I support a new rule proposed for the North Dakota court system which would require that public records be available to the public for online access. You should too. The state Supreme Court is currently accepting public comment on a new rule, to be called Administrative Rule 41, which among other things would mandate the…
Sean Foss: AG Stenehjem’s Recent Performance Illustrates Need for Independent Counsel on Open Records/Meetings Opinions
On October 27, 2017, Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem issued an Open Records and Meetings opinion regarding a recent visit to North Dakota by EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. During a meeting on the NDSU campus that was closed to the public but included both Governor Doug Burgum and Attorney General Stenehjem, Pruitt discussed the controversial Waters…
UND Spent Over $16,000 on Consulting in Athletics Department Which Produced No Written Reports
Brian Faison, the Athletics Director at the University of North Dakota, retired earlier this week. Only my colleague, Grand Forks Herald sports reporter Tom Miller, doesn’t buy that it was a retirement. In a column he opines that Faison was pushed out and the university is keeping it quiet. Miller notes that UND hired a consultant…
In Defense of the Smoky Back Room
The Bismarck Tribune today, in an editorial, blisters Governor Doug Burgum for holding a closed-door meeting with oil and gas industry leaders to talk about pipeline safety. “When Gov. Doug Burgum took office we knew he would take a different approach to government,” the Tribune writes. “Unfortunately, that includes excluding the public from discussions that directly impact…
Ed Schafer: SB2152 Will Result in Better Government
A Fargo FORUM editorial screams: “Reject bill that would invite secrecy.” It seems to me their tirade points to why nobody reads the newspapers anymore! Concerning Senate Bill 2152, nothing could be farther from the truth. The proposed public policy that would be generated by this legislative action regards protecting the privacy of applicants for…
North Dakota Republicans Introduce Their Own Campaign Transparency Legislation
Earlier this week Democrats announced a group of bills aimed at making politics in North Dakota more transparent. And most of the proposals, outside of yet another push for an ethics commission, are good ideas. Former state Rep. Ed Gruchalla showed us yesterday just how Democrats intend to use an ethics commission, proving just how terrible…
North Dakota Democrats Have Some Good Ideas on Transparency and Accountability Laws
The North Dakota Democratic party, already marginalized by voters in state politics, suffered even more devastating losses this last election day. In addition to losing every single statewide election by a landslide – not a single one of their candidates got even 30 percent of the vote – they lost seven seats in the state…
Audio: Legislative Leader Talks Transparency, Says Dems Shouldn’t Change Even After Election Losses
On my radio show yesterday I had on state Rep. Corey Mock who, earlier this month, was elected as Minorityh Leader for his party’s caucus in the Legislature. I had him on to talk about transparency legislation. Mock has made transparency and ethics a priority during his legislative career and while I think some of his…
The Key to Addressing Burgum’s Business Interests Is Transparency
At the national level voters elected Donald J. Trump to the White House. Here in North Dakota voters elected Doug Burgum to be our state’s 33rd governor. One thing both of these men have in common are extensive private sector business interests. At the national level there is much media hand-wringing and partisan rancor over…
The Media Don’t Care About Your Access So Much as They Care About Their Access
On North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum’s first day in office he sent out video message to the public by way of platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Today the Associated Press published a gripe about politicians who use social media to bypass journalists and control their message, and they cite Burgum’s video message as an…