This guest post was submitted by Minot resident Roscoe Streyle. There has been a lot of talk about the state’s budget and the process over the past numbers of years for various reasons. Too much revenue, too little revenue, too much spending, not enough spending, too much savings, bad projections. Governor’s budget versus the Legislature’s…
Roscoe Streyle: The Oil Industry Is Taxed Enough Already
This guest post was submitted by Minot resident Roscoe Streyle. Do more, pay more, we hear it every day from the Democrats. The only thing they know how to do is attack the Oil and Gas Industry. The question is why? This is an industry that directly and indirectly supports over 70,000 North Dakota jobs,…
Roscoe Streyle: How to Change the Governance of the North Dakota University System
This guest posts was submitted by Minot resident Roscoe Streyle. Does the North Dakota University System really need to be changed? The age old question. There are only two options in my mind, two-tiered system or enhancing the current system. Here are the options: 1) Enhance Current System – My Choice Add a four additional…
Roscoe Streyle: Let’s Build the Teddy Roosevelt Library
This guest post was submitted by Minot resident Roscoe Streyle. In the debate over the proposed Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, it’s time to recognize that Tourism is a massively important industry in North Dakota and dollars invested in promoting and expanding the tourism opportunities will return the amount invested many times over. Tourism is one…
SBHE Member Kevin Melicher Is Out as Six Candidates Advance to Fill Vacancies
Kevin Melicher, who was appointed to the State Board of Higher Education by former Governor Jack Dalrymple, was never perceived as a strong pick. He embarrassed himself in front of a state Senate committee reviewing his appointment, and that appointment was only narrowly approved by a vote of the full chamber after a lengthy debate.…
Podcast: Tax Commissioner Defends Income Tax Cuts, Lawmaker Says Governor’s Office Audit Is a “Witch Hunt”
Tax Commissioner Ryan Rauschenberger was on the radio show today and responded to a Grand Forks Herald editorial suggesting the state had gone too far in cutting income taxes. The editorial suggested that successive cuts to income tax rates starting during the 2009 session have narrowed the state’s tax base making us more dependent on…
Don’t Attack the State Auditor for Doing His Job
Rep. Roscoe Streyle, a Republican member of the North Dakota Legislature from Minot, has ripped Auditor Josh Gallion in a letter to the editor. Gallion’s sin? Launching a review of travel expenses in Governor Doug Burgum’s office. “I don’t use this term lightly, but this is clearly a witch hunt,” Streyle claims. That’s not the…
Outspoken Minot Lawmaker Decides Against Running for Another Term
State Rep. Roscoe Streyle, who was first elected to the North Dakota House of Representatives in 2010, has shared with me that he’s not seeking a third term. “Been a tough day, but I’m making the best decision for myself and my family, it’s really that simple,” he told me this morning. He’s circulating the…
What if North Dakotans Started Financing Infrastructure by Lending Money to Themselves?
In 2009 the North Dakota Legislature passed a constitutional amendment to create a fund out of a portion of taxes on oil and gas development. It was passed by the voters in the 2010 election, and the result is the Legacy Fund which has a balance of going on $5 billion. It’s projected to have…
Podcast: State Rep. Marvin Nelson Talks About Proposed Ballot Measure Expanding State Worker’s Compensation Coverage
In North Dakota, worker’s compensation insurance is a monopoly. If you own a business you are required to purchase worker’s compensation coverage for your employees, and the only place you can get it is the state-run Workforce Safety & Insurance. Despite this – or because of it, depending on your point of view – North…