A report in the Bismarck Tribune states, “the five federally recognized tribes in North Dakota want a say in who becomes the next U.S. attorney for the state.” The U.S. Attorney’s Office plays a pivotal role in the prosecution of the most serious crimes committed on the reservations. I support the tribal request, but question […]
I spent last week in Western North Dakota. The trip was set up because I was invited to speak at a gathering in Dickinson. 2014 was the last time I had been there when I ran for the Public Service Commission. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to visit since so much has changed in […]
Brandon Delvo Brandon Delvo sat down to visit with me at Tapps Lounge in Jamestown, North Dakota. I wanted to get his take on veteran issues, agriculture policy, and his experience running for elected office in North Western North Dakota. An Iraq war veteran, Delvo has been an outspoken supporter of making sure he and […]
Josh Swanson Josh Swanson a.k.a. “Swanny” joined me at Bar 9 in West Fargo for the return of Happy Hour in the Heartland. Swanson is an Attorney at Vogel Law Firm where he focuses on energy and natural resource law, business law, property law and land use. He has been at the practice since 2011 and […]
Did I miss something? When did it become frowned upon for a member of a political party to say simply being the party of “No!” wasn’t their job? Why is it surprising for someone in elected office to want to find common ground and get work done when possible, and push back when there is […]
Last week I asked if North Dakota was in a position to pay more for Medicaid Expansion. Under the Republican repeal and replacement of Obamacare – which was enthusiastically supported by Rep. Kevin Cramer – that is exactly what would be expected of our state. A new projection by Republican U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy states North […]
Last Friday, Lauren Donovan of the Bismarck Tribune published an article stating 38,700 emails had been deleted by the Department of Mineral Resource’s Oil and Gas Division but later recovered after an open records request. Those who instigated the request suggest the deletion of these emails was at the directive of Lynn Helms, the Director […]
Is North Dakota in a position to take on more of Medicaid’s funding? That is an important question to consider while Congress debates health care reform. Under the rushed plan passed by the House of Representatives, Medicaid would be shifted to a new funding formula. Reports suggest the new formula would limit federal expenditures and […]
I’ve had a number of readers reach out to me with the same basic question. Now that the North Dakota Legislative Session is over, what’s next for ND xPlains? Rather than answer each individually, I decided to go this route and lay out my intentions for this platform and what you can expect in the […]
It is past time to remove partisan politics from investigations involving Russia and last year’s election. We’ve called on that for months on our Facebook page. The questionable timing of FBI Director James Comey’s firing now demands it. The unexpected removal has seen push back of all kinds. Some demanding truth. Others more partisan in […]