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…
State House Overwhelmingly Passes Bill Banning Sobriety Checkpoints
For several legislative sessions in a row the issue of sobriety checkpoints have come before state lawmakers. If you’re not familiar with what they are, it’s a law enforcement tactic whereby they stop everyone who happens to be passing along a given stretch of road and they conduct a sobriety check. If you decline, there…
Audio: Rep. Rick Becker Responds to Meme Controversy, Calls His Critics “Hypersensitive”
State Rep. Rick Becker was the target of criticism this weekend after posting an internet meme using the “drop the shop in the shower” joke to make a point about limited government. Becker, though, is unapologetic and has even turned the controversy into a fundraising opportunity. He’s raised over $500 so far as of the…
How Is ‘Hey Cops Don’t Take Our Stuff Without a Conviction’ a Controversial Proposal?
According to this article from Bismarck Tribune reporter Jack Dura, law makers and law enforcement are looking for compromise on Rep. Rick Becker’s (R-Bismarck) HB1286. That legislation would reform civil asset forfeiture laws, putting in place new reporting requirements (we have no idea how much money law enforcement agencies across the state are making off…
North Dakota’s Constitution Must Be Amended So We Have the Flexibility to Face the Future of Higher Education
Like it or not, the way Americans access higher education has changed. It will continue to change. Old models of delivering that education need to change with it. Which is why lawmakers should pass HCR3016, introduced by Rep. Rick Becker (R-Bismarck), which would remove from the state constitution mandates for the names and locations of…