Plain Talk

Rep. Scott Louser, a Republican from Minot who also recently announced a campaign for the local school board, has a big proposal aimed at school funding and North Dakota's seemingly intractable property tax problem. He has organized it into a draft bill for the 2025 legislative session. But does that mean he thinks a proposed ballot measure to abolish property taxes won't pass? "Dr. Becker is leading the charge and also running for Congress," Louser told my co-host Chad Oban and I on this episode of Plain Talk. He's referring to former state lawmaker Rick Becker, a Bismarck plastic surgeon organizing the petition drive behind that measure who has also announced a campaign for the U.S. House. Louser seems skeptical about Becker keeping his eye on the ball. "I don't know if it gets on the ballot," Louser, who has endorsed Becker's House campaign, told us. "I don't know if it passes." Louser says his proposal, which would increase state-level funding for schools in exchange for caps on mill levies, is not intended to "derail" Becker's proposal. Louser's draft bill, which you can read below, also includes new funding for private schools. Also on this episode, we discuss gubernatorial candidate Tammy Miller's decision to skip local NDGOP party events in the early days of her campaign -- we're not sure we understand the strategy -- as well as the controversy surrounding the departure of a prominent supporter of Miller's rival in that race from Gov. Doug Burgum's administration. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

No, the Republican presidential primary is not over yet. And yes, North Dakotans, you will have a chance to vote in it and make a difference. Bob Harms, who is running the NDGOP's presidential caucuses, joined this episode of Plain Talk to discuss the process. He talked about how to vote, and where to vote, and how those votes will be counted and reported. You can click here for more information. Joining me as co-host on this episode is Michael Bell, host of Dakota Talk, which airs out of Bismarck on KFYR AM550 from 9-11 am on weekdays. Michael and I talked about the national presidential primary, the Republican gubernatorial primary between Lt. Gov. Tammy Miller and U.S. Rep. Kelly Armstrong, and the Republican House primary between Public Service Commissioner Julie Fedorchak, former state Rep. Rick Becker, and former state Sen. Tom Campbell. Want to be notified when new episodes of Plain Talk are published? Search for the show and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for a full listing of episodes, and information on how to subscribe on specific platforms.

Why did Public Service Commissioner Julie Fedorchak opt to run for the United States Hosue of Representatives? "I don't like the state of our country," she told me and my co-host Chad Oban on this episode of Plain Talk. Fedorchak is a long-time member of the policy-intensive PSC, and thinks she can take what she learned from administering the complicated to the point of being arcane regulatory process around things like pipelines and transmission lines to Congress. "This is what we do," she said of her work on the commission. "We work through controversial issues." She said her energy expertise, in particular, could be useful in Washington were she said there is a "fundamental lack of understanding" of that policy area. "We're basically committing energy suicide in our country," she said, noting America's abundant resources. "There is no reason we should ever run short." Fedorchak said she'd also like to help move the nation's budgeting process out of the grips of two-year election cycles toward a longer-term commitment to an 8 to 10 year plan. She also said there needs to be a "return to order" on the border, and a focus in general on "policy" instead of "personalities." As for other hot-button policy areas, Fedorchak declined to say whether she would have voted for the recent bipartisan budget bill that was tanked by Republicans at the behest of former President Donald Trump -- she said she didn't know enough about it -- and added that while she's pro-life, she thinks the federal government should leave the abortion issue to the states, and that Congress should focus more on policies that "help women choose life." Also on this episode, incumbent state Rep. Jon Nelson, a Republican, joined to discuss why he and his fellow District 14 incumbents opted to skip their party's local endorsing convention. He decried an "eat your own" mentality in the NDGOP today. "We don't have a discussion," he said. "We're preached to." He also had some sharp words for some of his fellow Republican lawmakers, like Minot Rep. Dan Ruby and Bismarck Rep. Brandon Prichard, who funding and managing efforts to target Republican incumbents like himself. He accused Prichard, specifically, of spreading false information about his votes. "Unlike Rep. Prichard, I actually care about being accurate," he said. Nelson added that he's choosing to seek another term in the House because "as long as I'm able to make a difference, I want to try." To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

Me and my co-host Chad Oban took a break from guests on this episode of Plain Talk to spend some to talk through some of the headlines in North Dakota. We discussed the Republican primary races. With Lt. Gov. Tammy Miller in the gubernatorial race with U.S. Rep. Kelly Armstrong, and Public Service Commissioner Julie Fedorchak in the U.S. House race with former state lawmakers Rick Becker and Tom Campbell, the stage seems set. It doesn't seem like we're likely to get any more candidates in those races. But how will they play out? We made some predictions, one being that we're all about to be inundated with political advertising, particularly from candidates in the gubernatorial race. Also on this episode, we spent some time talking about the death of Russian political dissident Alexei Navalny, the antics of Putin apologist Tucker Carlson, the inability of 2020 election conspiracy theorists to make their case in court, the legal battle over the costs of responding to the violent protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline, and how that all ties in to this ignoble moment in North Dakota politics. Want to subscribe to Plain Talk? Search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information. Also, if you listen to the show on platforms like Apple Podcasts or Spotify which allow you to leave a rating or review, please give us an honest one. We appreciate it.

Lt. Gov. Tammy Miller has announced her campaign for governor. She'll be taking on U.S. Rep. Kelly Armstrong in the Republican primary. Asked, on this episode of Plain Tal, how she's different from Armstrong, she touted her business background. "I'm a proven business leader," she said, referencing the 14 years she spent leading Border States Electric, the Fargo-based electrical distributor and one of the largest companies in the country in that category. This was perhaps telegraphing what will be an early talking point deployed by Miller's campaign against Armstrong, who has served in elected office -- first the state Legislature, then Congress -- since 2013. Miller seems eager to contrast that time in politics with her private sector experience. Asked by my co-host Chad Oban why she wants to be governor, Miller said she'd like to "continue the great momentum" of Gov. Doug Burgum's administration. Miller talked about growing up in small town North Dakota (she's from Brocket, population 34), and working at her family's retail business. Sometimes defending it, too. "We were often robbed," she said. "We would protect our store with shotguns until the Ramsey County Sheriff showed up." Her early campaign messaging leans heavily into culture war topics with the candidate vowing to fight "woke" left-wing activists and the "socialist" administration of President Joe Biden. But, as governor, Burgum was more moderate than that on social issues. When asked about that, Miller said that while she was glad the Legislature took up some of those issues during previous campaigns, she was hoping to see a focus more on economic policy areas in coming sessions. But she is leaning hard on her support for former President Donald Trump and his bid for a second term in the White House. A campaign ad released along with her announcement touts Trump heavily. Asked why she felt it was important for her to endorse Trump for president hours after Burgum announced he wasn't seeking a third term, she said it's because "Donald is the best person to lead our country." To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

