Plain Talk

We all know the old saying. You don't talk about religion and politics in polite company. Only, does that advice make sense in a society like ours, where we practice self-governance? How can we govern ourselves if we can't talk to one another about politics? And, more pertinent to this episode of Plain Talk, how do we teach our kids how to participate in discourse over challenging issues like abortion or gun control if teachers are afraid to tackle politics in the classroom? Lindsey Galvao is a long-time educator -- the social studies curriculum specialist at GBH and a multiplatform creator for public media, and curriculum writer for the Civics Collection on PBS LearningMedia. Ben Klutsey is the executive director of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University whose work is featured in the documentary "Undivide US." They recently co-authored an op-ed about politics in the classroom, and joined my cohost Chad Oban and I to talk about that very conundrum. "We disagree and that's ok," Klutsey told us. The problem, he argues, is that so many people say "we disagree and you're a threat to my existence." Both Klutsey and Galvao say that teachers need to be unafraid to host discussions about even fraught social and political questions, but that their focus should be on listening and encouraging students to understand one another. But how do we deal with misinformation? Kids who might have gotten the idea that the Sandy Hook school shooting didn't really happen, as right-wing talk radio host Alex Jones has claimed, or that the world is flat? Galvao said she would encourage teachers to ask those kids, "How do you know what you know?" They should be encouraged to explore the basis for their point of view. "We have to think about abiding by certain core principles," Klutsey said, identifying them as respect, authenticity, and curiosity. Which is to say that we need to respect those who disagree with us, represent our own views authentically, and be curious about why others disagree with us. Though, he acknowledged, that doesn't mean making room for false information. "Facts are facts," he said, "and you have to engage on facts as an educator." Want to follow Plain Talk and be kept up to date on all of these debates? Click here for an archive of past shows and for information on how to subscribe, or just search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, including on YouTube.

When U.S. House candidates Julie Fedorchak (a Republican) and Trygve Hammer (a Democrat) sat down for a debate on the Plain Talk podcast with me and my co-host Chad Oban, one of the first questions I asked them was why they wanted to be elected to Congress. Hammer, a Marine Corps veteran, said it's because less than 80 of the current 435 members of the House of Representatives have served in the military. He also said he wants to promote an atmosphere where leaders talk to one another instead of past one another. Fedorchak wants to focus on issues like border security, "record high inflation," and energy policy. One of the last questions I asked them was about their top priorities if elected. Hammer said a new farm bill and the national debt, as well as "talking to North Dakotans continuously" and taking his cues from the people. For her answer, Fedorchak said constituent services, arguing that, even if progress on making policy is stalled, members of Congress can still "be a force" for individual North Dakotans. Our debate covered a myriad of issues, from campaign promises made by national candidates to eliminating taxes on tips and Social Security benefits (Fedorchak wouldn't commit to supporting either, Hammer said he supports both with some caveats), to the national debt, to civility in politics, to America's foreign policy in Ukraine and Gaza. One area where the candidates agreed very closely was the need for a new farm bill. Both acknowledged that American agriculture has been operating under an old and badly out-of-date farm bill. An area where the candidates disagreed sharply was on the issue of abortion. Asked about her support for a national abortion ban -- something presidential candidate Donald Trump has come out against -- Fedorchak described her position as wanting a national "gestational limit" on abortions after around 15 or 16 weeks, with exceptions for the life of the mother and rape or incest. This "would allow states within that framework to be a little stricter," she argued that it would put the United States in line with "every civilized country in the world." Hammer said he does not support a national abortion ban and argued that even state-level bans are often "unnecessarily cruel." He pointed to the failure of a pro-life ballot measure in 2014 as evidence that North Dakotans don't want government interference in the abortion issue "at any level." Our intent with the Plain Talk debates is to foster conversations where the candidates can compare and contrast with one another on the issues. As with our previous U.S. Senate debate between Democrat Katrina Christiansen and Republican incumbent Kevin Cramer, Hammer and Fedorchak engaged civilly, providing robust answers while disagreeing without being disagreeable. Want to follow Plain Talk and be kept up to date on all of these debates? Click here for an archive of past shows and for information on how to subscribe, or just search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, including on YouTube.

"This is the best job I could ever imagine," North Dakota U.S. Attorney Mac Schneider said on this episode of Plain Talk. Schneider was appointed to that position by President Joe Biden. Later this year, when America elects a new president, he may be out of a job, depending on how the country casts its ballots. A Republican president isn't likely to keep a Democratic appointee, but if Vice President Kamala Harris wins, would Schneider want another term in the office? He says yes. "I'm grateful for every minute I have in this job." My co-host Chad Oban and I asked Schneider about whether his office has seen any local blowback from national politics, where the FBI and the Department of Justice have, in recent years, been accused of political bias by both Republicans and Democrats. FBI Director Christopher Wray, who has rejected demands to resign from former President Donald Trump, the man who appointed him, and who recently visited North Dakota, has frequently been at the center of interparty food fights. Schneider says national-level drama has had little impact on federal law enforcement operations in North Dakota. "Not at all," was his reply to our question. "In North Dakota, the FBI is, rightly so, seen as law enforcement," he said. "I don't pick that up at all that there's any distrust of federal law enforcement here in North Dakota," he continued. We also asked Schneider about the recent federal prosecution of former Republican state Sen. Ray Holmberg, which resulted in a guilty plea to crimes related to traveling to Europe to pay for sex with minors. Schneider was recused from the case by the Department of Justice because he, like Holmberg, served the Grand Forks community in the state Senate. "You can just about imagine how I feel," he said when asked what it was like to watch someone he worked closely with plead guilty to those crimes. Also on this episode, Oban and I discussed school schedules, and how their complexities can make things hard for parents, and also the on-going struggles of the North Dakota High School Activities Association to deal with terrible, often bigoted behavior at sporting events. Want to follow Plain Talk and be kept up to date on all of these debates? Click here for an archive of past shows and for information on how to subscribe, or just search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, including on YouTube.

When we organize candidate debates on the Plain Talk podcast, our intent is to foster a competition that's not bogged down by a lot of rules and restrictive formatting, nor plagued by shouting and candidates talking over one another. We don't really even want a competition. We want a conversation. A thoughtful discussion between two candidates on important issues of interest to the voters. I think we achieved that with the debate my co-host Chad Oban and I hosted between incumbent U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer, a Republican, and his Democratic challenger Katrina Christiansen. Our conversation covered everything from partisanship, to social security, the national debt, the state of the farm bill and Congress's inability to pass an updated iteration of it, the wars in Ukraine and Israel, and the role of government in our lives. The candidates found places where they agree. Both say they're committed to America's continued backing of Ukraine against Russia's war of aggression. Both support Israel's right to defend itself against terrorism. Both described border security as a crisis for our country. In other areas, however, there was sharp disagreement. Christiansen hit Cramer for voting against a bipartisan border bill negotiated in part by Sen. James Lankford, one of the most conservative members of the Senate and, Cramer revealed, a roommate of the incumbent. Cramer, for his part, pointed out that while Christiansen may be more moderate than some of her national Demcoratic counterparts, her presence in the Senate is a vote toward liberal Democrats leading the chamber. Overall, it was precisely the conversation we were hoping to get. Specifically, a back and forth between two engaged, well-informed candidates. We will have more debates upcoming on Plain Talk. On August 30, the U.S. House candidates, Republican Julie Fedorchak and Democrat Trygve Hammer, will face off. On September 6 we'll host the gubernatorial candidates, Republican Kelly Armstrong and Democrat Merrill Piepkorn. On September 13, supporters and opponents of the Measure 4, the property tax proposal, will make their cases. We also have a preliminary agreement between the candidates for Superintendent of Public Schools, incumbent Kirsten Baesler and former state Sen. Jason Heitkamp. I'll have more on that once it's confirmed. Want to follow Plain Talk and be kept up to date on all of these debates? Click here for an archive of past shows and for information on how to subscribe, or just search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, including on YouTube.

"Every law enforcement officer I've spoken to has said this has been hard on our state and hard on law enforcement." That's what Burleigh County Sheriff Kelly Leben had to say on this episode of Plain Talk. He's referring to Measure 5 on North Dakota's November ballot which, if passed, would legalize the recreational use of marijuana. "I'm very big on personal freedom," Sheriff Leben told co-host Chad Oban and I, but added that those liberties have to be balanced with the needs of public safety. He rejected the oft-made argument from marijuana supporters that legalization will make less work for law enforcement, arguing that "prices" for illicit marijuana will still "entice the black market." Leben did credit the backers of Measure 5 with taking a thoughtful approach to the issue. "I would have to concede that they're trying to get it right," he said, but added that the costs of legalization outweigh the benefits. Also on this episode, Jamie Selzler, a North Dakota delegate to the Democratic National Committee, spoke to us from his party's national convention in Chicago. He reflected on the speeches, the security and protests, and the heartbreak he felt when actor Mark Hamil, of Luke Skywalker fame, was too tired to pose with him for a selfie. Want to follow Plain Talk? Click here for an archive of past shows and for information on how to subscribe, or just search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, including on YouTube.

