Is Swapping One Position for Two Shrinking Government?

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Governor Burgum announced the staff for his office on Thursday and along with it a “new model to deliver results.” There certainly are some recognizable names. I don’t really have anything against the people Burgum decided to hire. Of course, the one hire that leaves me shaking my head is Ron Rauschenberger serving as the senior advisor. Rauschenberger has served as Chief of Staff […]

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Don’t Expect WSI Changes Anytime Soon

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I’ve had a few readers send me an article written by Patrick Springer of the Fargo Forum. Yesterday, Springer’s article, “Firefighter’s battle turns from catastrophic stroke to workers’ comp cuts” left many people angry and shaking their heads. Springer has done great work covering Workforce Safety and Insurance (WSI) over the years, and this article is […]

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Retention Bonuses and Cabinet Appointments

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Remember those Jack Dalrymple retention bonuses during the 2013-2015 biennium? The rather large bonuses given out to his staff to the sum of approximately $100,000 caused a bit of a stink across the state. Legislators from both parties pushed back on the decision claiming these bonuses were excessive. During the GOP Gubernatorial primary, both Wayne Stenehjem and Doug […]

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Legislature May Debate Two Budgets Next Session

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Last week we informed readers that legislative leadership seemingly rejected Governor Dalrymple’s final budget before leaving office later this week. Legislators can go ahead and say they “delayed” action on Dalrymple’s budget all they want. This language is likely to save face. I’m told members of the Dalrymple cabinet immediately went to the Attorney General’s office for an opinion on the […]

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UPDATED Committee Assignments of the 65th Legislative Session.

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The Appropriations Committee has a few new faces this session. This committee will have a tall task in finalizing the budget for the next biennium. Among the new members is Dem-NPL State Senator John Grabinger. Grabinger replaces David O’Connell who was defeated in November. I think it is a good fit as Grabinger has experience […]

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