"Republicans understandably and rightly believe that border security is important for our national security," U.S. Senate candidate Katrina Christiansen told me and co-host Chad Oban on this episode of Plain Talk. Wanting a secure border is "absolutely paramount if you're going to be a real leader," she added. I want to stress, at this juncture, that Christiansen is a Democrat. She's challenging incumbent Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer. You don't normally hear Democrats talk about the border this way -- acknowledging that it's a crisis, calling for a crackdown on illegal crossings -- but Christiansen is going there. She says she's "frustrated" by President Joe Biden who, she argues, "had an opportunity in the first two years" to address the border but didn't. Christiansen understands that she's a Democrat challenging a Republican incumbent in a Republican leaning state, but, pointing to Republicans tanking a get-tough border bill seemingly at the behest of former President Donald Trump and his short-term political interests, she says "our current leadership isn't working." "Kevin Cramer is very good at identifying problems -- and I mean this sincerely -- and he's good at assigning blame," Christiansen said. But where he's lacking is taking the next step, and getting to solutions. Christiansen also talked about what she learned from her losing campaign for the U.S. Senate from last cycle, where she got nearly 25% of the vote in a three-way race against incumbent Sen. John Hoeven. Also on this episode, Oban and I talk about President Joe Biden's age issues, which are making headlines thanks to a special counsel's report on his handling of classified information, as well as some of the weirdness around U.S. House candidate Rick Becker's campaign, whether another Republican is going to join that race, and whether Lt. Gov. Tammy Miller will eventually announce a run for governor against Rep. Kelly Armstrong, who is already in that race. Want to subscribe to Plain Talk? Search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

Chris Berg says that he once had a boss, when he was a talk radio host for AM1100 "The Flag" in Fargo, who told him that he was supposed to be infuriating his audience. "You gotta get people angry," Berg says he was told (he said people will think he was talking about host Scott Hennen, but that it was someone else). In addition to talk radio, Berg was the host of the politically-themed 6:30 Point of View on Valley News Live in Fargo for nearly a decade, and he often succeeded in making his audience angry. Berg has moved on from the media industry — he is now working in commercial real estate in California — and he has some regrets. "Turn off the TV and talk radio," he now says, despite working in those media for more than a decade. "Take off the red or blue glasses and challenge yourself," he added. "I felt like I was dragging myself to the microphone," Berg told me on this episode of Plain Talk. He said that shortly after he moved to California, news broke of a school shooting in Tennessee, and despite the awful news, he felt a sense of relief that he wouldn't have to spend hours having the same old shout fest about it without anything meaningful getting done. "The sad thing about the media business is the more anger and hate you sow, the more money you make," he said. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

MINOT — Sen. Kevin Cramer is vexed by some of his fellow Republicans who want to kill a tax bill, and an immigration deal, lest they be seen accomplishing anything that might be perceived by voters as an accomplishment for incumbent Republican Joe Biden. "That frustrates me," told me and my co-host Chad Oban on this episode of Plain Talk. On the immigration bill, specifically, Cramer said Biden is under more fire from his left flank than Republicans are from the left. "He's taking more crap for this than we are," he said. We also asked Cramer about the competitive primaries North Dakota Republicans have for open gubernatorial and U.S. House races. "My political action committee, my leadership PAC, will be participating," Cramer said, though he made it clear he isn't picking a side just yet. He said he didn't run for office "so I can be neutral." He praised Armstrong for getting into the gubernatorial race quickly after Burgum announced he wouldn't be seeking a third term. "He could lock out the crowd," he said, adding that Armstrong's early advantages in the race "may be weighing" on Lt. Gov. Tammy Miller's own decision on whether or not to seek that office. As for the House race? Cramer said he "loves" both former state Rep. Rick Becker, and former state Sen. Tom Campbell, but also said, "I don't think that field is filled yet." "I think there's room in our party for another candidate in that race," he added. He said the chaos in the Republican House caucus may be giving some potential candidates pause. "I'm starting to wonder why anyone wants the job." Also on this episode, Scott Schofield, an Air Force veteran from Grand Forks, talks about his campaign for the state House in District 18, where he's taking on Democratic-NPL incumbent Rep. Corey Mock. In his campaign announcement, Schofield said there are "many of our elected leaders are more focused on fighting culture wars than in working together to address the problems facing our state." "I also think there are a lot of Republican voters who don't want to hear that," he said when we asked him about the statement. He said he considered running for the Legislature as a Democrat, but ultimately chose to campaign as a Republican because he feels he more consistently lines up with the NDGOP's platform. "I'm fiscally conservative," he said, though he added that not everything in that platform is to his liking. "The part that really chapped me is there is an entire chapter that is against the LGBTQ community," he said. "That hurts my heart," he added. Schofield also described himself as "pro-choice" and said he opposes North Dakota's near-total ban on abortions, which is currently being litigated in the courts, though he said he would consider certain a ban on abortion after a certain number of weeks. Want to subscribe to Plain Talk? Search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

Former state Sen. Tom Campbell has a plan for getting the nation's finances in order should he be elected to Congress. "No new hiring," he said. "Let's use artificial intelligence." He argued that many government jobs could be automated, resulting in dramatic reductions in the federal workforce, and savings for taxpayers. Campbell is seeking the NDGOP's nomination for the U.S. House, and he had some sharp words for his opponent in that race, former state Rep. Rick Becker. He accused Becker of opposing the farm bill. "Does he want to bankrupt our small towns with no farm program?" he asked, going on to say that Becker is "just too radical far right." Also on this episode, state Rep. Mike Nathe of Bismarck discusses why he and his fellow incumbents in District 30 skipped their own party's endorsing convention, something for which they were censured. "Our [district] party was taken over a few years ago," he said, adding that district events had become so "ugly" that a police presence was necessary. "A lot of good Republicans don't want to go because it is so disgusting," he said, adding that he and his fellow incumbents struggle to find delegates to attend the local convention because "a lot of them have PTSD" from bad experiences in the past. He argued that other NDGOP district committees have similar problems across the state. Nathe and the other incumbents skipped the endorsing convention, which was organized by a district chair who was also a candidate for the endorsement, and instead collected signatures to place their names on the June ballot. Nathe says that if he's elected to another term in the House, he plans to introduce legislation to do away with the endorsing convention process. Want to subscribe to Plain Talk? Search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

MINOT — "I think our personalities are different," Rep. Kelly Armstrong said on this episode of Plain Talk, responding to my question about how he's different from outgoing Gov. Doug Burgum. Armstrong immediately launched a campaign to be North Dakota's next governor when Burgum announced that he wouldn't seek a third term in that office. "Given the current dynamic change in the political environment, North Dakota is going to need a lot of leadership," he told my co-host Chad Oban and I. But how is he different from the governor who has presided over North Dakota's affairs for most of the last decade? "He's one of the smartest people in North Dakota if not the country," Armstrong said of Burgum, "but I grew up in smaller businesses." But he said the differences may be more style than substance. He said he also admires former governors Ed Schafer, John Hoeven, and Jack Dalrymple, but argued few would see them as sharing similar styles and personalities. Burgum frequently clashed with the Republican-controlled Legislature. Even during the 2023 legislative session, which we now know was Burgum's last as governor, it wasn't unusual to hear members of Burgum's own party bemoan his vetoes. Armstrong said he would likely have his conflicts with lawmakers too, as all governors do, but said his philosophy in politics is to not "make it personal." One area where lawmakers and Burgum frequently failed to see eye to eye were on social or so-called "culture war" bills that dealt with things like book bans pronouns and LGTBQ+ issues. Burgum signed a couple of those bills, but vetoed more. Asked how he would handle those issues, Armstrong said he'd use the approach he uses for all policy proposals. "First of all, is it a problem? Second, does the solution have unintended or unforeseen consequences? Third, is it something for the state or federal government to handle?" "The expansion of the state government is not going to solve problems" he added. Asked how he has navigated an era where American politics is not just divided between Republicans and Democrats, but also Republicans and Republicans, Armstrong said that he seeks to work with the other side, but also understands that unity, while "a great buzzword," is not necessary "to be effective." To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