"Let's take valuations away." That's what state Rep. Ben Koppelman proposed on this episode of Plain Talk. He's referring to a plan for property tax reform that he's proposed should Measure 4 -- a constitutional ban on taxing property values -- fail on the statewide ballot in November. Koppelman would like to see property taxed on size, not value. His plan would levy mills on the square footage of properties, and the structures on those properties, with residential property owners seeing their bill defrayed by credits akin to the state's existing Homestead Tax Credit. "For many years the locals have blamed the Legislature" for the property tax problem, Koppelman said, arguing that, whatever happens with Measure 4, it's time for the Legislature to implement some more dramatic property tax reform to address what is a perennial source of consternation for North Dakota's voters. Koppelman said he's not for or against Measure 4, saying he's got his personal feelings but doesn't want to "twist the arm of voters." However, in the 2023 session, he did oppose Legislation that would have abolished property taxes. Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I discuss the politics around the Measure 4 debate, recent polling in North Dakota's U.S. Senate race that shows Democratic candidate Katrina Christiansen putting up strong numbers, and some of the upcoming debates we have scheduled for the podcast. Want to follow Plain Talk? Click here for an archive of past shows and for information on how to subscribe, or just search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, including on YouTube.

Even if North Dakota voters approve Measure 4, a constitutional amendment that would disallow taxes on real estate values, our state and its elected leaders will still need to figure out how to replace the roughly $2.4 billion in revenues those taxes generate very budget cycle. We're going to pay for it. The question is how. Neal Messer, a farmer, businessman, and commissioner in Stark County, joined this episode of Plain Talk to discuss what that problem might look like from a local level. One upshot? Property owners may still be stuck with a property tax. "It does open the door where we could tax property based on square footage," Messer told us, though he added that the measure itself is "not very well written." "The challenge is five years from now," he added, pointing out that Measure 4 obligates state lawmakers to replace the revenues from property value taxes, but only at four years from now. Messer argues that, thanks to things like inflation, the cost of something like paving a road is going to cost more in five years than it does today, and yet Measure 4 would pin the Legislature's obligation for paying for local government eternally in 2024. Messer also says he's worried about giving big companies and out-of-state landowners a big tax break by eliminating the tax on property values. He pointed to Marathon Oil, which pays a big tax bill in his county that in turn does a lot to fund local schools, but would be able to keep that money in their out of state headquarters should Measure 4 pass. There are also wealthy, out-of-state landowners who would benefit as well, he argues. "Bill Gates doesn't need another tax break." Also on this episode, my co-host Chad Oban and I discuss why I was wrong about Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz being bad pick as runningmate for Vice President Kamala Harris. Want to follow Plain Talk? Click here for an archive of past shows and for information on how to subscribe, or just search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, including on YouTube.

The emergence of Vice President Kamala Harris as the top-of-the-ticket candidate for Democrats, nationally, has created an undeniable wave of enthusiasm among our liberal friends. North Dakota's Democrats are no different. "There's a new pep in our step," state Rep. Zac Ista told my co-host Chad Oban and I on this episode of Plain Talk. Ista is a Democrat from Grand Forks and the House Minority Leader, and he had some very pragmatic things to say about the chances Democratic legislative candidates have on the ballot this year. Ista pointed out that Democrats already elected to the Legislature have been punching above their weight. They have only 16 seats in the state Legislature, but saw over 50 bills sponsored by Democratic lawmakers passed. He also praised his party's candidate recruitment efforts. Acknowledging that Democrats have struggled to fill all of the legislative races in past cycles, particularly in western North Dakota, he said his party has filled 80% of the races this cycle. Still, even if Democrats win every race they have a candidate in, they couldn't take a majority in either chamber of the Legislature. It's not mathematically possible. "We don't have enough candidates on the ballot," Ista said, but he does see an opportunity for Democrats to make up some ground. But that will require those candidates to get out into their communities and prove they're something more than "someone with a D in parentheses behind their name" on the ballot. Ista also said he's opposed to a constitutional measure that would abolish property taxes, which will almost certainly be on the ballot in November. Asked why voters should trust lawmakers to address the property tax problem meaningfully, given that it's an issue that has rankled voters for decades, Ista said that while dangling "carrots" in front of local governments to inspire them to lower property tax burdens, "we have to get more serious about talking about sticks," he said, referencing possible caps on property tax increases. Also on this episode, Oban and I talk about the controversy former President Donald Trump has created around Kamala Harris's racial background, and who Harris might choose as vice president. Want to follow Plain Talk? Click here for an archive of past shows and for information on how to subscribe, or just search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, including on YouTube.

Rep. Kelly Armstrong, who is currently in the midst of a campaign to become North Dakota's next governor, has had a long career in public service. On this episode of Plain Talk, he told my co-host Chad Oban and I what his proudest moment has been from that career (so far, he's still a young man in political years). He said it was helping his hometown, Dickinson, build a new baseball complex. It was a reminder that Armstrong's track record of public service didn't begin in elected office. In fact, that's probably true of most of our elected leaders, even at the highest levels of government. We can be cynical about politics. We're certainly given good reason to be much of the time. But there's something nice in being reminded that political careers often start with public service at a granular level. Unfortunately, much of what we discussed on this episode is the sort of thing that justifies our cynicism about political leadership. Armstrong expressed frustration about the House of Representatives going out on recess without having completed the appropriations process. "I don't think Congress has done a budget in 25 years that's an actual budget," he said. "I get frustrated because we're pretending like we're doing something," he added. Armstrong also weighed in on the presidential race, saying Democrats are enjoying a "sugar high" around their new candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris, while acknowledging that the rollout of Sen. J.D. Vance as former President Donald Trump's running mate has been rocky. Armstrong also talked about what his priorities in Bismarck might be should he be elected come November, and one of them is the state's budget. "Our growth in spending has been pretty significant since 2012," he said, and while much of that was "necessary" when it happened, it may be time to curb the growth. Want to follow Plain Talk? Click here for an archive of past shows and for information on how to subscribe, or just search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, including on YouTube.

In 2018, North Dakota voters approved a ballot measure creating the state Ethics Commission. The commission was implemented in 2019, and that first year, it received just 2 complaints. There were 3 in 2020, 9 in 2021, then a spike (right around election time) in 2022 to 14. There were 14 complaints again in 2023, and so far in 2024 (another election year) the number has spiked to 25 as of July 25. Those numbers came from Rebecca Binstock, the executive director of the ethics commission, who joined this episode of Plain Talk to advertise the fact that the commission is currently accepting applications for new members (find more on that in their press release). "Any North Dakota resident can serve on the ethics commission," Binstock told us, though there are some exemptions. For instance, if you're currently an elected official, or in a leadership position in a political party, you need not apply. But Binstock also discussed with my co-host Chad Oban the fact that the Ethics Commission has become much more visible in North Dakota politics, and governance, and what it does, and what it should do, are becoming increasingly important questions. "Ethics commissions alone do not create ethical government," Binstock told us, adding that it also requires a robust news media, and an engaged electorate. The Ethics Commission gets the most attention from its complaint process, where members of the public can allege unethical behavior by state officials that is then reviewed by the commission, but Binstock argued that some of its other missions, such as educating state and local officials about ethics policies and promoting more transparency, are as, if not more, important. She also discussed the commission taking a larger role in enforcing state campaign laws. Want to follow Plain Talk? Click here for an archive of past shows, and for information on how to subscribe, or just search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, including on YouTube.

Many Republicans are trying to argue that President Joe Biden opting to end his re-election campaign, and the subsequent consolidation of Democrats behind the candidacy of Vice President Kamala Harris, was a "coup." Was it? My co-host Chad Oban and I discussed it on this episode of Plain Talk, where we were also joined by Trista Keith, a now-former member of the Dickinson State University nursing faculty. That faculty has resigned, and the administration at DSU has moved on, opting to use personnel from Mayville State University to provide instruction to its nursing students. Craig, who came on the program to rebut claims made in our previous interview with North Dakota University System Chancellor Mark Hagerott, said she and her fellow nurses resigned because the credit hour requirements in their contracts were untenable. Hagerott, echoing claims made by DSU President Stephen Easton (who has also resigned though remains in his position as higher ed leaders work on finding a replacement), also claimed that the program was costing a half-million dollars a year to graduate just 16 students. Keith acknowledged that the program's graduation numbers were down, but attributed that to a blip from the COVID-19 pandemic. "It's completely unfair not to take COVID into consideration," she said. She said the pandemic scared a lot of prospective students away. "Nobody wanted to become a nurse," but she said things have been recovering, noting that the DSU program had 60 incoming students. She also said she was "disappointed" in Hagerott's comments, saying she expected that "someone int hat leadership position" would "get the other side of the story." "I've never spoken to the chancellor," she said. Want to follow Plain Talk? Click here for an archive of past shows, and for information on how to subscribe, or just search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, including on YouTube.

