Plain Talk With Rob Port

In late June, terrible storms destroyed millions of dollars worth of property, and took lives in parts of the state around Enderlin, Spiritwood, and beyond. In late July, Gov. Kelly Armstrong issued a disaster declaration, asking President Donald Trump administration to release aid to the state. Weeks and weeks went by, until North Dakota's Federal delegation -- Senators John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer, and Rep. Julie Fedorchak -- sent their own letter to the Trump administration, indicating that state emergency funds had been depleted, and urging the president to act both on Armstrong's declaration for the June storms, and a more recent one from Sept. 2 related to tornadic storms in August. The Trump administration has been very slow in responding to these sorts of request, taking over a month on average compared to just a couple of weeks for previous administrations. And the declaration for the Enderlin/Spiritwood storm, in particular, took over 50 days before finally being acknowledged by Trump this week. "Look, it's absolutely shameful. You have a lot of Republican politicians failing a lot of Republican voters," state Rep. Zac Isa, the Minority Leader for the Democratic-NPL, said on this episode of Plain Talk (which was recorded before Trump finally acquiesced to Gov. Armstrong's request). "I take the back roads home from Bismarck and I drove through Page ,and Hunter, and the Arthur area. I saw the damage that windstorm did and and I can also look at electoral map," he continued. "I know there's a whole lot of Republican voters in that region. They expect Julie Fedorchak and John Hoeven and and Kevin Cramer to deliver, but those those guys are just rubber stamps for Trump. I mean, do they know there's ways to influence a president beyond kissing his ass all the time?" Ista argues the delegation could not"rubber stamp his policies until he authorizes a disaster relief for North Dakota." "It's just an absolute failure of any influence they might have," he continued. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode.

In late June, terrible storms destroyed millions of dollars worth of property, and took lives in parts of the state around Enderlin, Spiritwood, and beyond. In late July, Gov. Kelly Armstrong issued a disaster declaration, asking President Donald Trump administration to release aid to the state. Weeks and weeks went by, until North Dakota's Federal delegation -- Senators John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer, and Rep. Julie Fedorchak -- sent their own letter to the Trump administration, indicating that state emergency funds had been depleted, and urging the president to act both on Armstrong's declaration for the June storms, and a more recent one from Sept. 2 related to tornadic storms in August. The Trump administration has been very slow in responding to these sorts of request, taking over a month on average compared to just a couple of weeks for previous administrations. And the declaration for the Enderlin/Spiritwood storm, in particular, took over 50 days before finally being acknowledged by Trump this week. "Look, it's absolutely shameful. You have a lot of Republican politicians failing a lot of Republican voters," state Rep. Zac Isa, the Minority Leader for the Democratic-NPL, said on this episode of Plain Talk (which was recorded before Trump finally acquiesced to Gov. Armstrong's request). "I take the back roads home from Bismarck and I drove through Page ,and Hunter, and the Arthur area. I saw the damage that windstorm did and and I can also look at electoral map," he continued. "I know there's a whole lot of Republican voters in that region. They expect Julie Fedorchak and John Hoeven and and Kevin Cramer to deliver, but those those guys are just rubber stamps for Trump. I mean, do they know there's ways to influence a president beyond kissing his ass all the time?" Ista argues the delegation could not"rubber stamp his policies until he authorizes a disaster relief for North Dakota." "It's just an absolute failure of any influence they might have," he continued. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive  

When Pat Traynor, Gov. Kelly Armstrong's interim Commissioner of the Department of Health and Human Services, said that excessive use of cell phones and other digital devices is "probably the biggest public health threat that we have," I wrote that he was wrong, and accused him of stoking a moral panic. Traynor came on today's episode of the Plain Talk podcast to talk about it, and said that our devices leave us "continuously distracted." Referring to North Dakota's law law circumscribing cell phone use in public schools, he wondered how studens can be effectively educated when in a "constant distractive state." Since cell phones aren't going away in our society any time soon, does a ban on their presence in schools help or hinder our ability to teach kids how to deal with them responsibly? Traynor says that part is up to families. "Remember there's 24 hours in a day. Just from a standpoint of, parents still control the environment within which their kids grow up. Values. Norms," he said. "For instance, when you have a family meal together, are you present? And that goes for us, goes for me, with my kids and everything of the sort. But you're in charge of your family structure, as a parent or with guardians and others that take care of children." Also on this episode, me and guest co-host Kyler Collom, from The Dakotan, discussed the use of a religious litmus test in appointing state Rep. Kathy Skroch to replace former Rep. Cindy Schreiber-Beck in District 25, and the mounting controversy around a similar appointment process playing out in District 42, where Rep. Emily O'Brien resigned her seat to take a position in Armstrong's administration. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