It's been a wild week in North Dakota politics. Former state Rep. Rick Becker announced a primary challenge to U.S. House incumbent Kelly Armstrong. But then, Armstrong left the race to run for governor because the incumbent there, Doug Burgum, opted not to seek a third term. Many pieces are moving around the chess board of North Dakota politics. On this episode of Plain Talk, me and my co-host Chad Oban dig into them. Can former state Sen. Tom Campbell, who is also running for governor, overcome the early advantages in terms of fundraising Armstrong has as a congressional incumbent? Will Lt. Governor Tammy Miller join the governor's race? And if she does, to what extent will outgoing Gov. Doug Burgum support her financially? Will Public Service Commissioner Julie Fedorchak get in the race? Becker is currently the only Republican running for North Dakota's at-large seat in the House. Will others join that race? We don't have answers to all those questions, but we certainly have some informed thoughts. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

"Yeah, I think that's a fair conclusion," Aaron Moss, a former member of the Minot Police Department, and the Sgt. at Arms of the North Dakota Fraternal Order of Police, told me and co-host Chad Oban on this episode of Plain Talk. Moss was asked if his group feels state Rep. Nico Rios, who so far hasn't stepped down after an incident in which he berated two Williston Police Department officers with racist and homophobic diatribes during an arrest for DUI. He called the situation "extraordinarily frustrating." "We rely on these folks to come up with the police we enforce," Moss said. When an elected official who makes the laws behaves this way, "It cuts the legs out from under us." Moss applauded House Majority Leader Mike Lefor for calling on Rios to resign, and for removing the Williston lawmaker from the House Judiciary Committee, where he would have been a "distraction" for law enforcement officials obliged to work with that committee. Also on this episode, Chad and I discuss a political attack by state Rep. Brandon Prichard on nearly three dozen of his Republican colleagues, and Gov. Doug Burgum's endorsement of former President Donald Trump for a second term. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

When we talk about carbon dioxide, it's usually in the context of having too much of it. Which is to say, that we're putting too much carbon into our atmosphere though human activity. But according to Ron Ness, the president of the North Dakota Petroleum Council, who joined me and co-host Ben Hanson on Plain Talk today, our state's oil industry is going to need more carbon to keep itself sustainable into the future. The industry needs the carbon to inject down into oil wells for enhanced oil recovery. "It's absolutely critical," he told us. Ness's comments come at a time when there is a brawling political debate over carbon pipelines. The Summit Carbon Pipeline, specifically, has drawn a lot of attention, facing as it does outspoken opposition from a coalition of strange bed fellows, including left-wing environmentalists and right-wing populists. That project doesn't have anything to do with what Ness is talking about -- it's backed by the ethanol industry, aiming to bring carbon produced at ethanol plants to North Dakota for storage -- but he says his industry is watching it carefully. Because they're going to need carbon in the future, and pipelines are the best way to bring it here. Also on this episode, Ben and I discuss and analyze the possibility that Gov. Doug Burgum could join a second Trump administration in some official way. Maybe as a cabinet official? Maybe as Trump's running mate? To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

"It's one thing to think about Democrats in the abstract," U.S. House candidate Trygve Hammer, himself a Democrat, told co-host Chad Oban and I on this episode of Plain Talk. "It's another thing to meet a Democrat. Hammer has a strong military and labor background, and when he said that, he was responding to a question about how he, as a member of a party that in many ways has lost touch with blue-collar voters, can reconnect with that constituency. He also spoke about some of the recent scandals North Dakota Republicans have found themselves mired in, and suggested Democrats have some culpability as well. Not for the scandals themselves, but for not being more competitive with Republicans. "There is a little bit of Democratic responsibility for this," he said, adding that "it would be political malpractice in this cycle for Democrats not to bring this stuff up." As for his opponent, incumbent Congressman Kelly Armstrong, Hammer says he feels some empathy. "I sympathize with him," Hammer said. "He's been put in a pickle by a lot of the bad actors in his party." Also on this episode, Oban and I analyze the case former state Sen. Tom Campbell is making for his gubernatorial ambitions, and whether or not state Rep. Jason Dockter, a Bismarck Republican who is facing a misdemeanor criminal charge over a sweetheart office lease deal, should resign. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

One of the first things former state Senator Tom Campbell said as he began his interview on this episode of Plain Talk with co-host Chad Oban and I was this: "I'm not here to bash Doug," referring to incumbent Governor Doug Burgum. Campbell, who is considering a run for governor himself, then spent the next six minutes or so bashing Doug. "He's been an ok governor," Campbell said, damning the incumbent with faint praise. "I think eight years is probably enough," he said. "I think everyone realized right from the get go that it was going nowhere," Campbell said of Burgum's presidential campaign. He also said that campaign didn't reflect well on North Dakota, saying it was "making us look like a small hick state." Campbell quoted an unnamed friend who told him, "I don't think I want someone controlling the nuclear buttons that just comes from a small town and rides horses." Those are some sharp jabs for someone not out to "bash" their potential opponent. Campbell, who says he hasn't yet decided on a gubernatorial run, addressed some potential areas of criticism for his potential campaign, including his family's decision to sell land to tech industry mogul Bill Gates, a bete noire of the populist right. "Our family decided to sell the land to him and we leased it back long term," he said, adding that the money from the transaction "allows us to keep farming." "That was a very positive thing I did," he added. Asked about his priorities, should he run for and win the governor's seat, Campbell said he'd sign a bill to cap property taxes, and focus on workforce shortages, particularly in the areas of teachers, medical professionals, and lawyers. Oban asked Campbell whether he feels incumbent President Joe Biden won the 2020 election, and Campbell wouldn't commit. "I don't know," he said. "There's a lot of information that's still coming out," he added. Michael Bell, a new talk radio host on KFYR AM550 in Bismarck, also joined this show to talk about starting a gig like that in these divisive political times. "It's been an interesting tome to help break through to the masses," he said. He's critical of Donald Trump. "He's not really a Republican and certainly not a conservative," Bell said. He also said that many on the right today "yell and shout and think that's conservatism." To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

If you own property in North Dakota right now, and you live at that property as your primary residence, you are probably eligible for a $500 property tax credit from the State of North Dakota. You can fill out an online form on the Tax Commissioner's website right now and claim that credit. Tax Commissioner Brian Kroshus joined this episode of Plain Talk to discuss that process. He says some 35,000 North Dakotans have claimed it already, and he expects the number to be well above 50,000 by next week. He said he expects about 90% of eligible citizens to claim the credit. Congressman Kelly Armstrong also joined this episode and addressed the scandal around state Rep. Nico Rios, saying he agrees with the calls on the Williston lawmaker to resign. Armstrong, a former defense attorney who says he's represented clients in DUI cases, says Rios "hit the trifecta of what not to do" during an arrest, pointing out that he refused a sobriety test, he verbally abused the officers, and he invoked his status as an elected official to try and get out of the arrest. Armstrong also suggested that a lack of competition from Democrats — Rios and the other Republicans from District 23 ran unopposed for their positions — has hurt Republicans by allowing them to endorse some unvetted candidates. "Everyone would be better served if we had more competition," he said. He was also critical of NDGOP Chair Sandi Sanford, who has flip-flopped on her call for Rios to resign. "This should be easy. This should be an easy thing to do," Armstrong said. "You either say he should resign, or not resign, or no comment. Everything else is just parsing." "I often think in politics we don't do a good job of holding our own side accountable," he added. When asked about the number of North Dakota Republicans in the headlines for various scandals over the last year, he said he's focused on the job he's doing. "I'm on a never-ending quest to prove you don't have to be crazy to be a conservative," he said. Speaking of competition, Armstrong, who has said he will be seeking re-election to his current office this year, has a challenger from Democratic-NPL candidate Trygve Hammer, who filed a statement of candidacy with the FEC this week. Armstrong called Hammer "impressive," citing his military background, but said, "I'm going to run on my record. Want to subscribe to Plain Talk? Click here for information, or search for the show wherever you get your podcasts.