When President Joe Biden announced an end to his re-election campaign, Adam Goldwyn, chairman of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL, participated in a call with his counterparts from around the country that resulted in a unanimous endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris to replace the incumbent at the top of the party's national ticket. "There was overwhelming support for her in that group," Goldwyn told me and my co-host Chad Oban on this episode of Plain Talk. Responding to complaints from Republicans that Biden was pushed out undemocratically after Democratic voters around the country cast their primary ballots for him, Goldwyn said, "there was no cigar-filled back room." "Nobody pushed President Biden out of anything," he said, adding that the party's convention process is now "open" and that the delegates "could vote for anyone they want." Goldwyn says he senses a lot of enthusiasm from Democrats after the shake-up. Also on this episode, Chad and I discuss how Harris's ascendence may impact the race, what she should do to win a national election, and who her running mate might be. Want to follow Plain Talk? You can search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, listen to new episodes on YouTube, or click here for an archive of our episodes and to find subscribe links for some of the most popular podcasting services.

Dickinson State University, one of the North Dakota University System's four-year institutions, has been thrown into chaos by a labor dispute with a group of nursing faculty. First the faculty, after rejecting a new contract aimed at tamping down what DSU President Stephen Easton too much spending on a program that produces too few students, chose to resign en masse. Then Easton himself tendered his resignation alongside a lengthy statement in which he defended his approach to the dispute. "The simple reality is that, though we love DSU Nursing and want to help it survive, we cannot spend over half a million dollars in compensation expenses for 16 Registered Nurses," he wrote in that statement posted on DSU's website. "That does not work financially." "We're not going to be held hostage by 7 contract-rejecting faculty," Mark Hagerott, chancellor of the university system, said on this episode of Plain Talk. Hagerott told guest co-host Corey Mock and me that "the focus is on the students" who are set to resume classes for the fall semester in approximately five weeks, and said that Eason, who continues to serve as president until the State Board of Higher Education chooses a new leader, is still negotiating with the former nursing faculty to find a new contract. The chancellor noted that East was trying to apply the same standards for credit hours and instruction that apply to the rest of the faculty at DSU. "Seven people didn't sign their contract," he said. "Everybody else is moving forward." Will the DSU nursing program survive? And what will happen to the students currently enrolled in this program if the impasse continues? Hagerott said his expectation is that the program continues, and that if need be current students could be served by faculty at some of North Dakota's other public institutions. He also said he's had preliminary conversations with at least one state lawmaker about finding funds to help those students with scholarships to smooth over any hardships from that transition. Also on this episode, U.S. House candidate Julie Fedorchak joined to reflect on the Republican national convention she just attended in Milwaukee. "You could hear a pin drop when he was recapping the assassination attempt," she said of former President Donald Trump's speech accepting the convention's nomination. "You could see the weight on him," she continued, noting the less bombastic tone Trump struck during the address. She said it was "electric" in the convention hall, and that Trump's "drill baby drill" comments about expanding domestic energy production got the "loudest" reaction from the audience and was "music to my ears." Want to subscribe to Plain Talk? Search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

Sandi Sanford, chair of the North Dakota Republican Party, joined this episode of Plain Talk from the GOP's national convention in Milwaukee, where, she said, "the security plan changed drastically" after the attempted assassination of the party's presidential candidate Donald Trump. Republicans have been focused on unity at this event -- two of Trump's top rivals during the primaries, Gov. Ron DeSantis and former ambassador Nikki Haley, endorsed him in speeches at the convention -- but Sanford acknowledged to my co-host Chad Oban and I that this may be a heavy lift. "People know that what we're dealing with in North Dakota with the different factions," she said, initially calling the populist wing of the party the "far right" before correcting herself and describing them as "grassroots." The NDGOP delegation to the national convention wasn't necessarily behind Gov. Doug Burgum potentially being Trump's running mate (Burgum himself was passed over for a delegate slot by the NDGOP's state convention), but Sanford said she felt the delegates were "really confident in Donald Trump and his pick" "It gets dicey," she said of intraparty politics. "It can get cruel," but Sanford said her job is to keep the factions united. "I'm bringing people together." Sanford also addressed a visit to the North Dakota delegation from Matt Schlapp of the American Conservative Union (the organization which puts on the Conservative Political Action Conference). In March, Schlapp paid a nearly half-million settlement to a man he allegedly made unwanted sexual advances toward. "My delegation wanted to hear from CPAC," she said, adding that Schlapp was "on a speaking circle" addressing several state delegations. Also on this episode, we discuss how the assassination attempt on Trump might impact the rest of this presidential election cycle, and whether Democrats will replace incumbent President Joe Biden. Want to subscribe to Plain Talk? Search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

Gov. Doug Burgum has gone through a "transformation." That's what reporter Stephen Rodrick said on this episode of Plain Talk. He spent a lot of time in North Dakota for a profile of Burgum published recently by Politico. He wrote that the governor has been "rebranding" on his way to a potential place on former President Donald Trump's national ticket. That means that Burgum has, along the arc of his political career, but a lot of different things to different people. What Rodrick found, talking to people who knew Burgum during times in his life, is that many of them feel that many who liked him in the past perhaps feel differently now. "They all had love for him at a certain point," he said, even those who today might be fairly described as Burgum's enemies. "His transformation over the past 3 or 4 months if baffling," Rodrick told my co-host Chad Oban and I. And how will Burgum be received on the national stage if he is Trumps VP pick? Rodrick thinks observers will be surprised. "They're going to be like, 'wow he really didn't want anyone who has his own level of national charisma.'" Also on this episode, Oban and I discuss April Baumgarten's story about North Dakota First Lady Katyrn Burgum's primary ballot getting rejected because of a handwriting mismatch. Burgum World isn't offering anything in the way of an explanation for why that happened, which leaves an information vacuum that could be filled with some not-so-great conclusions. Want to subscribe to Plain Talk? Search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

Senate Majority Leader David Houge, a Republican from Minot, says that if voters approve a ballot measure eliminating property taxes, state lawmakers will be left with a mess. He said that the legislature's appropriators will be tasked with making big spending cuts. He said that members of the taxation and finance committees will have to find new ways to bring in revenues. He also said that reserve funds would likely have to be tapped to make up the roughly $2.6 billion in revenues property taxes generate for local governments every budget cycle. But in 2012, voters rejected a similar ballot measure to eliminate property taxes, in part based on promises from lawmakers that they would fix the problem. My co-host, Chad Oban, asked Hogue why voters should trust them this time around. "We have tried other things that haven't necessarily worked," he said, but this time he sees more willingness from his colleagues to implement things like caps on taxation. We also spoke with Hogue about his recent letter to the editor, which he co-authored with House Majority Leader Mike Lefor (R - Dickinson), making the case for carbon capture in North Dakota. He likened the debate over the opposition to the Summit Carbon pipeline to the protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline, pointing out that in both instances, the opposition said the pipelines were unsafe. "The idea that the pipeline is dangerous, I reject that," he said, going on to point out that capturing and sequestering carbon in North Dakota has many benefits for the state's agriculture and energy industries, though he also acknowledged that Summy Carton Solutions, the company behind the project, has made some mistakes. "They lowballed some landowners," he said, and acknowledged that Summit may have been too aggressive in using a state statute that allows surveyors to go on private land without permission. "That was a misstep as well," he said, though he added that since Summit has "corrected" a lot of its mistakes. Want to subscribe to Plain Talk? Search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

Disgraced former state Sen. Ray Holmberg has indicated, through his legal counsel, that he will be pleading guilty to federal criminal charges related to international travel to solicit sex with children. "When that happens," Attorney General Drew Wrigley said on this episode of Plain Talk, "everything that we have becomes a public record." An untold number of public documents, including email messages and more, are currently inaccessible by the news media and the public due to state law that exempts records related to on-going criminal investigations. But once Holmberg official pleads guilty, which will happen later this year, that exemption will go away, and Wrigley says his office will work to preemptively make as much information available to the public as possible. Wrigley also spoke with me and my co-host Chad Oban about the on-going rift between North Dakota and Minnesota over fossil-fuel energy. Minnesota has passed a law mandating that all energy used in the state be from sources that don't emit carbon by 2040. North Dakota, which has successfully sued Minnesota over similar legislation in the past, and which provides the bulk of Minnesota's electricity, much of it from coal-fired power plants, is objecting. Wrigley sits on the North Dakota Industrial Commission, which recently sent Minnesota a letter asking the state to reconsider or reform the law. "We're not at war with Minnesota," he said. "We're not even at war with their statute. But we could be." Also on this episode, Gannon University Professor Jeff Bloodworth, who authored a recent Washington Post article about the struggles Democrats are having with rural voters, took our questions about how Democrats might go about fixing that problem. "Urban educated liberals took over the Democratic Party and started booting out working class Democrats," he said. He argues that the party's leaders currently see little need to figure out why rural Americans aren't voting for them. "It's just easier to stereotype rural voters," he said. Want to subscribe to Plain Talk? Search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

