The December 2017 tax reform created a new tax incentive called “opportunity zones.” The new program will provide tax benefits to investors who spur economic development in a designated eligible area. Under the law, Governors are given authority to designate opportunity zones in their state. Those designated areas will then raise private capital investments. The […]
I’ve been critical of the power grabs and resilience to independent oversight in the latest North Dakota session. From constant complaints from legislators about being forced to create an ethics commission to changes to citizen-led measure it’s been frustrating. The latest was eliminating independent oversight of the State Auditor. I asked at the time, why […]
Over seven hundred former federal prosecutors have signed onto a letter claiming the conduct of President Trump would, “result in multiple felony charges for obstruction of justice.” The list contains signatures from prosecutors who served under both Republican and Democratic administrations. Former U.S. Attorney Tim Purdon joined the letter. Purdon served five years under President […]
On May 1st, the Trump administration joined Republican-led states, including North Dakota, in asking a federal appeals court to entirely overturn the Affordable Care Act. Medicaid Expansion, gone. Payments for low-income individuals, gone. Federal protections for preexisting conditions, gone. North Dakota’s Legislature, Insurance Commissioner, Attorney General, and federal delegation have failed to live up to […]
The 2019 legislative session adjourned on the 76th day. In conversations with lawmakers and according to post-session reports in other media, a theme developed. Generally speaking, lawmakers felt the atmosphere was different this session compared to previous sessions. It begs the question, what changed this session? Senate Majority Leader Rich Wardner was quoted as saying […]
In the waning days of the 66th legislative session, lawmakers stripped away the State Auditor’s independence in fulfilling their duty. Instead of the Auditor being able to independently decided to undertake a performance audit on a state agency, the office must now get approval from a legislative committee. It appears as though legislators are attempting […]
Couple the latest legislative restraints placed on local governments with the desired changes to constitutional measures started by North Dakota citizens and it appears legislators don’t trust you. For the most part, they don’t trust local officials to make decisions for their own township, city or county so they created prohibitions on what they can […]
Governor Doug Burgum and area lawmakers are attempting to publicly blame Fargo Mayor Tim Mahoney for the state’s failure to fully commit requested funding to the FM Diversion. The finger-pointing began after the Legislature had already decided to cut back their support in a conference committee. Yet, communication to lawmakers from Fargo’s Mayor is to […]
In the final days of the legislative session, lawmakers are wrapping up agency budgets. Those budgets contain pay raises for state employees. The compromise reached between the Senate and House weeks ago was to give state employees approximately 2% in the first year of the biennium and 2.5% in the second in addition to other […]
Over the last few years, whenever I’ve spoken with people around the state, I’ve caught an earful of ideas about how North Dakota’s center-left can rebuild. Many of those ideas didn’t make it past the bar napkin note they were written on. It is no secret the influence of those who politically align on the […]