pretty Good at His Job”
State Senator Jim Dotzenrod, the Democratic candidate for Agriculture Commissioner this election cycle, joined me on air today and in a surprise twist spent a lot of time praising incumbent Republican Doug Goehring. “He’s been pretty good at his job,” Dotzenrod told me. “I suspect he and I feel the same way on some of…
Reports of Dead, Missing Livestock Near #NoDAPL Protests
According to a press release from the North Dakota Stockmen’s Association – an organization representing ranchers in our state – there have been two reports of missing and butchered livestock in Sioux County near the area of the protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline. “The NDSA and the Sioux County Sheriff’s Department are working with…
Audio: Ag Commissioner Says #NoDAPL Protesters Are “Abusing, Threatening, Exploiting” Farmers and Ranchers
Doug Goehring, North Dakota’s Commissioner of Agriculture, was on my radio show this afternoon to talk about an aspect of the Dakota Access Pipeline protests which haven’t gotten a lot of attention so far. Namely, their impacts on farmers and ranchers in the area. “It is irresponsible of the media to portray this as peaceful,”…
North Dakota Flaring Volume Down 54 Percent Over The Last Two Years
When North Dakota had a problem with gas flaring over the last several years it got a lot of attention from journalists, activists, and politicians. People were upset – and rightfully so, nobody likes to see gas flared – and demanded action from the industry and state regulators (who were often accused of being too…
North Dakota Oil And Gas Regulators Erred In Not Explaining Reduced Spill Fines Before
North Dakota’s top oil and gas regulators say they’re going to start providing written explanations to the public when they reduce fines for spills. It’s about damn time. In North Dakota the development of oil and gas resources is overseen by the Industrial Commission which is staffed by three of the state’s top elected officials.…
North Dakota Industrial Commission Needs To Defend Their Approach To Oil Spill Fines
Before the holidays I interviewed Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem – who, as you know, is running for governor – and one of the questions I asked him was about criticism of the state’s handling oil and salt water spills in the oil patch. “I’m actually very pleased and satisfied with what it is we’re doing,”…
North Dakota's "Hands Off" Approach To Pipeline Reclamation Is Working
The thing about economic liberty is that it sometimes gets messy, and there really is no one way to do it. It can take some experimenting. North Dakota is somewhat unique among states with its hands-off approach to dealing with the problems that come with industrial growth. Rather than treating the oil industry as a corrupt…