We covered a lot of ground on this episode of Plain Talk. Rep. Brandy Pyle, a Republican from Casselton, joined to talk about her efforts to curb distractions from devices in the legislative committee she chairs, and to talk about the struggles our society is having with our phone addictions. North Dakota University System Chancellor Mark Hagerott also joined to discuss the State Board of Higher Education's decision to move on from his leadership. Hagerott characterized it as an amicable transition, though he acknowledged that he doesn't get along with one board member. "I'm not on his Christmast list," Hagerott said, though he declined to mention which board member. Also on this episode, me and co-host Chad Oban discuss what we both agreed was a terrible, really bad, no good debate performance from President Joe Biden last night. Want to subscribe to Plain Talk? Search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

The signature turn-in deadline for the committee backing a ballot measure to abolish North Dakota's tax on property value (but not, it's important to note, other types of property taxes) arrives on Saturday, June 29. The committee is expected to turn in the requisite number of signatures, which, if they pass muster, will kick off a repeat of a debate over property taxes voters here have had before. In 2012 a similar proposal to eliminate the tax on property value was put before voters, and it failed spectacularly. A coalition group calling itself Keep It Local ND rallied to persuade more than 70% of voters to cast their ballots against the measure. That coalition is back, and two of its organizers -- Andrea Pfennig from the Greater North Dakota Chamber of Commerce and my co-host Chad Oban, whose day job is with North Dakota United -- were on this episode of Plain Talk to discuss it. Their arguments against the measure? It would eliminate about $2.6 billion in revenues for local governments every budget cycle with no real plan for how to replace it. And those voters who are frustrated with the Legislature's impotence in addressing this issue should consider, they argue, that it would be that same Legislature tasked with coming up with a revenue alternative. Also on this episode, Democratic-NPL U.S. House candidate Trygve Hammer, fresh off his victory in the June primary, joined to discuss his general election campaign. He wants to make it clear to North Dakota voters that a Democrat winning a statewide vote in North Dakota is "not impossible." "I have an experience that's closer to what most North Dakotan's have experienced," he said, touting his military background and blue-collar resume. "I've been boots on the ground in the oil patch." Hammer spoke about everything from border security to foreign affairs. Of Ukraine, "Putin has to be stopped," Hammer said. "Putin is a butcher." In the middle-east, Hammer said Israel absolutely has a right to protect itself, but sees a toxic relationship between the Islamic extremists who are a threat to the Jewish state and its current leadership. "Netanyahu needs Hamas and Hamas needs Netanyahu," he said, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

North Dakota's primary elecitons this year were brutal. Attack ads and dirty tricks are endemic to politics, but I think most people would admit that, by the standards of our state, the Republican campaigns in this cycle were rough. In legislative races, we saw ads suggesting that some incumbent lawmakers promote pornography to children, or that they would be unsafe to allow your children around. In the U.S. House primary, some unknown entity supporting Rick Becker's campaign was sending out text messages trying to fool voters into thinking Julie Fedorchak, who ultimately won that race, had pulled out. And in the gubernatorial race, Tammy Miller's campaign ran ads accusing Kelly Armstrong of enriching himself by helping child molesters avoid justice. But when Armstrong appeared on this episode of Plain Talk to recap the race, he shrugged the attacks off. "You can't take these things seriously," he told me and my co-host Corey Mock. Armstrong now faces Democratic-NPL candidate Merrill Piepkorn in the general election, but we asked him, if he should win in November, what the top priorities of his administration would be. "Property taxes," he said, pointing out that consternation about those tax bills are running so high that a ballot measure to abolish them, which may appear on the November ballot as well, could well pass. "If it passes, you have a real problem," he said. Armstrong said another problem is access to labor. He said past political leaders in North Dakota have campaigned on creating jobs, but that doesn't make a lot of sense right now. "We have 30,000 open jobs," he said. "Campaigning on jobs is great...trying to figure out how to get people here to take them is a harder conversation." Also, in this episode, Mock and I discussed the seemingly intractable problem of property taxes, and what the primary election results mean for the future of the divide in the North Dakota Republican Party. Want to subscribe to Plain Talk? Search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

"We knew we wanted to stay positive and above board," Republican U.S. House nominee Julie Fedorchak said on this episode of Plain Talk. Fedorchak just emerged from a bruising competition against former state lawmaker Rick Becker and three other candidates with a resounding victory. She received nearly 50% of the vote in a five-way race. The race was a nasty one. In the final days text messages in support of Becker (thought he candidate has denied involvement) disseminated false information, including the bogus claim that Fedorchak had withdraw from the race. Fedorchak told me and co-host Chad Oban that she heard reports from poll workers saying voters were showing up thinking she wasn't still a valid candidate on the ballot. Fedorchak says her campaign plans to pursue their complaint with the Federal Election Commission over what she described as "election fraud," as well as possible legal action. That sort of campaigning is "bad for your overall cause," Fedorchak told us. "It's bad for conservatism." Also on this episode, Oban and I talk about Kelly Armstrong's resounding victory over Tammy Miller in the gubernatorial primary, as well as victories for traditional Republican candidates in legislative primaries around the state. Our conclusion? Last night, voters rejected ugly, populist, culture war campaigning, and it was an act of civic hygiene. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

Will a ballot measure putting age limits on North Dakota's congressional delegation, and printing candidate ages on the ballot, be approved by voters? Will MAGA-aligned populists gain ground against traditional Republican legislators in the North Dakota Republican party's primaries? Who will win the NDGOP's primaries for governor and U.S. House? Can Democratic-NPL candidates across the state build enough momentum to be competitive in the general election? My co-host Chad Oban and I make our predictions on this episode of Plain Talk. On our next show, on Wednesday, we'll either be gloating because we were right, or eating our hats. Want to subscribe to Plain Talk? Search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

Due to a scheduling mix-up with Attorney General Drew Wrigley -- he was coming on to discuss North Dakota's legal position in redistricting lawsuits -- this episode of Plain Talk was truncated. Still, despite the shorter show, we covered some good ground. Me and my co-host Chad Oban talked about the top election official in one of North Dakota's most populous counties winning a gift from U.S. House candidate Rick Becker's campaign. We also had Bismarck resident Lance Hagen on to discuss his FEC complaint against state Rep. Brandon Prichard and his federal political action committee Citizens Alliance of North Dakota, which has been running some wildly inaccurate ads and, Hagen alleges, may be violating federal rules on independent candidates colluding with candidates. Hagen also said he's concerned about Rep. Prichard shuffling money between political committees he's founded, arguing that money may be used for purposes the donors didn't intend. Want to subscribe to Plain Talk? Search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

When we booked U.S. Rep. Kelly Armstrong for this episode of Plain Talk, we weren't planning on talking about Donald Trump. The plan was to get Armstrong's reactions to polls showing a prohibitive lead for him over Lt. Gov. Tammy Miller in the Republican gubernatorial primary. The plan was to discuss the debate the Greater North Dakota Chamber of Commerce just hosted between him and Miller. But then a New York jury convicted Trump on 34 criminal counts, and we were obliged to talk to Armstrong about it. All the more so because, just hours before the jury handed down that verdict, Trump had endorsed Armstrong in the primary. It was a respectful but heated conversation -- neither I nor my co-host Chad Oban are Trump fans -- but I'm glad we had it. And one thing I appreciate about Armstrong is that you can have vigorous disagreements with him, and it's never personal. Armstrong, a former criminal defense attorney, addressed some of the legal arguments around the case. My argument? I'm worried that the particulars of the legal arguments cause us to gloss over the grotesque behavior from Trump that's at the heart of the case. Namely, the fact that he paid off multiple porn stars to cover up extra-marital affairs, and colluded with a notorious tabloid to capture and kill negative stories about him. We didn't just talk about Trump, though. We also covered the debate, property taxes, and child care. Want to subscribe to Plain Talk? Search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