House Majority Leader Mike Lefor, a Republican from Bismarck, says that shortly after Rep. Nico Rios was arrested for driving under the influence, he got a call from the Williston lawmaker. Rios acknowledged the arrest during that conversation, but according to Lefor, he left out the verbal abuse and bigoted slurs he hurled at members of the Williston Police Department involved in the arrest. "At no time did he let me know about any videos," Lefor said on this episode of Plain Talk. "I watched the video. I was deeply disappointed," he added. Lefor and other North Dakota Republican leaders, including those in Rios's legislative district, have called for the lawmaker to resign. "I don't think there's a place in the Legislature, or the party, for someone who talks like that to a police officer," he said. Rios, so far, hasn't resigned. Asked what the next steps would be if the lawmaker clings to office, Lefor raised the possibility of a recall. "I wouldn't be surprised if there was a movement to remove him from that office," Lefor said. He didn't mention the possibility of expelling Rios. That would require a vote of the full House of Representatives, and as things stand now, the Legislature won't convene again until January of 2025. But, in the mean time, Lefor says he's working on what he can do to remove Rios from the House Judiciary Committee, which handles law enforcement matters among other topics. Lefor says he wouldn't want a member of law enforcement to have to testify in front of Rios. Lefor also commented on the legal controversy around redistricting. A federal judge struck down a map drawn by lawmakers, saying it is out of compliance with the federal Voting Rights Act. The judge set a deadline for lawmakers to draw a new map, but that has come and gone as the state has appealed the ruling. The judge said he could choose a map himself if lawmakers don't act, but so far that hasn't happened. Lefor says the Legislature continues the process of developing a new map, but said at any point the judge could rule again, at which point lawmakers would have to respond. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

In 2020, Donald Trump was still in office, and made the decision to reach down to a state-level executive branch race of the sort you don't normally see American presidents intervening in. In the NDGOP's primary that year, Trump endorsed former state Rep. Daniel Johnston to be North Dakota's Treasurer. Pillow salesman and MAGA-world celebrity Mike Lindell endorsed Johnston too, as did U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer. But another lawmaker, Thomas Beadle, won the Republican primary with support from Gov. Doug Burgum. Now he's up for re-election, and joined this episode of Plain Talk to discuss it. Beadle described the 2020 competition as a "proxy battle" between Cramer and Burgum. He said his personal style isn't showy. "I was never the show horse," he said, adding that he didn't get involved in politics to "just own the libs." Asked if he feels he will face a primary challenge from the populist, Trump-aligned faction of the party, Beadle said he wasn't sure, but that he's not "afraid of it." He didn't commit to attending the NDGOP's statewide convention, where the populist faction has gotten the most traction in state politics. "It's an open conversation," he said. "I love the convention process," he added, but said he plans to campaign "all the way to November," suggesting he'd likely stay in the race even if he doesn't receive the party's convention endorsement. Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I discuss the scandal involving state Rep. Nico Rios, and why Republicans have, so far, been reticent to condemn a man who used vile slurs and bigoted language on two members of the Williston Police Department.

MINOT — When you go into the voting booth on election day you have on hand a ballot that has a bunch of names on it. How do those names get there? Most of them are the nominated candidate of one party or another, but if you're an independent, there's a process you have to go through before you can be an option on election day. On this episode of Plain Talk, a Jamestown volunteer by the name of Christian Cairy joined co-host Ben Handon and me to discuss his efforts to get independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. on North Dakota's statewide ballot. Cairy said his group, People 4 Kennedy, can begin collecting signatures in January, and have to get 4,000 turned in by September. Those interested in volunteering can email [email protected]. Also on this episode, Fargo-based defense Tanya Martinez talks about the Ian Cramer case. Cramer, the son of U.S. Sentator Kevin Cramer, led police on a high-speed chase that resulted in the death of a Mercer County deputy. Some social media commentators have suggested that Ian Cramer may get special treatment because of who his dad is. Martinez says she's seen no evidence in that case. She also answered questions about the charges he's facing, and what the process will look like going forward. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

This week we got news that the elected auditor of Eddy County, an office that counts local election administration among its various duties, has resigned amid a push by election-denying Republican activists. On this episode of Plain Talk, Sec. of State Michael Howe talked about the harassment and aggressive conspiracy mongering many local election officials are facing around the state. "I'm extremely concerned," he said. "Whether it's an auditor in a small county or people running for the Legislature." He said there seems to be a movement to "push good people out." Howe also answered questions about North Dakota's election process, saying it's "extremely secure." Also on this episode, Friday co-host Chad Oban and I discuss former state Sen. Tom Campbell's aggressive push keep incumbent Gov. Doug Burgum from seeking a third term. We also covered the Williston Shool Board, which survived a recall election pushed by far-right populist activists, voting to keep controversial library books on the shelves. To subscribe to Plain Talk, so you can listen on your favorite device, and be alerted when new episodes publish, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts. Or click here for more information.

North Dakota can sometimes have a reputation as being a sleepy state, but believe it or not, there are a lot of things going on. Trust me. As someone whose job it is to write about what's happening in state an local government, there just aren't enough hours in the day for me to cover all the things I'd like to write or talk about. That being said, a new source for news in the state can't be a bad thing, right? The North Dakota Monitor is a new state-based iteration of a nonprofit news organization called the States Newsroom. They fund reporters in some 38 states who cover politics, courts, government, and other matters. They don't charge for subscriptions, and they don't run ads. Their reporting is funded by donors. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Amy Dalrymple, the former editor of the Bismarck Tribune who is now heading up the Monitor, joined this episode of Plain Talk to discuss it. She answered questions about what her organization will be covering, and criticism the States Newsroom organization has taken from media watchdogs like NewsGuard over their nonprofit model. Also on this episode, co-host Ben Hanson and I discuss the NDGOP hiring a new executive director, Andrew Nyhus, and the most recent court ruling about North Dakota's legislative map. District Court Judge Peter Welte is refusing to move a December 22 deadline for lawmakers to introduce a new map. Will the Legislature have to rush into their second special session of this year? Or will an appeal to the 8th Circuit, at the very least, move the deadline? To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

