Al Carlson Attempts to Force NDSU into Land Swap which would cost Millions

/by

If you thought the fight over the NDSU Nursing Program in Bismarck was over and an isolated event, think again. It seems as if there is never an end to the vindictive back room deals that come from the ND House of Representatives. And I’ve said it before – nothing occurs in the waning moments […]

Read more

Lawmakers Try to Exempt Themselves From Weapons Law

/by

An attempt to give themselves additional weapon exemptions was turned back to conference committee today in the Senate. SB 2139 was amended in conference committee by Rep. Glenn Bosch (read Rep. Todd Porter and Senator Kelly Armstrong) that would allow “state elected officials” a.k.a. Legislators to carry a concealed weapon in a “publicly owned or operated building” […]

Read more

Day 71: Why is the Legislature Still in Session?

/by

Day 71 of the 80 day legislative session starts today. You may recall hearing House Majority Leader Al Carlson and Senate Majority Leader Rich Wardner state they wanted to finish on day 70. Just as they’ve done in the previous two sessions, they failed to achieve their self-imposed deadline even though they “control the flow […]

Read more

Has the Legislature Done Enough to Prevent Another Pipeline Protest? PODCAST

/by

Over the weekend, I visited with former U.S. Attorney Tim Purdon about the state’s process to pipeline siting in North Dakota. Specifically, we focused on the Dakota Access Pipeline siting and protest. Purdon is now a partner at Robins Kaplan LLP and Co-Chair of American Indian Law and Policy Group. Earlier in April, he delivered a speech […]

Read more

Commission on Initiated Measures and Referral Process Must be Watched Carefully

/by

The Legislature’s Commission to study the initiative measure and referral process have succumbed to partisan maneuvering by Rep. Ben Koppelman and Rep. Al Carlson in the final weeks of the session. Throughout the life of SB 2135, many different commission models were discussed. The final product created by amendment in conference committee should raise some […]

Read more