“North Dakota’s Mount Rushmore,” is a term Governor Doug Burgum has been throwing around, touting the $50 million in interest earnings from North Dakota’s nearly $6 billion Legacy Fund to the build out of a $150 million Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora. I cringed when I read that Burgum was calling the project that.…
Republican Legislative Leaders Announce Propose New Funds for Infrastructure (And Hint at Legacy Fund Lending Program)
The leadership of the North Dakota Legislature – specifically House Majority Leader Al Carlson, a Republican from Fargo, and Senate Majority Leader Rich Wardner, a Republican from Dickinson – are traveling the state today to announce a big new spending package to address infrastructure needs and, according to their press release, lower local tax burdens.…
When Common Sense Trumps Parochialism North Dakota Wins
North Dakota is a state, not unlike many other states, where the politics of parochialism have led to a lot of bad decisions. Case in point, our state’s university system has no fewer than eight of its institutions mandated geographically in the state constitution. Not because locating institutions in communities across the state served the…
Senator Rich Wardner: Campbell Is the Right Choice for Republicans
The number one political lesson, both nationally and in North Dakota, of the last two years is that voters are eager to elect successful business leaders and political outsiders who are willing to shake up the status quo. That’s a major reason that Tom Campbell is the perfect candidate to take on Senator Heitkamp this…
You Can Be Fiscally Conservative and Also a Good Person Senator Wardner
Long-time state lawmaker Bill Bowman has announced his retirement citing health concerns. His parody Twitter account, which was quite popular in state political circles, is sad: https://t.co/uQNXIshere That’s a wrap folks! Thank you to the real Bill Bowman for giving us here at @notBillBowman an icon, a true North Dakota hero. We wish the real…
Majority Leaders Al Carlson and Rich Wardner: Property Tax Hikes Are Probably the Result of Local, Not State, Budgeting
This guest post was submitted by Senate Majority Leader Rich Wardner (R-Dickinson) and House Majority Leader Al Carlson (R-Fargo). Property taxes are a hot topic right now, especially in communities where property tax increases are being considered. Without exception, no one likes taxes, especially property taxes. That said, property taxes are necessary to fund local…
It Would Be a Mistake to End North Dakota’s Rail Inspection Program
A few years ago a series of train derailments – some of them explosive – involving oil shipments were making national headlines. They were hyped by the enemies of oil development who are always looking for an excuse to “keep it in the ground,” but the incidents were a valid public safety concern too. Just…
Audio: Wardner Says Burgum Guilty of “Selective Deletion” in Vetoes, Politics Not a Factor in Lawsuit
North Dakota lawmakers have voted to commence the early work of suing Governor Doug Burgum over some of his vetoes issued earlier this year, but when I used the word “suing” to Senate Majority Leader Rich Wardner (R-Dickinson) yesterday downplayed it. “We have a difference of opinion,” he said. “We need a third party to…
Legislature Opts to Sue Governor Doug Burgum Over Vetoes
A meeting of the Legislative Management Committee today voted to proceed with litigation against Governor Doug Burgum over vetoes issued earlier this year, though there will be more meetings and votes before anything gets filed. “We need to make a statement that the governor was out of bounds on this,” Senate Majority Leader Rich Wardner…
Don’t Let Local Property Tax Hikes Be Automatic
“City property taxes are going to go up.” That’s what Blake Crosby, executive director of the North Dakota League of Cities, told me during a radio interview this week. His argument is that lawmakers dabbled in property tax policy, implementing buy downs of local property taxes funded by statewide surpluses, but did so without an…