A nonpartisan research group, The Road Information Program, estimates that one-third of North Dakota roads are in mediocre/fair or poor condition, and the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) estimates that half of our state’s bridges are in fair/poor condition. The results of all this costs North Dakota motorists $186 million a year in extra vehicle […]
I spent the beginning of this month thinking of my father, a WW2 combat veteran of the Pacific who spent his 25th birthday on an LST, a tank landing ship, bound for Japan and a land invasion. His birthday was August 9, the same day the second atom bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. The invasion […]
Two out of North Dakota’s three Congressional delegation members criticized President Trump’s initially “inadequate” response on Saturday to violence that broke out in Charlottesville. Republican Senator John Hoeven joined Democratic Senator Heidi Heitkamp in stating President Trump should have come out more forceful and clearly in his immediate response on white-supremacy activity. Congressman Kevin Cramer […]
On Tuesday, we broke the story that EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt would be holding two events on Wednesday in North Dakota but the public and the press would be barred from both. That story has caught a lot of attention both locally and nationally. We need to recap what transpired over the last 24 hours. […]
Tomorrow the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Scott Pruitt will be in North Dakota. Pruitt will hold two events. The first will be in Fargo on Waters of the United States (WOTUS). The second will be in Grand Forks about energy. Two important topics for North Dakota’s top two industries, agriculture, and energy. […]
Over the weekend it was reported the Legislature is holding off their potential lawsuit against Governor Burgum. The public reason given by legislative leadership is a lawsuit, or a special session to override Burgum’s post-session vetoes would cost money and/or dig into the three remaining legislative days of the biennium. Both would be accurate. However, […]
Today the Office of Management and Budget Director Pam Sharp told the interim Government Finance Committee the State of North Dakota is still considered officially in a recession. The answer provided by Sharp to House Minority Leader Corey Mock’s question comes from analysis of Moody’s Analytics who projected the state would re-emerge from the recession […]
The interim Legislative committees have gotten underway in North Dakota. These committees will gather periodically to study challenges and piece together draft legislation that may be taken up when the full Legislature convenes again in 2019. Yesterday, the Energy Development and Transmission Committee met. A topic they’re considering is raising taxes on wind energy. You […]
Let’s talk about legislative “process,” shall we? Throughout their attempt to repeal and replace Obamacare, Senator John Hoeven has continually attempted to defend the “process” his leader Mitch McConnell undertook. What we witnessed from the United States Senate over this last week was quite frankly despicable. It is indefensible. Zero hearings. Back room deals. Limited […]
This morning I wrote about Senator John Hoeven flipping on his previous position and voting in favor of the very unpopular Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA). That version of “health care reform” was the first of many to be voted on in the Senate during this week after the narrow passage on the motion to […]