U.S. House candidate Alex Balazs is still set on winning. On this episode of Plain Talk, he told me and co-host Chad Oban that he plans to finish the last two weeks of his primary campaign strong. There will be ads and billboards and travel, and the candidate, who received the North Dakota Republican Party's convention endorsement in April, thinks he can win, despite polls showing him in a distant 4th place. But if he doesn't, would he stay involved in politics? "I just don't know," he said. Balazs also took questions about Donald Trump's criminal trial in New York, with its looming verdict, and the level of assistance he's received from the North Dakota Republican Party. "They've been really good at helping," he said. Also on this episode, Chad and I discuss the recent polling in the Republican House and gubernatorial primaries, dirty campaigning in legislative races, and more. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

"I've been an outside viewer," Dustin McNally, a Republican candidate for the state Senate in Grand Forks-area District 42, said on this episode of Plain Talk. "I haven't really liked what I've seen. McNally was speaking about what he's been seeing from North Dakota's Legislature. "It's a lot of negative news. It's a lot of changes in the Republican party, and not for the better," he said. "I feel like they're not working for me," he added. "I feel like they're working for themselves." "People are fed up, he continued." McNally says he'd like to see more focus on pragmatic issues, and less on dramatic culture war topics. "I'm a frugal, fiscally conservative person," he said. "I'm not a headline grabber." Also on this episode, me and co-host Chad Oban talk about the ominous silence coming from Epic Companies, a West Fargo-based company with projects in just about all of North Dakota's major communities that is widely rumored to be in distress but isn't being forthcoming with information. We also discussed the state of the Republican U.S. House primary, and how certain legislative races around the state may impact North Dakota's balance of political power. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

U.S. House candidate Rick Becker recently took the unusual step of paying internet personality and trans rights activist Dylan Mulvaney to record a message praising the energy record of his primary rival, Public Service Commisisoner Julie Fedorchak. The message was done tongue-in-cheek -- though it hasn't sat well with some elements of the MAGA movement who take exception to Becker working with Mulvaney in even a joking way -- but Becker used it to attack Fedorchak's record on coal issues. "What's not a laughing matter is how time and again Julie Fedorchack placed radical green energy proposals above the coal industry here in North Dakota," he wrote. That may have been a mistake. North Dakota's coal industry noticed Becker's stunt, and it has prompted them to endorse Fedorchak in the race. "That is a statement I can't even wrap my head around," Jason Bohrer, the president of the North Dakota Lignite Energy Council and chair of Lignite's political action committee, said on this episode of Plain Talk. "I don't understand where that statement comes from," he added. Bohrer told me and co-host Chad Oban that Lignite doesn't typically endorse in partisan primaries, but they feel this situation is different. "This is a place where we have to be clear," Bohrer said. "We do support Julie." He made it clear that the organization is endorsing Fedorchak in the race. Bohrer said he didn't want to spend a lot of time "attacking" Becker's record on coal issues while serving in the Legislature, but he did say that Becker "has never been supportive" of the industry's priorities on research and development. "We had a group of legislators we would go to for those things," Bohrer added. "He wasn't in it." Also on this episode, state Rep. Michelle Strinden, who is running for Lt. Governor alongside gubernatorial candidate Kelly Armstrong, took questions about being chosen as a running mate, the state of the race, and top issues like education and property taxes. Want to subscribe to Plain Talk? Search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

A civil war is playing out in the North Dakota Republican Party between traditionally conservative Republicans and MAGA-aligned populists. One front in that war is the NDGOP's legislative primaries, where a group called Citizens Alliance of North Dakota is trying to defeat traditional Republicans. State Rep. Brandon Prichard, a Republican from Bismarck, is the executive director of Citizens Alliance. His group has been sending mailers to voters suggesting that its preferred candidates in the primaries are backed by incumbents who do not support actually them. One of the candidates targeted by these tactics, Rep. Jeremy Olson, a first-termer from District 26 who is seeking another term in the state House, joined this episode of Plain Talk. He called Prichard's tactics "absolutely underhanded and unethical. Also, on this episode, guest co-host Ben Hanson and I and discuss former Fargo Mayor Jon Lindgren's argument that Gov. Doug Burgum is seeking to be disgraced former President Donald Trump's runningmate for the sake of being a moderating influence. Want to subscribe to Plain Talk? Search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

"I like debates," Public Service Commissioner Julie Fedorhcak told me and co-host Chad Oban on this episode of Plain Talk. Fedorchak has come under fire from some of her opponents in the Republican U.S. House primary. Three of them — Rick Becker, Cara Mund, and Alex Balazs — participated in a recent debate sponsored by BEK Television. Fedorchak did not. "Last weekend was a balancing act," she said, noting that she's already participated in one debate with her opponents, with two more planned. She told us that the night of the debate was also her son's graduation party. "I wanted to devote my attention to my son on Friday night," she said. Fedorchak also responded to a recent independent poll I reported on, which shows her in a dead heat with Becker in the race (Mund is trailing as a distant third). She said she got into the race late and had a deficit in name identification with voters but that the poll "shows that we closed the gap" with Becker. She added that she feels confident about her position in the race. "I'm the only candidate who has consistently been a Republican," she said, referencing the fact that both Mund and Becker campaigned against Republicans as independents last cycle. "I have strong favorability in the polling we've seen," she added. That's something Dean Mitchell of DFM Research, who conducted the survey for North Dakota United, spoke about as well in a separate interview. Mitchell said the House race is tight but favors Fedorchak. "I'd rather not be Becker," he said. "I think he's at his ceiling. I think she (Fedorchak) has more room for growth." "I'd give the edge to Fedorchak," he added, though he acknowledged that the race is very close. "I wouldn't put much money on it." The NDU poll also covered the gubernatorial race, showing current U.S. Rep. Kelly Armstrong with a 38-point lead over Lt. Gov. Tammy Miller, a nearly identical result to numbers released to me by the Armstrong campaign from a contemporaneous poll. "I don't want to say you can put a fork in it," Mitchell said, "but the silverware is on the table." To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

Pat Finken is a long-time political consultant in North Dakota who now heads up an independent political action committee called the Brighter Future Alliance. Finken and his group have come under fire from U.S. House candidate Rick Becker and his allies for mailers attacking Becker and his voting record. Finken joined this episode of Plain Talk my me and my co-host Chad Oban, and said his goal is to reveal for the public that Becker is a "show pony." "He is not a serious legislator," Finken added. As for Becker's response to his group's mailers? "This is what all politicians do when someone criticizes them," Finken said. "They play the victim." Becker has disputed Finken's assertions that, by voting against budgets for the North Dakota Highway Patrol and the North Dakota National Guard, he opposes law enforcement and the military. He argues that it's possible to object to a budget without objecting to what that budget funds. But Finken says the difference is that Becker was only voting no, not working to improve those budgets. "He didn't come back with an alternative," Finken said. "If he was a serious legislator he would have worked to make changes," he added. Also, on this episode, Oban and I discuss the recent polling released in the Republican guberantorial primary showing U.S. Rep. Kelly Armstrong with a massive lead over Lt. Gov. Tammy Miller. Want to subscribe to Plain Talk? Search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

The State of North Dakota is back in court over redistricting. This time, the state is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse a lower court decision that the state had previously argued for. Specifically, the dismissal of a lawsuit questioning the constitutionality of legislative subdistricts created by lawmakers in an attempt to enhance the state's Native American vote in two districts. The courts ended up striking down that map anyway and replacing it with a new one, but this separate legal action questions whether creating subdistricts in just two districts passes muster under the 14th amendment's equal protection provisions. Is it constitutional for some North Dakotans to vote for just two members of the Legislature on election day, while others get to vote for three? Robert Harms, an attorney (and a Republican candidate for the state Senate in District 2) joined this episode of Plain Talk to discuss the case. Also on this episode, Nick Archuleta, the president of North Dakota United, joined to discuss a recent study looking at teacher pay which indicates that North Dakota is moving down the rankings in terms of average salaries for educators. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

Racial incidents keep happening at North Dakota school events. At basketball games. Proms. Hockey games. Part of the problem is, we don't know if they're happening more, or less. Maybe we're just noticing them more now that everyone has a smartphone in their pocket and the ability to document the taunts and jeers and boorish behavior. State Rep. Jayme Davis is a Democrat from District 9a, which covers the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation. In the state House of Representatives, she's the minority caucus leader. She wants to do something about this problem. "I don't look for racism. That's not something I look for in my daily life," she said on this episode of Plain Talk. "But it shows up." During the 2023 session, Davis introduced a resolution calling for a study of racial incidents at North Dakota school events. It passed, but the the Legislature's interim committees chose not to take it up. But she says she's not going to stop trying. She'd like to see data collected about these incidents, to measure the scope of the problem, and she'd also liked to see more training for the state's educators, sports officials, and even lawmakers. Also on this episode, are North Dakota's political leaders being too tough on electric vehicles? And what was with South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem bragging about killing a dog? Me and co-host Chad Oban discuss. Want to subscribe to Plain Talk? Search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