Congressman Kelly Armstrong is leading a high-profile congressional delegation to an international climate summit in Dubai. It's a really big deal for North Dakota, for American, and for Armstrong, who in a still-young career in the House, has accumulated a not-small amount of clout. He spoke about it on this episode of Plain Talk. "Republicans were late to the game on this," he said of efforts by his party to engage on climate change issues. Armstrong, who is from an oil, gas, and coal-producing state, who has a professional background in the oil and gas industry, says he's looking forward to that perspective being included in climate debates. Why should pro-oil people be a part of that conversation? "Because ten years from now we're going to be using more oil than we're using today," he said. Armstrong also talked about an impeachment inquiry resolution he's introduced which he says will help House Republicans continue their investigation into President Joe Biden and his family's business activities. "It puts us in the best position before the courts to exercise our Article I authority," he said. With Gov. Doug Burgum having ended his presidential campaign, North Dakota's Senators, Kevin Cramer and John Hoeven, have both announced endorsements of President Donald Trump. Asked if he, also, has endorsed Trump, Armstrong said, "I have not." Though, it should be noted, in previous interviews Armstrong has made it clear that if given a choice between Trump and the incumbent, President Joe Biden, he'd vote for Trump. Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I discuss the implications of the tragedy involving Sen. Kevin Cramer's son, who, amid a mental health crisis, led police on a chase that resulted in the death of Mercer County Deputy Paul Martin. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

MINOT — Grants appropriated by state lawmakers have been making headlines recently. They may have funded the travel of a former state Senator now accused of heinous sex crimes. A group of North Dakota filmmakers recently staged a protest in the state capitol over a grant process they say was unfair. On this episode of Plain Talk, state Senator Tim Mathern, a Democrat from Fargo, joined to discuss the issue. "We're going down a slippery slope," he said. Mathern has drafted legislation that would put more reporting requirements on grants funded by the Legislature. He feels like more transparency and accountability would help, though he also argues that part of the problem is Republican dominance in Bismarck. "When you don't have a strong two-party system...we get lax and begin to do things that are edgy," he said. "This has sort of evolved through the years to the point where it's above and beyond where it should be," he added. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

Redistricting, and in particular, the ways in which federal law and jurisprudence govern redistricting, can be a complicated and nuanced thing. Unfortunately, political debates, particularly these days, are not known for their thoroughness and nuance. Which is why it was disappointing when so much of the reaction to a federal court finding North Dakota's legislative map was illegal under the Voting Rights Act was born of rote partisanship and odious ideological bomb throwing. What the judge ruled in an opinion that is currently being appealed is that while North Dakota lawmakers made an effort to draw a map that was more beneficial for Native American communities, they didn't go far enough. Co-host Chad Oban and I discussed it on this episode of Plain Talk. We also discussed: The debate over a ballot measure to eliminate property taxes. Can the campaign get the signatures? Is yoking that effort to unrelated political causes, such as opposition to vaccines, a good idea? A 2019 law which exempted lawmaker emails with state officials from open records requests. That has hindered media inquiries into the situation around former Sen. Ray Holmberg, who is charged with federal crimes related to sexual misconduct with children. Should the law be changed? A new federal political action committee which will be asking North Dakota elected officials to sign a pledge. A similar group in Idaho punished lawmakers who wouldn't by funding primary challenges against them. Should North Dakota's leaders be signing these pledges? Is there any pledge they make more important than the one to their constituents? If you want to subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

This week a group of filmmakers representing the bulk of North Dakota's film industry gathered outside of Gov. Doug Burgum's office, in the Memorial Hall of the state capitol building, to make a point about the process surrounding $700,000 in grants made to one Bismarck-based production company. Matt Fern, who is also based in Bismarck, points out that $100,000 of the grants was awarded without being advertised at all. Another $600,000 was awarded after an abbreviated application process that seemed design to serve the interests of just one company. He joined this episode of Plain Talk to discuss why that process was unfair, and why, if North Dakota hopes to build a solid film industry in the state, officials need to do better. Want to subscribe to Plain Talk? Search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

Sometimes politicians are rich when they go into politics. Sometimes they get rich, somehow, while collecting the relatively modest salary that comes with even some of the highest-level elected offices. How does that happen? And why is there such a disconnect between the ardent, eat-the-rich populism of this moment and the success filthy rich politicians have at the ballot box? Matt Lewis, a senior columnist for the Daily Beast and a regular guest on more national programs than I can conveniently list here, is the author of "Filthy Rich Politicians: The Swamp Creatures, Latte Liberals, and Ruling-Class Elites Cashing in on America," and he joined this episode of Plain Talk to those questions, his book, and the state of play in American politics. Also on this episode, my co-host Chad Oban and I discuss polling on property taxes, abortion, and a federal court ruling that North Dakota lawmakers most hold another special session to address redistricting.

New results from the North Dakota poll were characterized by the sponsor of the poll, the North Dakota News Cooperative, as well as many media outlets covering those results, as showing that state lawmakers are out of step with voters on issues like abortion and ballot measures. Of course, in the coming elections, most legislative incumbents will likely be re-elected, so are they really all that out of step? We talked about it on this episode of Plain Talk. We also covered some tough political headwinds the proponents of abolishing property taxes face, and some of the on-going weirdness emanating from Gov. Doug Burgum's campaign for the White House. Want to be notified when new episodes of Plain Talk publish? Please search for the show and subscribe wherever you get our podcasts, or click here for more information.

I don't think many people were surprised that Gov. Doug Burgum did not take first place in the North Dakota Poll's presidential preference survey. Like it or not, Donald Trump is a singular political figure among Republicans in this moment in history. He makes his own gravity. Of course he was going to be the first choice for president among Republicans. He's also the first choice in Florida and South Carolina, despite the presence of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, and South Carolina U.S. Senator Tim Scott in the race. But did you expect Burgum to come in third place? Behind DeSantis? And just a couple of points ahead of Haley? I expected him to do better. We talked about that on this episode of Plain Talk. We also discussed some of the recent off-year elections around the nation, where Trump's populist movement took it on the chin, and what that means for the durability of that movement. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

Thanks to the widely-reported consternation over carbon pipelines, carbon capture has become a hot-button issue. But political kerfuffles tend to obscure that North Dakota is on the bleeding edge of carbon capture and storage technology. On this episode of Plain Talk, Jeff Zueger, the CEO of Harvestone, joined us to talk about the new carbon capture and storage project they've launched at their Blue Flint Ethanol facility near Underwood. At that facility, they're capturing 100% of their emissions from the fermentation process, and since October, they've been injecting 600 metric tons of CO2 about a mile-deep underground daily. As significant as that is, the project's provenance may be even more critical. North Dakota was the first state in the nation to be granted primacy over carbon injection wells by the federal government. Blue Flint Ethanol is now the second project launched in North Dakota under that primacy through a process that, per Zueger, took just months as opposed to the years you might expect from federal regulators. Zueger said capturing carbon is of huge important to the ethanol industry, from the farmers who grow fuel crops to companies like his that turn them into fuels. Carbon capture is "one of the single biggest things we can do to step down our carbon intensity," and that matters, because increasingly the fuels market is demanding lower carbon intensities. Zueger pointed out that, thanks to the emergence of electric vehicles, the liquid fuels markets are already contracting, and the demand that's left wants lower-emission fuels. "We have to respond to those markets," he said.

