If you haven’t yet noticed, the Legislature is back in session in Bismarck. Not a real session, mind you, but rather one where they learn how to actually legislate (or in the case of most, learn how to do it again in case they forgot). This week marks the beginning of the 64th Legislative Assembly…
Governor Dalrymple Got It Right on Fargo Diversion
Governor Jack Dalrymple got it right when he said “we will match state dollars with federal and local cost shares.” The governor was speaking of what the state was willing to do to support the proposed Fargo Diversion project. Dalrymple was pulled into the most recent fray between the Diversion Authority (DA) and the State…
NDUS Chancellor Meets With Governor Dalrymple, Bresciani Gets His Lawyer In The University System Office
According to a source in the capitol, new North Dakota University System Chancellor Larry Skogen was seen going into Governor Jack Dalrymple’s office today. Skogen took over after the turbulent tenure of former Chancellor Hamid Shirvani and promised to “heal” the university system. But there’s been little of that in his first days in office…
City Plans School Building Spending Spree With State Property Tax Relief Payment
To be fair, the Minot School Board is considering more than one option when it comes addressing school growth in the city, and the impact they calculate for property taxes doesn’t take into account the city’s growing property tax base, but even so this illustrates perfectly the problem with trying to solve the property tax…
No Subsidies For The Movie Industry In North Dakota
A group of filmmakers have announced a new project in North Dakota: A film about Teddy Roosevelt based on the book “Young Four Eyes.” But their ambitions go beyond the film, apparently. They don’t just want to make a movie. They want to start a movie industry in the state, and they say the first…
North Dakota's Jack Dalrymple Is The 4th Most Popular Governor In America
Among the 41 states in which polling is available, Governor Jack Dalrymple ranks as the 4th most popular governor according to data compiled by the New York Times’ Nate Silver. The full ranking is below. Dalrymple has a composite 68% approval rating, and 24% disapproval, aggregated from two separate polls. His high approval numbers illustrate…
Heidi Heitkamp For Governor In 2016?
We’re well into the low-ebb in North Dakota’s political cycle. The elections are over. The legislative session is over. Now there’s little to do for the next several months other than speculate about what may take place during next year’s campaign season. One rumor I’ve been hearing persistently for a while now from credible sources…
Is North Dakota For Sale To Conservation Groups?
Over the Memorial Day weekend my family and I stopped off at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Washburn (often derided as the world’s most expensive highway rest area by our legislators). The exhibits were underwhelming, to say the least, certainly not worth the more than $20 it cost my family to get in…
Financial Disclosures Show Sen. Heitkamp Owns Stock In Companies She Regulates
Here in North Dakota, since the last election cycle, Democrats have been attacking Republicans for supposed corruption stemming from financial relations between them and the companies they regulate. Public Service Commissioner Brian Kalk, and former Commissioner turned Congressman Kevin Cramer, have been attacked for taking campaign contributions (perfectly legal and 100% disclosed) from coal industry…
State Board Of Higher Education Wants Another Look At Tuition Increases
Last week the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education approved more tuition hikes for the state’s students, but now Board President Duaine Espegard wants a second look While I agree that the tuition hikes do need a second look – the state legislature increased total higher ed spending by 32% for the coming biennium…