"I'm sympathetic to what they're doing while recognizing there's a better way to do it." Those are the words of Jason Bohrer, president of the North Dakota Lignite Energy Council, and advocacy and lobbying group that represents the state's coal industry. He was speaking on this episode of Plain Talk about the Midwest Carbon Express pipeline proposed by Summit Carbon Solutions. That project has no ties to the coal industry. Rather, it seeks to bring carbon emissions gathered from ethanol plans across the upper midwest to North Dakota where it would be buried underground. Bohrer joined the program to discuss the controversy around the North Dakota Republican Party's resolution branding carbon capture as "fascism." The resolution had appeared to have been passed at the party's state convention earlier this month, but after a recount, it turns out it failed. But Bohrer says Lignite's larger concern is that public backlash against Summit's project may turn into generalized opposition against the concept of carbon capture. "An individual project differs from a technological opportunity," he said. "We're going to take a long term view," he added. Also on this episode, two board members from the North Dakota Association for Justice joined to discuss consternation in North Dakota's legal circles over Lt. Gov. Tammy Miller's gubernatorial campaign saying some ugly things about lawyers. "Politicians and trial lawyers often struggle with the truth," is a quote Miller spokesman Dawson Schefter gave me for an article about their campaign ad attacking their opponent in the Republican primary. "Kelly Armstrong is both, so it's no surprise he lies about his opponent and his opponent's ads." The NDAJ fired back, calling those comments "ill-informed and ignorant." Then Schefter came back again. "It's no surprise lawyers and politicians are sticking up for each other," he told me in response to the NDAJ's statement. "While Kelly Armstrong was raking in cash defending drug dealers, a man who beat his wife unconscious, and a man who attempted to suffocate his daughter — Tammy Miller was growing a company and creating thousands of jobs. Job creator or trial lawyer is an easy choice." "Frankly, we were offended," attorney Tatum O'Brien said. "She probably has a failing campaign," attorney Tim O'Keefe added by way of explaining why Miller's campaign would launch the attack. Both O'Brien and O'Keefe are board members of the NDAJ, and say that attorneys do important work defending the rights of citizens in court, from the 4th amendment protections against illegal search and seizure to our 7th amendment right to seek a jury trial in matters of civil law. Want to subscribe to Plain Talk? Search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

Marijuana is already legal in North Dakota. At least for medicinal reasons. But the backers of a new ballot measure want recreational use of marijuana to be legal as well. The campaign is calling itself New Economic Frontier. Their measure was just approved by the North Dakota Secretary of State's office for circulation. They have until July 8 to get it on the November ballot, though if they miss that deadline they'll still have a year from the date they began collecting signatures to qualify for the next statewide vote. Steve Bakken, the former mayor of Bismarck, and current member of the Burleigh County Commission, joined this episode of Plain Talk to discuss the measure. North Dakotans have said no to recreational marijuana before, though the "no" side of the argument has been shrinking. In 2018, just over 40% of voters cast their ballots for a proposal to legalize. In 2021, another legalization proposal passed in the state House of Representatives on a 56-38 vote, though it failed in the state Senate with just 10 Senators approving it. In 2022, just over 45% of voters cast a ballot for another legalization proposal. Bakken says that's progress, and they're relying on it to get this measure over the finish line, though Bakken says he isn't planning on partaking if it's successful. "I'm not interested in using it," he said, but he does think the status quo creates problems, such as dangerous marijuana products mixed with other drugs. "It's tragic when you see someone who smokes some canabis and then dies from a fentanly overdose," he said. Want to subscribe to Plain Talk? Search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

U.S. Senate candidate Katrina Christiansen says the incumbent in her race "isn't that popular." Christiansen is running unopposed for the Democratic-NPL's nomination, and the incumbent she's referring to is Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer, who is seeking a second six-year term. The challenger says she has polling suggesting that only 33% of previous Cramer voters are committed to voting for the incumbent again. "I think that shows the race can be competitive," she told me and my co-host Chad Oban, though she acknowledges that she has her own challenges. "My name rec is not great," she said, referring to name recognition, a common campaign metric, especially for challengers. We talked mostly about the question of federal policy on abortion -- Christiansen said she would vote to "codify Roe" in federal law -- and foreign policy. On the latter, Christiansen said Congress should have passed more aid funding for Ukraine "six months ago." She also spoke strong in support of Israel, though she says she supports a ceasefire. Still, "Supporting Ukraine puts America first," she said. "Supporting Israel puts America first." Christiansen said that if elected, she'll be "a foreign policy hawk." Also on this episode, we discuss the first debate between Republican gubernatorial candidates Tammy Miller and Kelly Armstrong, as well as my story about Miller's running mate, Commerce Commissioner Josh Teigen, and some personal conflicts of interest he had with his work in the Commerce Department under Gov. Doug Burgum's administration. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get our podcasts, or click here for more information.

It wasn't on purpose, but bipartisanship and moderation ended up being the themes of this episode of Plain Talk. Whether we're talking about a Republican Speaker of the House, under siege from the MAGA wing of his own party, reaching out to Democrats to get things done, or democracy engaging on the issue of abortion now that the Roe v. Wade precedent has been overturned, it's clear that process matters. And when we engage in the process, and we have the debates, and we don't let ourselves be derailed by all the various flavors of theatrical obstructionism, the outcomes we get are further from what the extremes might want, and closer to what most of us can live with. Co-host Chad Oban and I talk about renewed controversy about delegate votes at the NDGOP state convention and whether U.S. House candidate Rick Becker's promises to help contribute to the chaos in Congress if elected is going to help him with North Dakota voters. We asked the guest for this show, Sen. Kevin Cramer, about that last point. "I think it's consistent with how Rick Becker has behaved in the Legislature," he said, arguing that Becker's campaign trail posturing is authentic. "It might be a good tactic to being the largest vote getter in a five-way race, he added. But also, "the House doesn't really need more bulls in a China closet," Cramer added. Want to subscribe to Plain Talk? Search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

"I don't think he's a good person," U.S. House candidate said on this episode of Plain Talk, referring to former President Donald Trump. "I'm appalled at how much people have caved," she also said, saying her opponents in the North Dakota Republican Party's primary are too Trump loyal. "I'm the only candidate in this race who is not worshiping Trump,"she added. "I support women," she continued, referencing her fiercely pro-choice position on the issue of abortion, "and I will not bow to Trump." But when I asked her how she'll vote in November, she didn't rule out casting a ballot for Trump. "I'm considering the options for both," she said, adding that she did vote for Trump in 2016. Mund also discussed other policy positions, such as the issues at the border and support for Israel, and told my co-host Chad Oban and I that despite her passion about keeping legal access to abortion, she doesn't want to be known as a single-issue candidate. Public Service Commissioner Julie Fedorchak also joined this episode, and talked about her evolving position on a federal abortion ban. When we interviewed her on Plain Talk in February, Fedorchak said she opposed a federal abortion ban. Now she says she supports one. What gives? Fedorchak says she supports the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe, and send the issue back to the states, but that she also isn't opposed to the federal government setting national guideline, though it wouldn't be an immediate priority. "Would this be my goal in the first 100 days in Congress? It wouldn't," she said. Fedorchak also hit both Mund and Becker for what she characterized as convenient political posturing. "They have changed parties as opportunists," she said, referring to Becker's decision to challenge Republican Sen. John Hoeven in 2022 as an independent, and Mund's strong support from Democrats as an independent U.S. House candidate that same cycle. As for Mund's contention that she worships Trump? "The only person I worship is my god," she said, adding that she plans to support Trump in 2024, and has no comment on his personal lifestyle choices or legal challenges. "I'm not going to pass judgment on Trump and his personal issues," she said. Want to subscribe to Plain Talk? Search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

Kirsten Baesler has been the elected Superintendent of North Dakota's Public Schools for nearly 12 years. She's now seeking a fourth term. Before each of her previous three elections to this office, she sought and received the North Dakota Republican Party's endorsement. She sought it again this year, but was denied it by the convention's delegates by a wide margin. They instead chose home schooling advocate James Bartlett, who has campaigned on bringing the 10 commandments and other Christian tenets to our state's public schools. On this episode of Plain Talk, Baesler told my co-host Chad Oban and I about her experiences at the state convention, Bartlett's push for more religion in schools, and why voters should give her a fourth term in office. "I have not heard in 12 years that families are asking us for more Christianity," she said. She added that she sought the NDGOP's endorsement knowing full well "things had shifted quite a bit in the Republican party" toward a new sort of populism. She said that whether or not to seek the endorsement at the convention was "weighing" on her mind. "I decided in the end I was going," she said. "I needed to make my case." Also on this episode, we discuss the politics around North Dakota's five-way Republican U.S. House primary that now features a traditional Republican in Public Service Commisisoner Julie Fedorchak, a populist Republican in former state lawmaker Rick Becker, former Miss America Cara Mund who campaigned against a Republican House incumbent as an independent last cycle, and two newcomer candidates, Alex Balazs and Sharlet Mohr. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