When I first invited Attorney General Drew Wrigley on to this episode of Plain Talk, our intention was to speak about the lawsuit against Facebook company Meta that North Dakota is now a part of. And we did eventually get around to talking about that, but in between my invitation and today, when we actually recorded the interview, former state Sen. Ray Holmberg was indicted on criminal charges related to international travel to procure sex with minors and child pornography. Wrigley's, whose office handled much of the inquiry into Holmberg's alleged crimes, sent out a press release saying that investigation was one of the first things he was briefed on after being sworn in last year. Something in that release caught my eye. Specifically, this passage: "In early February 2022, within hours of my taking the Oath of Office as Attorney General, the US Attorney's Office and the leadership of the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) briefed me on the early stages of this joint federal and state investigation. I immediately instructed the BCI to move this case to priority status where it remains today, due to the on-going nature of this investigation." Why didn't that investigation already have priority status prior to Wrigley taking office? And did Wrigley's predecessor, Wayne Stenehjem, who passed away last year prompting Gov. Doug Burgum to appoint Wrigley, recuse himself? The answer to that last question is no. "He had not recused himself from the case," Wrigley said. I asked Wrigley if he felt Stenehjem should have recused himself, and he was reticent to say yes. After a long pause, Wrigley said, "Everyone has to make their own assessment on that." "They were such good friends," he added, referring to Holmberg and Stenehjem, both of whom were from Grand Forks and represented that community in the Legislature. Wrigley also said Stenehjem's deputy, Troy Seibel, "didn't have a good answer" when asked about why Stenehjem didn't recuse. Wrigley also pointed out that the currently U.S. Attorney Mac Schneider, whose office is handling the prosecution of Holmberg, has recused himself because he served in the state Senate alongside Holmberg representing Grand Forks. As for why the case wasn't a priority? It "remained in the queue," Wrigley said, adding that it had "evidence that hadn't been analyzed." Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I discuss long political shadow the Holmberg investigation has, and will, cast across North Dakota politics. Want to subscribe to Plain Talk? Search for the show wherever you get our podcasts, or click here for more information.

There has been turmoil in the North Dakota Republican Party this year, and it most recently manifested itself in the disastrous and hire of a South Dakota man, David Roetman, with a proclivity for misogyny and racism on social media. Levi Bachmeier, the chair of the NDGOP's District 13 committee, and one of the outspoken critics of Mr. Roetman's hire, joined this episode to discuss what's going on in North Dakota's dominant political organization. "It really didn't sit well with me," Bachmeier said of Roetman's hire. We also discussed the growing disconnect between the priorities of some NDGOP officials and North Dakota voters, as well as the attitude from some party leaders that the NDGOP should be enforcing ideological discipline on its candidates.

Congressman Kelly Armstrong hasn't been able to get back home to North Dakota for nearly two months thanks to chaos in Washington D.C. Chaos that included a pitched battle within the Republican caucus over who the Speaker of the House would be. Now that the House has a Speaker again, Armstrong is home in North Dakota again, and on this episode of Plain Talk, called that protracted imbroglio "the biggest self-own in the history of partisan politics. And, he added, if in-fighting among House Republicans walks them into another government shutdown in the coming weeks, "that will also be the biggest self-own in the history of partisan politics." To subscribe to the Plain Talk podcast, search for it on platforms like Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or click here for more information.

North Dakota lawmakers are wrapping up their work at a special session that was convened thanks to the state Supreme Court striking down a catch-all budget bill that violated the state constitution. Some surprise topics came up during the closing hours, including an effort to kill a major audit review of State Auditor Josh Gallin's office, as well as an effort to put stiff enforcement behind a ban on accommodating trans students in public schools. On this episode of Plain Talk, Wednesday co-host Ben Hanson and I discuss.

Next week North Dakota's lawmakers will convene in a special session, and it's hard to know what's going to happen. Gov. Doug Burgum called lawmakers into special session with an executive order asking that they limit themselves to five days, but lawmakers aren't obliged to follow that order. Once they're in session, they're in session. Could we see a situation where legislative leaders can't get the special session closed? State Rep. Josh Boschee, a Fargo Democrat, joined this episode to discuss that question and other issues surrounding the special session. Want to be notified when new episodes of Plain Talk publish? Search for the show on your favorite podcast service, like Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or click here for more information.

You wouldn't normally expect to use an interview with a United States Senator to talk about what's going on in the House of Representatives, but that's what we did on today's episode of Plain Talk. Even though Sen. Kevin Cramer is a former member of the House, and knows a thing or two about how that chamber operates, he isn't currently a member. Still, the drama in the House, which is currently paralyzed for want of the leadership of an elected Speaker, is impacting his job as a Senator. Congress can't do anything if one of its component houses cannot do its work. Cramer also talked about the ugly new war between Israel and Hamas, how America should respond to it, as well as to criticism he's received from an anti-marijuana group over his support for the SAFE Banking Act. Also on this episode, Wednesday co-host Chad Oban and I discussed the most recent Supreme Court ruling on a major spending and policy bill which has been declared unconstitutional. The court has refused to give lawmakers more time for a special session to address the situation. Want to subscribe to Plain Talk? Search for the show on your favorite podcast service, or click here for more information.

"My opinion is there will be no delayed bills introduced," House Majority Leader Mike Lefor, a Dickinson Republican, said of the upcoming legislative session on this episode of Plain Talk. "Get in and get out," he added. The special session is necessitated by a state Supreme Court ruling which found that the Legislature violated the state constitution's prohibition on multi-issue bills. Now, lawmakers must come back into session and split a massive catch-all bill passed at the end of the legislative session into separate, single-issue bills. But the larger context is a running feud between lawmakers and Gov. Doug Burgum, who have passed pension reform, and the leaders of the Public Employees Retirement System, who are hostile to that reform. It was PERS that filed the lawsuit creating the need for the special session. "I've been tremendously disappointed in the actions of the PERS board," Lefor said, referring to efforts to marginalize legislative appointees to that board. He also said that he supports Burgum's request that the chair of the board, Mona Tedford Rindy, who lobbied lawmakers to defeat pension reform during the legislative session earlier this year, resign. "I think the governor was absolutely correct to call for her resignation," Lefor said. Tedford Rindy refused to resign when asked by Burgum, and that's something Lefor would like to see changed during the upcoming session. "I believe the governor should have the authority to remove those he's appointed," he said. Lefor also answered questions about the recent controversy around a member of his caucus. Rep. Brandon Prichard, a Republican from the Bismarck area, has been making bigoted and homophobic posts on social media, and has been caught lying about his attendance at the University of Minnesota's law school. "He's on his own," Lefor said. "He's an adult. He has to answer to his constituents." Lefor said he does plan to sit down with Prichard to try and understand better what's motivating his recent behavior, but he also said he's admonished his legislative colleagues to stay off of social media. "I no longer have a Facebook account," Lefor said. "Id on't know of anything positive or constructive coming out of Facebook."

Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy has been sent packing by a vote initiated by a minority of his own Republican caucus. Now the House of Representatives is tasked with picking a new Speaker, and Rep. Kelly Armstrong, North Dakota's at-large Congressman, says the price of his vote is a rule change to ensure the next Speaker won't suffer the same fate. Otherwise, the House of Representatives risks becoming "just the same clown car with a different driver." Armstrong, who was an outspoken supporter of McCarthy and voted to keep him as Speaker, said he's not interested in the job, saying he doesn't believe he has enough tenure in the House yet to lead it, and that he has young children at home. Although he didn't name names, he did say there were two candidates running to be Speaker, and perhaps a third he believes will run. But whoever is elected will have to contend with a noisy minority of Republicans who aren't motivated by a desire to govern the country, Armstrong said, adding that "far too many members of our caucus" have "no incentive" to make serious policy. Armstrong was also critical of Democrats, saying he doesn't want to hear them complain about extremism in the Republican caucus. "You just voted with the eight most extreme members of our caucus. You can pound sand," he said. As to rumors that Rep. Matt Gaetz, the MAGA Republican from Florida who led the charge to take down McCarthy, could be expelled from Congress based on an upcoming ethics report about his activities at the heart of a now-concluded federal sex trafficking investigation, Armstrong said that sort of talk was inappropriate. All the more so because the House Ethics Committee hasn't even issued a report. He believes people like Gaetz, and Democratic Congressman Jamaal Bowman who is also facing calls for expulsion after he pulled a fire alarm during a vote to keep the government open, have a right to be in Congress even if he doesn't personally like or support either of them. "They got elected by 750,000 people," Armstrong said. "Those 750,000 people have a right to a voice in Congress." Also on this episode, co-host Ben Hanson and I discuss the recent controversy over bigoted social media messages posted by state Rep. Brandon Prichard, a Bismarck Republican, as well as the death of Sen. Doug Larsen, a Republican from Mandan.

