“We could be looking at upward of 175 to 179 thousand who have this issue.” That’s what Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem said on this episode of Plain Talk, referring to a streamlined process to allow those with minor convictions for marijuana-related crimes to apply for pardons. Stenehjem sits on a constitutionally-established board which makes recommendations…
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,…
Controversy Over Pay for Absent Legislators Is Much Ado About Not Much
If you wanted to be critical of North Dakota lawmakers for rubber stamping pay for colleagues who are absent during the legislative session I think that’s probably valid. Anyone who watches the floor sessions of the Legislature can see how routine the votes are to excuse absences and thus authorize pay. But you have to…
Ballot Measure Legalizing Recreational Marijuana in State Constitution Submitted to Secretary of State
Back in May a ballot measure, proposing an amendment to the state constitution legalizing recreational marijuana, was submitted to the Secretary of State’s office for approval to circulate. It was then withdrawn with the organizers saying they needed to fix the language. Which was a good thing because language looked like it was something slapped…
Organizer of Referendum Petition Campaigns Says They Don’t Have Enough Signatures Yet
A citizen-led organization calling themselves Audit the Swamp has begun gathering signatures to refer three pieces of legislation, passed by the Legislature earlier this year, to the statewide ballot. They want to block legislation appropriating money to the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library project in Medora, excluding lawmaker emails to state agencies from open records requests,…
Is the Bizarre Political Situation in Alaska a Sign of Things to Come in North Dakota?
There are strange things happening in the State of Alaska. “A deep divide over budget cuts in Alaska has become so acrimonious that two feuding factions of legislators cannot even agree on where they are supposed to meet, the latest twist in what may be the nation’s oddest political climate,” The Hill reports. Republican Governor…
When It Comes to Columbus Day, We Can’t Add Through Subtraction
“As another example of the liberal cesspool the city of Grand Forks is becoming, the Committee of the Whole voted unanimously last night to replace Christopher Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day,” a reader emailed me today, asking me to write about it. “I am floored.” He’s right. “City Council members, acting as the city’s…
We Don’t Need More Licensing Requirements for Massage Therapists, We Need Them for Prostitutes
The recent bust of a Minot spa which was also offering sexual services has prompted a Minot Daily News article about sex workers who operate under the guise of lawful business. “Prostitution arrest highlights licensing need in massage therapy,” reads the headline, but that’s a mistaken premise. Massage therapists are already required to be licensed under…
North Dakota Politics Needs More Transparency, Not an Ethics Committee
This Fargo Forum editorial over the weekend struck the right tone on the need for more transparency when it comes to the financial interests of state lawmakers (and probably other elected officials too). It was based on a report by my colleague John Hageman which found that a few state lawmakers are, in addition to holding…
Lots of Eggs for Lots of Faces as Lawmakers Say They’ll Abandon Attacks on State Auditor’s Powers
Earlier this week state Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem issued an opinion stating that legislation passed earlier this year to limit the powers of the state Auditor would likely be found to be unconstitutional if it were challenged in court. Now at least one legislative leader – Senate Majority Leader Rich Wardner, a Republican from Dickinson…