Alex Balazs, the out-of-nowhere candidate who won the North Dakota Republican Party's convention endorsement last week, ended his interview on this episode of Plain Talk by joking about the tough questions we asked him. We did run him through the ringer, on everything from abortion, to Trump's claims about the 2020 election and January 6, to the farm bill, Ukraine, and Social Security. One question I thought was important to get him on the record about was how he'd handle the dysfunction that has roiled the Republican caucus in the United States House of Representatives. One of his opponents, former lawmaker Rick Becker, has promised to go to Washington D.C. and contribute to the chaos by being a "bull in a china shop." "If you just want to stir things up you're not doing your job," Balazs told us of that approach. Balazs says he was "very humbled" to receive the convention endorsement. He said he made his decision to run for Congress "at the kitchen table." "I guess you could call me a Trump Republican, he said when asked about his support for the former president, "but I'm also the first one in the kitchen to say 'why did he have to say that?'" Did Trump win the 2020 election? "We went through a process that elected Joe Biden," he said, though he also said there was some fraud in the voting, and that Democrats should acknowledge it. As for January 6? "There was no insurrection," he said. "I'm never going to support anyone who broke a window or something," he added, but said he felt there have been many people put in jail for merely walking into the capitol that day. He added that what happened on January 6 was "less wrong than what happened after." On abortion, Balazs says "the answer is no on a federal abortion ban" but that he's a "conception to death kind of person" who wants to put "more teeth in the law." Balazs also said his campaign is mostly self-funded. He claims to have raised only $2,035 from contributors so far. So far in his campaign, he's leaned heavily on his resume in the military. When asked if he could offer documentation to substantiate that record, he said he doesn't want personal information made public --"they're very sensitive documents," he said -- but would be willing to make arrangements to have them reviewed. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

By the time you listen to this podcast, we will know if Cara Mund is going to turn the three-way Republican House primary into a four-way race. Whatever choice the former Miss America makes, North Dakota politics has gotten a lot more interesting since the North Dakota Republican Party's state convention in Fargo. And the Democratic-NPL's convention, as well. On this episode of Plain Talk, co-host Chad Oban recap the convention, and analyze what it will all mean for the June primary vote, and the November general election. A political unknown named Alex Balazs won the U.S. House endorsement over Public Service Commissioner Julie Fedorchak, but former lawmaker Rick Becker, who was ineligible for the endorsement, encouraged his supporters to try and spoil the vote. Now Mund may enter the race, adding an additional level of complexity. Also, the convention endorsed James Bartlett for Superintendent of Public Schools despite an amateurish campaign promoting some pretty extreme ideas, such as pushing the Christian 10 commandments into classrooms. Is the NDGOP's convention even still relevant? Also, Oban attended the Democratic-NPL convention, saying the energy level there was higher than in past years behind statewide contestants like gubernatorial candidate Merrill Piepkorn, U.S. House candidate Trygve Hammer, and U.S. Senate candidate Katrina Christiansen. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

When state Sen. Merrill Piepkorn, gubernatorial candidate for the Democratic-NPL, joined this episode of Plain Talk with me and my co-host Chad Oban, the first question I wanted to ask him was how he plans to unite North Dakota voters at a time when even Republicans here seem deeply divided against themselves. Piepkorn accused me of not "pussy footing around." Joking aside, he thinks the right approach is "making the effort" to get to know people and understand their issues. The candidate says one of the challenges Democrats running in North Dakota have is that they get lumped in with the national Democratic brand. Which, he argues, isn't nearly so moderate as the North Dakota iteration of the party. "I don't even know what AOC stands for," he said, referring to the oft-used initials of U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, one of the most visible national figures representing the progressive wing of the Democratic party. Piepkorn also took questions about what his agenda would be for North Dakota, if elected, how he feels about the ballot measure to abolish property taxes (he's against it), and how he might try to appeal to Republican voters who are feeling disillusioned. His answer to that last was candidate. He says he doesn't know, and that he'd rather say that than "make stuff up." "I have stuff to do," he said. "We're going to talk to people and find out," he added. Also on this episode, Chad and I discuss Gov. Doug Burgum's trip to Mar-a-Lago to schmooze Donald Trump, and the controversy over District 37's delegates to the NDGOP's state convention. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

Resolutions are, once again, causing headaches for North Dakota Republicans ahead of the 2024 statewide convention. One party resolution to be voted on at the convention calls for laws that would put a pregnant woman who seeks an abortion in jail, along with anyone who helped her. Another denigrates public schools as places where children are indoctrinated. Yet another opposes vaccinations using demonstrably false information. Rep. Jim Jonas, a Republican from West Fargo, was on the committee that screened these resolutions. He joined this episode of Plain Talk to talk about the process and why, from his point of view, most of them "don't align" with the majority of Republicans. Jonas told co-host Chad Oban and I that he sees "authoritarianism" in the efforts to force elected Republicans to abide by policy resolutions developed and approved by a small sliver of North Dakota's Republican citizens. Jonas, a long-time educator, says he used to teach world history, and that this expectation of loyalty to party is the sort of thing you'd seen in places like China. "I'm going to represent the people of West Fargo," he said, adding that many of his fellow Republicans "would like to do away with this process." "Let's get back to making North Dakota better for its citizens" he said. Also on this episode, Oban and I discuss Tom Campbell's decision to bow out of the NDGOP's U.S. House primary. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

"The reality is we knew the campaign team," U.S. Rep. Kelly Armstrong told me and my co-host Chad Oban on this episode of Plain Talk. Armstrong was responding to a question about his decision to go negative first against his opponent, Lt. Gov. Tammy Miller, in North Dakota's Republican gubernatorial primary. "We are going to play the game by the rules as they are not as we wish them to be," he said, adding that the political team running Miller's campaign "has never not gone scorched earth." Asked if going negative so early is a sign that he's nervous about losing this election, Armstrong admitted that he is. "I'm in a campaign," he said. "I'm always nervous." The attack ad branded Miller as "Tall Tale Tammy." Asked about why he chose that approach, Armstrong said it's because he has a strong dislike of politicians who present themselves other than as they are. "The one thing I hate in politics, I just despise it, is inauthenticity," he said. I've reported on messaging polling that the Miller campaign has done, testing potential attacks on Armstrong. Some of the questions in that polling dealt with Armstrong's past work as a criminal defense attorney, pointing out that he represented clients accused of some heinous crimes, like spousal abuse and child abuse. But Armstrong said he was proud of his work. "I've been fighting for people's civil liberties, sometimes even in really unpopular venues," he said, pointing out that all Americans have a right to legal counsel in a criminal proceeding. "If they think I'm going to back away from my record as a criminal defense attorney, they're mistaken," he added. Also on this episode, Oban and I discuss my recent reporting about New Song Church in Bismarck, a religious institution with deep political connections that has seemingly embraced partisan politics and Christian nationalism. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

It's campaign season, and unfortunately in the news cycle that often means substantive policy discussions takes a back seat to aspersions and invective from political campaigns. We have a bit of both on this episode of Plain Talk. Yes, we talk about U.S. Rep. Kelly Armstrong throwing the first punch in what promises to be a nasty gubernatorial primary against Lt. Gov. Tammy Miller. And yes, we interviewed U.S. House candidate Tom Campbell, who said one of his primary opponents, Julie Fedorchak, has "threatened" him in an attempt to force him out of what is now a four-way race. But before we got to any of that, we had a conversation with Travis Finck, the executive director of North Dakota's woefully underfunded public defender system. Finck recently delivered a report to state lawmakers detailing problems he has with filling open positions and providing legal services to criminal defendants who have a constitutional right to them. He said his office is very close to telling district court judges that they may have to prioritize cases, and may not be able to have someone appear at every hearing. "I'm not sure that we're achieving justice at this point," he told co-host Chad Oban and I on this episode of Plain Talk. Campbell, meanwhile, says he is under intense pressure to get out of the House race. "Julie's campaign called my campaign and threatened me," he said, claiming Fedorchak's people said they would bring up his supposed residency issues as well as his family's decision to sell farm land to billionaire Microsoft founder Bill Gates. Campbell said the residency issue -- which he says has to do with his owning a lake residence in Minnesota -- is "beyond ridiculous." As for the land sale, he says he's had questions about it on the campaign trail. "Once I tell them the truth they're like, you need to tell people about that," he said. He says he hopes North Dakota's House race doesn't get as negative as the gubernatorial primary. When I asked him how he squares that preference with his support for former President Donald Trump, who is notorious for his pugnacious demeanor, he said that "Donald Trump is his own enemy." He said Trump has done "immoral" things, and while he prefers the presumptive Republican nominee to the incumbent, President Joe Biden, "I wish we could have found someone better," he said. Want to subscribe to Plain Talk? Search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information. And if you can, consider leaving a rating and review on whatever platform you use to listen.