A ruling from the North Dakota Supreme Court, part of an on-going spat between lawmakers, Gov. Doug Burgum, and the Public Employees Retirement System, has created the need for a new legislative session. State Rep. Corey Mock, a Democrat from Grand Forks and former leader of the minority caucus, joined this episode of Plain Talk to discuss it. He estimates that lawmakers will meet again sometime in mid-November to take on the job of disassembling an ominbus budget bill that the court ruled unconstitutional and pass it as individual, single-subject pieces of legislation. Though looming over that process is a seemingly unquenchable thirst among some lawmakers for culture war battles. Mock said that if lawmakers are "disciplined" they could complete their work in a week, but that if things get chaotic it could take much longer. Also on this episode, Brian Lunde, a long-time political advisor now working with the North Dakota News Cooperative, talked about what that organization is doing to address the shortage of public polling in our state. The co-op is launching what they're calling the 'North Dakota Poll' which will cover everything from issue and consumer opinions to candidate polling and job approval ratings for elected officials. He said the plan is for the results to be released quarterly, starting next year.

Should people who aren't from North Dakota be allowed to help put proposed laws on North Dakota's ballot? That's the question asked in a lawsuit filed by proponents of a constitutional amendment implementing age limits for North Dakota's congressional delegation. That measure, if passed, was probably already headed for litigation as U.S. Supreme Court precedent has held that state-level requirements for service in Congress are unconstitutional. But, apparently, the proponents want to use their measure to try and remove North Dakota's limitations on who can circulate petitions for signatures. Sec. of State Michael Howe, whose office oversees the ballot measure process, joined this episode of Plain Talk to discuss. Also on this episode, co-hosts Chad Oban and Ben Hanson join me to analyze and react to the GOP's second presidential debate, where Gov. Doug Burgum had a tough time getting a word in edgewise.

Earlier this year, the Legislature passed a bill to outlaw gender care — both surgeries and medicinal treatments — for minor children who are transitioning. Now, a group of North Dakota parents are working with a group called Gender Justice to sue over the legislation, arguing that it's illegal. Devon Dolney, a Fargo parent to a trans son, and Brittany Stewart, an attorney for Gender Justice, joined this Plain Talk episode to discuss their case. Stewart said the legislation presents equal protection issues, as well as constitutional protections for life, liberty, and parental rights. Also, on this episode, Sen. Kevin Cramer joined to discuss the Senate dress code and a potential federal shutdown. Want to be notified when new episodes of Plain Talk are published? Search for the show on services like Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or click here for more information.

The North Dakota Republican Party, without quesiton the dominant political organization in state politics, is currently charting its way through some choppy waters. Controversial new leadership has alienated some of the party's donors. Local NDGOP district leaders are targeting their own incumbent Republican lawmakers. The party's fundraising is showing signs of cratering. Now the party's executive director, Samantha Holly, who has only served in that position since January, has resigned. "I've always prided myself on being fair to everyone," she said on this episode of Plain Talk, telling me and my co-host Ben Hanson that she didn't see it as her job to be involved in ideological debates. "I am happy to work with whoever," she said. But things under new party chair Sandi Sanford, who was narrowly elected with support from the aforementioned populists, became untenable. "You can call for unity all you want," Holly said, referencing Sanford's calls to unite the party even as her supporters work against elected Republicans. "They only want it when it works in their favor." One of the trends under Sanford's leadership has been struggles with fundraising. She's only been in charge of the party for a few months, and Holly pointed out that it isn't unusual for political parties to run in the red for short periods, particularly in non-election years. Still, she said, there are troubling signs. "It worries me that it's September and not of the major donors have been contacted," she said. Adding to the party's financial challenges were contribution refunds requested by several large-dollar donors shortly after Sanford's election. "Even knowing that they probably won't give," Holly said in the context of those refunds, "they should still be contacted," she said. The implication being that the party isn't even bothering to ask for support from donors who aren't perceived as being on Sanford's team. Want to be notified when new episodes of Plain Talk publish? Search for the show on podcast platforms like Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or click here for more information.

"I'm not interested in doing this simply to make our base happy," Congressman Kelly Armstrong said of new efforts to impeach President Joe Biden over his involvement with his son's business deals and other matters. Armstrong talked at length about the dichotomy among Republicans in their push for accountability for Biden, while simultaneously attacking efforts to bring the same to former President Donald Trump. He acknowledged that much of it is caught up in partisan politics, with people evaluating the legitimacy of an inquiry based on how they feel about its subject. When will that end? "No side is going to unilaterally disarm," he said. "That's just not how partisan politics works. Armstrong also spoke about his work on a deal to avoid a government shutdown. He noted that he's one of the few members of the House of Representatives who have remained in Washington D.C. to get something done, though he was tight-lipped about what's being discussed. Speaking out about it now could make a deal more difficult. "Everybody wants to see their names in a Politico story or a Punchbowl story," he said. "I just don't care about that." How likely is a deal to get done? "I'm more optimistic this morning than I was yesterday morning," he said, though he tempered optimism later in the interview with this: "I'm not confident we don't end up in some sort of a shutdown." Armstrong was also asked about Gov. Doug Burgum's campaign for the presidency, which hasn't gained much traction since he announced it. Should the governor pull out? "The longer his voice is in this conversation the better it is for the country," Armstrong said. Want to subscribe to Plain Talk? Search for the show on podcast services like Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or click here for more information.

If constructed, the Midwest Carbon Express, a carbon pipeline project pursued by Summit Carbon Solutions, would gather carbon emissions from ethanol plants across the upper midwest and bring it to North Dakota for storage. Controversy around the pipeline, particularly from some landowners and farmers who say their land will be stolen through eminent domain, or that the pipeline itself is dangerous, has made headlines. But two North Dakota lawmakers with deep ties to agriculture in the state are pushing back. Sen. Terry Wanzek and Rep. Mike Brandenburg, both Republican members of the North Dakota legislature, recently wrote a letter to the editor arguing that "the future is here, and it demands that we incorporate innovative solutions like carbon capture and storage to ensure the continued prosperity of our leading industries." Rep. Brandenburg joined this episode of Plain Talk to explain his argument. "It's time we start talking about the positive things with this pipeline," he said. Brandenburg says 100 miles of Summit's pipeline run through his legislative district, where he also farms. He initially didn't like the way Summit approached landowners. He said they hired contractors who bullied landowners. "We had a meeting with them and told them they have a bunch of crooks out here," Brandenburg said. Summit has since fired those contractors and fixed the problems, he continued. Meanwhile, he argued, new economic realities are setting in. Canada, a major importer of American ethanol, has implemented new emissions standards, and without carbon capture, American farmers and ethanol producers will be at a disadvantage. "A year ago this time, corn was $2 higher," he said, attributing to fall to competition from farmers in places like Brazil which he says are ahead of the curb on capturing carbon. Brandenburg also said that North Dakota farmers are being misled by people such as Darryl Lies, the president of the North Dakota Farm Bureau who uses his Bismarck-based talk radio show to inveigh against carbon capture and Summit's pipeline. Want to subscribe to Plain Talk? Search for the show on services like Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or click here for more information.

