Bob Timm: Does Gasoline Need Country Of Origin Labeling?
I for one am very grateful for the drop in oil/gas prices even though it is having a negative effect on the region I live. I live in North Dakota. North Dakota is the number two State in the nation for...
View ArticleBette Grande: The Legislature Is In Session, Time For Citizens To Engage
It was 1997 my first year in the North Dakota Legislature and a Bill came to the floor to complete the 4-lane on Highway 2 between Minot and Williston. The state’s economy was doing better, but times...
View ArticleNorth Dakota Examines Partial Legalization Of Prostitution
With Forum Communications running a multi-part series on human trafficking in North Dakota (“trafficking” is the new media/political buzzword for what is traditionally called prostitution), the issue...
View Article“Don’t tell me we aren’t spending any money”
One of the most useful publications from Legislative Council is their Budget and Fiscal Trends documents which presents the state’s spending and revenues in a series of fairly easy to understand...
View ArticleND Higher Ed Spending Has Increased 159 Percent, Enrollment Up 9 Percent
I wrote a post about the most recent Budget and Fiscal Trends document from Legislative Council and included several graphs about the state’s taxing and spending policy, but I thought one graph...
View ArticleNorth Dakota Abortion Proponents Lose Again
It seems as though every time a pro-life law is being debated the knee-jerk reaction from its opponents is the assertion that it will be struck down by the courts. We are told that these laws are a...
View ArticleLegislators Should Tie Transparency Measures To Local Government Funding
Over the last several bienniums one of the primary opponents to transparency efforts for taxation and spending in the state is local governments. During the 2009 legislative session Rep. Blair...
View ArticleJe Suis Charlie
Here on SAB we focus on North Dakota, and with our legislature beginning its 2015 session this week that means we’re pretty busy these days. But I wanted to take a time out from all that to acknowledge...
View ArticleBismarck Tribune Editorial Board Seems Confused
A bill sponsored by Rep. Roscoe Streyle to change the way North Dakota fills Senate vacancies is getting all sorts of attention. There’s no question it was inspired by the politics of 2016. It’s been...
View ArticleFrom The Left: Will North Dakota Tribes Legalize Marijuana?
Last weekend, it was announced that first term Rep. Pamela Anderson (D) District 41 would be introducing a medical marijuana bill in the North Dakota Legislature. The proposed amendment would be very...
View ArticleND Lawmakers Will Consider Bill Legalizing Concealed Carry In Schools
Back in December state Rep. Dwight Kiefert, a Republican from District 24 (Valley City), wrote a guest post for SAB pledging his on-going efforts to pass legislation allowing concealed carry in North...
View ArticleBill Filed Extending Moratorium On Replacing Fighting Sioux Nickname
It’s been reported previously that Rep. Scott Louser, a Republican from Minot, would be filing a bill to extend the state’s moratorium on a new nickname at the University of North Dakota. Today Rep....
View ArticleCould The North Dakota Legislature Streamline Bill Introduction?
I’ve heard from a few of my fellow gadflies some consternation over perceived delays in getting bills filed and posted online for public scrutiny. While I’m always anxious as the session begins to see...
View ArticleWow: University System Initially Opposes Due Process Rights For Students
It’s a rare moment when the miasma of smug, self-serving rhetoric which surrounds our university system parts for a moment to let the truth shine through. We had a moment like that this evening. SB2150...
View ArticleMatt Evans: Reflicting On The Cost Of Freedom
As much as I think Andres Serrano, the person behind “Piss Christ” is a jerk, and not a very inspiring artist, I’m glad that he wasn’t stoned to death. I’m disappointed, however, in how some people...
View ArticleNorth Dakota Lawmakers Really Want More Guns On Public Property
Currently carrying a concealed weapon in public buildings is verboten even for those citizens with concealed carry licenses. But HB1157, sponsored by Rep. Ben Koppelman (R-West Fargo), would create an...
View ArticleDemocrat Minority Leader Mac Schneider Owes North Dakota An Apology
Back during the election last year Senate Minority Leader Mac Schneider was throwing political bombs over Republican efforts to reform oil taxes during the 2013 session. The reforms “would have cost...
View ArticleBill Would Give $5000 To Each Child Born In North Dakota
Here’s an idea: What if the State of North Dakota deposited $5,000 into an account for every child born to North Dakota parents to be managed by the Bank of North Dakota until the kid goes to college...
View ArticleBills For Balanced Budget, Oil Exports, Pensions And DUI Punishments Filed
Last night a ton of new bills were filed for the 2015 legislative sessions (and some of you were complaining that they weren’t being posted). I’ve written about a couple of the more interesting bills...
View ArticleDavid Flynn: The Basics Of Oil In The North Dakota Economy
There is a big deal about understanding the impacts of oil price changes on the state economy given the legislative session underway in Bismarck. I am obviously all for such efforts. To that end I have...
View Article