Most of you reading this probably don’t live in Fargo, so you might not much care that the local park board there violated open meetings law, but if you’re a resident of North Dakota you should be paying attention because how this situation is being handled could very well be how some government entity in…
It Should Be Illegal for a City to Hold an “Open Meeting” in Another City
Last year the City of Minot held a “retreat” in the City of Washburn, a town roughly an hour south along Highway 83. This “retreat” was also, supposedly, an open meeting at which public business was discuss. Including a hot-button issue related to the city doubling the cost of building permits for people living in…
North Dakota Politics Needs More Transparency, Not an Ethics Committee
This Fargo Forum editorial over the weekend struck the right tone on the need for more transparency when it comes to the financial interests of state lawmakers (and probably other elected officials too). It was based on a report by my colleague John Hageman which found that a few state lawmakers are, in addition to holding…
North Dakota Courts Should Approve Mandate for Online Access to Records
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…