When it comes to criminal justice policy, and more specifically, the sort of policy that deals with incarcerating people, the most important thing for us to remember is that most people who are put in prison will eventually get out. According to a public-facing data dashboard from the North Dakota Department of Corrections, about 64% of people incarcerated in our state spend less than a year there. About 92% spend 3 years or less behind bars. If those folks are eventually going to be in our communities again, if they're going to be our neighbors and customers and coworkers, then shouldn't we want to make sure we're doing everything we can to ensure they're ready to be out of prison again? That's what we talked about on this episode of Plain Talk. The data dashboard I just used to bring you those statistics was developed by a nonprofit called Recidiviz. They were founded by Google engineers, and developed for North Dakota a criminal justice data system that allows our state to better organize our corrections resources. In fact, North Dakota was the first state the organization worked with. Dave Krabbenhoft, the director of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and Lily Fielding, a state engagement director for Recidiviz, joined this episode of Plain Talk to talk about the cutting-edge work they're doing. Also on this episode, co-host Ben Hanson and I talk about how North Dakota taxes are always going up, and never down, and what that might mean for our debate about eliminating property taxes. Want to subscribe to Plain Talk? Click here for more information.

MINOT — As North Dakota braces itself for another debate about abolishing property taxes - a new ballot measure to do so is being circulated for signatures, and it will likely be on the ballot next year - local governments are busy raising property taxes. It almost seem like the locals want to get rid of property taxes. One local leader, Grand Forks Mayor Brandon Bochenski, joined this episode of Plain Talk to discuss it. Bochenski pointed out that his jurisdiction has been cutting taxes, not raising them. He said his city has just completed its fourth straight cut in property taxes mills, but that's also one of the most confounding things about property taxes. Even if one local government is keeping taxes down, that can be overshadowed by other local governments. When people in Grand Forks get a property tax bill, they aren't just paying the City of Grand Forks. They're also paying Grand Forks County, and their school district, and the park district, etc. It's that way all over the state. But would Bochenski vote to abolish property taxes? He says he's undecided - "I don't think there's enough information" - but on the whole he seems largely against it. He doesn't like the idea of putting local governments relying so much more on state lawmakers in Bismarck to fund their needs, especially with a new term limits amendment ensuring that the folks serving in Bismarck aren't very experienced. Also joining this episode was U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer, who talked with co-host Chad Oban and I about everything from Donald Trump's legal problems to Gov. Doug Burgum's presidential campaign Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's health struggles. Asked if he feels Burgum, who has struggled to gain traction in national polls, should drop out of the race, Cramer said, "Doug maybe along with some others." Cramer said that consolidating the non-Trump candidates is going to be "important" for those looking to move on from the former president. Still, that doesn't mean Cramer isn't behind Burgum. "I'm with him until he makes the decision himself," Cramer said.

Grand Farms is an agriculture research site west of Fargo, and on today's episode of Plain Talk, we talked about what a big deal it is with Grand Farms board chair Greg Tehven and state Rep. Cindy Schreiber-Beck. It's a big deal, because I'm not sure how many non-farming citizens understand how much bleeding-edge technology is involved in modern farming. From drones and autonomous machinery to planting techniques, human ingenuity is pushing to keep farmers in a position to feed the world even as the world's population gets bigger. Also on this episode, Wednesday co-host Ben Hanson and I break down a new ballot measure that would do a lot of harm to North Dakota's political process, from opening up elections to endless audits and objections to turning the initiated measure process into a completely unaccountable process through which anyone with some money can put their issue on the ballot. Want to subscribe to Plain Talk? Search for the show on platforms like Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or click here for more information.

Perrie Schafer likes Gov. Doug Burgum. He says they worked together in recent years "hand in hand" during his stint as chair of the North Dakota Republican Party. But on this episode of Plain Talk, he said Burgum didn't make a big impression during the first presidential debate. "I think Doug is going to have to make a decision," Schafer said during the show with co-hosts Chad Oban and Ben Hanson chiming in as well. "There's a point where there's good money after bad," he added, saying the candidate has to ask himself of saying in a crowded GOP field, "Is it worth doing?" He said Burgum's recent injury, playing basketball the day before the debate, isn't helpful. "He's got an Achilles problem as well," Schafer said. Want to subscribe to Plain Talk? Search for the show on popular podcast apps like Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or click here for more information.

Gov. Doug Burgum was injured in a pick-up basketball game just hours ahead of a pivotal national debate where he desperately needs to make a good impression with a national audience that, for the most part, doesn't know him. So of course we spent this episode of Plain Talk discussing a parking dispute in West Fargo. I'm kidding. Sort of. We talked about Burgum's injury, but we also interviewed West Fargo City Commissioner Mark Simmons about the controversy around the city's West Fargo Events non-profit and the parking dispute between two of the city's major developers. We were also joined by Sen. John Hoeven for an update about the potential for the Dakota Access Pipeline being shutdown, and the struggle to build pipeline infrastructure. Want to subscribe to Plain Talk? Search for the show on podcast services like Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or click here for more information.

A shooter who opened fire on police officers in Fargo had mass casualties on his mind. Attorney General Drew Wrigley, who joined this episode of Plain Talk to discuss the release of harrowing police-worn body camera footage of the terrible incident, said we may never find out much more than that about the shooter's motivations. "I'm going to lower people's expectations on that," he said, noting that more information from the shooter's computers and other devices would be made public in the future. "We can't find anything." Wrigley also covered the controversy over the binary trigger the shooter used to accelerate his rate of fire toward the officers. State lawmakers have passed specific protections for that trigger, and Wrigley said he's received some blowback from critics for bringing the issue up. Wrigley said he's talked about it because it's a central part of the Fargo incident, and because he even he, a gun rights supporter, thinks the triggers should be illegal. "We don't see automatic weapons fire as part of the 2nd amendment protections," he said. "Wouldn't it be nice if [binary triggers] weren't established in North Dakota law?" he added. Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I talk about the impact culture warrior leadership has had on fundraising for the North Dakota Republican Party, as well as next week's GOP presidential debate, where Gov. Doug Burgum will be competing. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show on podcast services like Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or click here for more information.

Is a government-backed nonprofit called West Fargo Events too close to a developer, property management, and event-booking company called EPIC Companies? That's a philosophical question, but it manifests itself in a practical way in the relationship between West Fargo Events and another developer, Jim Bullis. "How can you trust West Fargo when they're playing favorites with developers?" he asked on this episode of Plain Talk, where we discussed the years-long dispute he's had with EPIC Companies and West Fargo Events over parking. "It's three years this has been going on," Bullis said, adding that the relationship between EPIC Companies and West Fargo Events "seems to be a conflict they do not have a way to get around." Also, on this episode, my co-host Ben Hanson and I discuss the property tax hikes that are taking place in local government jurisdictions around the state, and what impact that might have on a new ballot measure campaign to eliminate property taxes entirely. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show on your favorite podcast service, like Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or click here for more information.