The North Dakota Republican Party will be holding what will be a very interesting event on April 5. Interesting in the conventional way in that it will be a showcase of (most) of the party's statewide candidates. Interesting also in that there is a divide among Republicans between those who think the party's most ardent activists, the one who fill up the seats at the party's conventions, are increasingly out of touch with not only the larger electorate, but rank-and-file Republican voters as well. I don't know that this convention will be the answer to that debate, but it will be informative. Talking about that issue on this episode of Plain Talk is NDGOP executive director Andrew Nyhus. "Rob, sometimes you make us money," he told me and my co-host Chad Oban, referencing my frequent criticisms of the party. "The checks come in," he claims. He also spoke to rumors that there may be an attempt to set aside rules at the convention to allow U.S. House candidate Rick Becker to seek the convention endorsement. Becker is from the MAGA wing of the NDGOP, and the conventions are his base of political power. In 2022, after losing the convention endorsement to U.S. Senate incumbent John Hoeven, he then challenged Hoeven in the general election as an independent. The NDGOP has a rule stating that any candidate who seeks office as an independent, or the candidate for another party, cannot seek the Republican endorsement for three political cycles. "If you say you believe in the rule of law, and you have rules...you can't really suspend the rules," he said of potential efforts to get Becker before the delegates. "Suspending the rules is not possible," he added, and defended the rule barring Becker from the endorsement. His challenge to Hoeven in the general election "could have cost us a win," he said. "A U.S. Senate seat." Nyhus also discussed divides in the party over the platform, and the role of the party in activism. Also on this episode, Chad and I discuss the recent polling in North Dakota U.S. House race released by Becker's campaign. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

There is a shift happening in North Dakota politics. Republicans are divided between Trump-style populists, and more traditional conservatives. The legislative primary in District 8 may well be a bellwether for the future of both North Dakota's dominant political party, and the way in which our state is governed. That jurisdiction is home to state Rep. Brandon Prichard, one of the most polarizing figures in state politics today, a young man just a few years removed from high school who has made a name for himself with vile and bigoted social media antics and professional activism aimed at defeating many of his fellow Republican lawmakers. Now, he's got primary challengers of his own. Mike Berg, the co-founder of an engineering firm in Bismarck, and Ken Rensch, who has a background in emergency medical response, have announced campaigns for the state House of Representatives in District 8. They'll be seeking the Republican nomination on the June primary, challenging Prichard and his fellow incumbent Rep. SuAnn Olson. "The people of District 8 could have people in the House of Representatives who represent them better," Berg said on this episode of Plain Talk. Also on this episode, we discuss politicians who say they aren't politicians, U.S. Rep. Kelly Armstrong's recent comments about double standards at a high-profile House Judiciary hearing this week, and Democrats making President Joe Biden apologize for saying "illegal immigrant." To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

"It's strategically dumb," says Sen. Kevin Cramer, referring to those who heckled President Joe Biden during the State of the Union address, and otherwise made a spectacle of themselves. Cramer joined this episode of Plain Talk to discuss the president's speech, the Senate's GOP's progress toward picking a new leader, and the prospect for tackling border security during an election year. Cramer had tough words in his assessment of the speech -- "I thought it was the worst State of the Union address I have ever listened to or sat through," he said in his official statement -- but thought those who felt the need to shout at the president during the speech were "giving up the moral high ground." He said those who got up to antics -- such as Rep. Majorie Taylor Greene wearing a Trump campaign hat -- "have to trust the view public more." Cramer also acknowledged that Biden is conceding some points on border security to Republicans, and that he believes Republicans ought to press the issue. He said he'd be in favor of the Senate passing a border security bill through regular order and sending it to the House, even though former President Donald Trump opposes making progress on the issue before he's elected, and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has said that any such bill is "dead on arrival" in the House. Why, then, did Cramer vote against the border deal negotiated with Democrats by Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Lankford? He says because it wasn't brought forward through regular order. As for the new leader for Senate Republicans, Cramer says that right now the race is between South Dakota Sen. John Thune and Texas Sen. John Cornyn, but that he expects a third name to emerge. He wasn't ready to say who he supports, and added that the election of a new leader will take place after the November election, the results of which will have a big impact on the choice. Want to subscribe to Plain Talk? Search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

For people of a certain age, who entered adulthood around the turn of the last century, the music of Five for Fighting is a cultural touchstone. The song, "Superman (It's Not Easy)" was an anthem post 9/11. John Ondrasik, the man who is Five for Fighting, performed it at the 2001 Concert for New York. Ondrasik, who will be playing the Fargo Theater in Fargo on March 26, accompanied by a string quartet, has never been shy about tackling controversial issues with his music. He wrote a song critical of the way American troops were ordered to depart Afghanistan. He wrote a song in support of Ukraine in their fight against the bloody, revanchist aggression of Vladimir Putin's regime. Most recently, Ondrasik has weighed in on the war between Israel and Hamas. Called "OK," it juxtaposes images of the Hamas terror attack on Israelis, and Hamas sympathizers here in America supporting it, with a call for moral clarity on the issue. Ondrasik joined this episode of Plain Talk to discuss the song, and the dangers of artists taking on touchy political issues. "I think it's the right thing to do," he said when I asked him why he would take the risk of releasing these songs. "If I was 22 years old and trying to have a career in the music industry would I still be writing these songs? I don't know," he said. "I hope so." He noted that these issues -- Ukraine, Israel, Afghanistan -- are not necessarily partisan. Actor Debra Messing, an outspoken liberal, and right-wing talk radio host Mark Levine agree on Israel, he pointed out. The positions on Ukraine don't break down neatly along ideological or partisan lines either. Ondrasik said he doesn't consider the politics of these situations when he chooses to write about them. "OK" is a moral message, not a political one, he claims. But he did say there is an overall leftward bias in his industry. "If Donald Trump had been responsible for that Afghanistan disaster I'd probably have a Grammy in my hand." If you interested in attending Ondrasik's show in Fargo, you can purchase tickets at FiveforFighting.com or on the website for the Fargo Theatre. Also on this episode, my co-host Ben Hanson and I discuss Gov. Doug Burgum's refusal to say whether he'd certify the 2020 election, and the recent NDGOP presidential caucus vote. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

As someone who has worked as a reporter in this state for more than two decades, who has broken a very large number of stories based on records requested from various government entities, I know a thing or two about North Dakota open records laws. When a prosecutor says that criminal charges can't be brought in a case where a staffer ordered the deletion of the emails of a deceased state official -- explicitly stating that the deletion was so that members of the public couldn't request them -- because it's not clear that emails are considered a government record in state law, I can't help but feel there are shenanigans afoot. My co-host Chad Oban and I discussed the matter on this episode of Plain Talk. Also on this episode, David Banks, a climate policy advisor to former President Donald Trump joined to discuss the Prove It Act. This bipartisan legislation, sponsored by North Dakota Sen. Kevin Cramer, would begin to collect data on the environmental impacts of American-made products. The goal is to develop trade policy that takes into account the difference in environmental standards between America and the countries it trades with. It's one thing to set environmental standards for American companies making goods and providing services from within our borders, but what good are those standards when companies operating in other countries, like China or India, who do not meet our standards, can undercut American companies? American companies should absolutely have to compete with companies in other countries. That's good for Americans, and good for the world. But American companies shouldn't have to compete against companies can abuse the environment, and their labor forces, in aways that are proscribed by our laws. Want to subscribe to Plain Talk? Search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

We talk a lot about political leaders and activists who do stupid things. Ugly things. Cynical and self-serving things. But what about those who are standing up for what's right? On this episode of Plain Talk, co-host Chad Oban and I discussed Sec. of State Michael Howe, North Dakota's top election official who has, despite the partisan pressures coming from his office, has maintained that the 2020 election was not stolen, and has consistently defended the integrity of North Dakota's voting process. Also, on this episode, we discuss the chair of the North Dakota Republican Party is slamming Lt. Gov. Tammy Miller for not bringing her gubernatorial campaign to the party's state convention, the politicians on the North Dakota Industrial Commission approving a controversial contract to market carbon capture that pays a talk radio host who also covers said politicians, the upcoming presidential primary vote, and what it will take for the depressing political trends we're all living through to change. Want to subscribe to Plain Talk? Search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.