“I plan to raise in excess of $1.5 million for this.” That’s what state Rep. Rick Becker said on this episode of Plain Talk. He was describing a nascent campaign behind a new ballot measure, which would amend the state constitution to end North Dakota property taxes. The plan is to rely on donations from…
Hey Bastiats, Intransigence Is Not an Ideology
Some people are just more comfortable being eternally on the fringe, forever the supposed victims of larger and more powerful factions, and will adjust their views to remain there. Continue reading…
North Dakota Democratic Party Official Says She Was Threatened After Heated Gun Rights Debate With Republican Lawmaker
Over the weekend, a crowd of pro-2nd amendment folks gathered at the state capitol in Bismarck for an event called the “Shall Not Be Infringed Rally.” Unfortunately, some of the online discussion about the rally got a little ugly, as online discussions are wont to do. Ondine Baird, an official in the North Dakota Democratic…
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…
What if North Dakota Combined Parks Department With the Game and Fish Department?
When Governor Doug Burgum was elected, by a landslide, in 2016 he ran on a campaign of reinventing government. He has consistently argued for a reshaping of state government to make it more efficient and more responsive. That sounds easier than it really is. Bureaucracies tend to get entrenched. Add in deeply human proclivities like…
Something Is Terribly Wrong if the Only Thing Keeping a University Open Is the State Constitution
Today the Grand Forks Herald takes a victory lap over the defeat by the state Senate of HCR3016. That was an amendment proposed by state Rep. Rick Becker (R-Bismarck) which would have removed the names and purposes of public universities from the state constitution. Eight of North Dakota’s eleven state schools are named in the…
Lawmakers Should Keep Supreme Court Ruling in Mind While Considering Civil Asset Forfeiture Bill
HB1286, introduced by Rep. Rick Becker (R-Bismarck), would require a conviction before law enforcement can forfeit (read: keep) property or cash seized during a criminal proceeding. It would also put in place some reporting requirements for forfeitures conducted in the state. The bill did well in the House Judiciary Committee, emerging with an 11-3 “do…
Rep. Jake Blum: State Agencies Lobbying via Fiscal Notes Must End
This guest post was submitted by state Rep. Jake Blum (R-Grand Forks). Yesterday’s floor debate on House Bill 1264, regarding a speed limit increase on both interstate and multi-lane highways spurred a vigorous exchange from both proponents, and opponents of the bill. However, this debate soon evolved into a larger showcase of all that is…
Video: Lawmakers Rip Department of Transportation for “Ridiculous” $50 Million Fiscal Note on Speed Limit Bill
Yesterday the state House failed to pass HB1264 which would have North Dakota’s speed limit on multi-lane highways to 75 mph for state highways and 80 mph for the interstates. I wrote “failed to pass” instead of “voted down” because the vote was actually a tie. It was 46 to 46, with 2 lawmakers not…
Ladd Erickson: Law Enforcement Shouldn’t Need a Conviction to Exercise Civil Asset Forfeiture
This guest post was submitted by McLean County State’s Attorney Ladd Erickson. To Rob, the broader media, and to Bismarck Representative Rick Becker, a criminal conviction as a precondition to asset forfeitures is a commonsense requirement. For prosecutors and police officers, that same precondition in HB1286 is unworkable. To my team, we have to charge…