This guest post was submitted by Fargo attorney Mark Western Today, the internet is gripped by the hysteria of knowing that the Prime Minister of Canada wore a black-faced costume in 2001, and also appeared blackfaced at some point in the 1990s. As a matter of war and peace, this is not. But it is…
Guest Post: Thank You to North Dakota Lawmakers for Supporting Music Education
This guest post was submitted by Sara Baumann, President; Mark Herold, President-Elect; Brian Saylor, Immediate Past-President; and Lindsey Tafelmeyer, Executive Director of the North Dakota Music Educators Association North Dakota values music education. This past session, the legislature doubled down on its commitment to the importance of music in our public schools by investing $800,000,…
Guest Post: Grand Forks Alerus Center Had a Net Operating Loss of $3,777,692 in 2018
This guest post was submitted by a Grand Forks resident, and long-time SAB contributor, who uses the nom-de-plume of The Whistler On Monday the Grand Forks City Council had the most exciting item of the year on the agenda. The Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) was set for discussion and approval. The CAFR is the…
Guest Post: The Grand Forks City Council Didn’t Let Citizens Speak Before Deciding to Ax Columbus Day
This guest post was submitted by Dr. Kevin Fire of Grand Forks One thing that city governments have traditionally encouraged is public participation in the political process. That is, unless the topic about which there may be discussion might anger the left. As a case in point, last Monday, the City Council in Grand Forks…
Guest Post: Maybe Stop Caring So Much About What the President Tweets
This guest post was submitted by Fargo attorney Mark Western It’s Groundhog Day yet again. Over the weekend, the Twitter-verse has been upended yet again with the President’s incendiary statement admonishing four Democratic members of Congress to “go back” to where they came from. While some have interpreted this as a taunt to go back…
Guest Post: Bismarck Doubling Traffic Fines Will Undoubtedly Invite Legal Challenges
This guest post was submitted by Fargo attorney Mark Friese The Bismarck Tribune reports Bismarck City Commissioners will seek to impose traffic fines with double the financial penalties otherwise provided by law. If approved, this elitist, twice-as-expensive approach would arguably apply to all categories and types of traffic violations. There are hundreds, but to illustrate,…
Mark Western: Northam Shouldn’t Resign
This guest post was submitted by Fargo-based attorney Mark Western “Those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.” If I were a betting man, I bet I don’t agree with many policy ideas that Governor Ralph Northam (D- Va.) has proposed. I think that his recent comments about birth/abortion are especially barbaric. But I…
Raheem Williams: We Should Reject Heitkamp’s Apology
This guest post was submitted by Raheem Williams, a policy adviser for the North Dakota Young Republicans. Heidi Heitkamp made an embarrassing blunder. In an ad criticizing her opponent’s comments on the #metoo movement, she listed the names of sexual assault and domestic abuse survivors. However, it was later discovered these women did not give…
Sean Foss: Legalizing Recreational Marijuana Creates Conundrum for Employers
This guest post was submitted by Fargo attorney Sean Foss. As North Dakota voters consider whether to approve Measure 3, which would generally legalize recreational marijuana use for those aged 21 and up, employers in the State face a particularly-difficult conundrum: if the measure passes, it will become illegal for most employers to discriminate against…
Is The Bakken Housing Boom A Bubble, Or A Good Long-Term Investment?
For a while now I’ve been wondering if we have a housing bubble in North Dakota. I definitely think we’ve got a bubble of hotel rooms. In Minot, and points further west into the Bakken boom area, there are hundreds of new hotel rooms, but occupancy rates are beginning to fall and where just a…