Government health propaganda is bad enough, but how about government health propaganda that features images deliberately manipulated to make a political point? Sponsors of a campaign that’s drawing ire say it’s meant to educate parents and create change since pictures of healthy, smiling kids don’t really work in targeting obesity. This is one before and…
Maybe The Government Doesn't Always Know What's Best
Based on what we were told was sound science, the government has been on an aggressive anti-salt campaign. In everything food-labeling regulations to actual restrictions on salt use by restaurants and food manufacturers, the government has been working hard to get Americans to consume less salt. But now a new study finds that not only…
Feds Want Drunk Driving Level Lowered To .05 BAC
The federal government bullied the states into lowering the blood alcohol level at which point a driver is considered drunk to .08 years ago by threatening to remove federal transportation funds for state that didn’t comply. Now the feds want to go even lower, taking the legal limit down to .05 BAC. WASHINGTON — States…
Dorso Column:House Seems Fed Up With Tobacco Agency
The 1998 tobacco settlement negotiated between the states and the big four tobacco companies was to have netted the 46 signatory states a minimum of 206 billion over 25 years. There were a number of agreements that went into the settlement not all of which sat well with the North Dakota legislature at that time.…
On Fourth Try, North Dakota House Finally Approves Anti-Smoking Agency Budget
Yesterday the House killed the budget for North Dakota’s anti-tobacco agency for the third time, but today yet another reconsideration won a majority. After House Majority Leader Al Carlson reportedly told his caucus that he expected a majority vote for it today, it passed on a 68 to 23 vote. According to the North Dakota…
Pew Poll: For The First Time In 40 Years Majority Of Americans Support Legalizing Marijuana
It’s been trending this way for years, and will likely continue given that support for legalizing marijuana is most intense among the younger generations: The survey by the Pew Research Center, conducted March 13-17 among 1,501 adults, finds that young people are the most supportive of marijuana legalization. Fully 65% of Millennials –born since 1980…
Guest Post: Paging Ron Swanson To Grand Forks
Amid the mountain of criticism for the three recent pro-life bills signed by the Governor, turns out progressive-leaning people don’t really believe in choice at all. Sure, they argue for the “choice” to kill somebody else, or who can marry who, but when it comes down to it, progressives believe in choice so far as…
The Grand Forks Parks District Wants To Stop You From Being Unhealthy In Public
When the nanny statists behind the anti-smoking crusade were making their arguments, “second hand smoke” was the crux of their argument. Because smoking could potentially impact the health around you, it is ok to ban it in public spaces and even private property open to the public. And they’ve largely won that argument, both nationally…
North Dakota Senate Spends 20 Minutes Debating Regulation Of Water Skiing
Several sessions ago the North Dakota legislature added a new regulation to water skiing/water tubing behind motorized water craft. It was the requirement for a spotter to help the driver of the boat/jet ski ensure the safety of the skier/tuber. But, several years later, there’s no evidence that this regulation has made water skiing/tubing any…
North Dakota Senate On Bottle Rockets Ban: You'll Shoot Your Eye Out
The North Dakota Senate today, despite having already passed a bill to expand the dates during which fireworks in general can be sold, voted down a bill to lift a ban on the sale of bottle rockets specifically. Here’s the nauseatingly paternalistic floor debate: “This isn’t about freedom,” Senator Dave Oehlke said. “This is about…