When Pat Traynor, Gov. Kelly Armstrong's interim Commissioner of the Department of Health and Human Services, said that excessive use of cell phones and other digital devices is "probably the biggest public health threat that we have," I wrote that he was wrong, and accused him of stoking a moral panic. Traynor came on today's episode of the Plain Talk podcast to talk about it, and said that our devices leave us "continuously distracted." Referring to North Dakota's law law circumscribing cell phone use in public schools, he wondered how studens can be effectively educated when in a "constant distractive state." Since cell phones aren't going away in our society any time soon, does a ban on their presence in schools help or hinder our ability to teach kids how to deal with them responsibly? Traynor says that part is up to families. "Remember there's 24 hours in a day. Just from a standpoint of, parents still control the environment within which their kids grow up. Values. Norms," he said. "For instance, when you have a family meal together, are you present? And that goes for us, goes for me, with my kids and everything of the sort. But you're in charge of your family structure, as a parent or with guardians and others that take care of children." Also on this episode, me and guest co-host Kyler Collom, from The Dakotan, discussed the use of a religious litmus test in appointing state Rep. Kathy Skroch to replace former Rep. Cindy Schreiber-Beck in District 25, and the mounting controversy around a similar appointment process playing out in District 42, where Rep. Emily O'Brien resigned her seat to take a position in Armstrong's administration. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive  

A new North Dakota law which went into effect on August 1 states that "every regular meeting of a governing body of a city, county, township, school district, district park district, water resource district must include an opportunity for an individual to provide public comment." Over the last five years or so, school board meetings have become a flashpoint for the culture wars and other political battles, but in North Dakota and nationally. How does the state's school boards feel about this new public comment requirement? Amy De Kok, executive director of the North Dakota School Boards Association, says she doesn't see it having much impact. "Most of our school boards have little to no, you know, public attendance on at their regular meetings," she said, adding that "a large majority of our local school boards have been providing this opportunity to their community at the regular meetings for several years, some for more than a decade." While De Kok and her organization feel the legislation wasn't necessary, she argues it does some good in that it sets in law some limits on what sort of comment can take place. "What this bill does do that I think is positive is set some kind of guard rails for local our local boards, our local school boards and cities and counties and and whatnot to make sure that they can properly manage public comment," she said. The bill allows the government entities to which it applies to set time limits on comment, content limits (comments can be limited to only what's on a meeting's agenda), and it also allows them to prohibit any speech that's harassing or defamatory. She also said that, while school board meetings have been getting rowdy in recent years, things have "definitely calmed down since the pandemic." If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

A new North Dakota law which went into effect on August 1 states that "every regular meeting of a governing body of a city, county, township, school district, district park district, water resource district must include an opportunity for an individual to provide public comment." Over the last five years or so, school board meetings have become a flashpoint for the culture wars and other political battles, but in North Dakota and nationally. How does the state's school boards feel about this new public comment requirement? Amy De Kok, executive director of the North Dakota School Boards Association, says she doesn't see it having much impact. "Most of our school boards have little to no, you know, public attendance on at their regular meetings," she said, adding that "a large majority of our local school boards have been providing this opportunity to their community at the regular meetings for several years, some for more than a decade." While De Kok and her organization feel the legislation wasn't necessary, she argues it does some good in that it sets in law some limits on what sort of comment can take place. "What this bill does do that I think is positive is set some kind of guard rails for local our local boards, our local school boards and cities and counties and and whatnot to make sure that they can properly manage public comment," she said. The bill allows the government entities to which it applies to set time limits on comment, content limits (comments can be limited to only what's on a meeting's agenda), and it also allows them to prohibit any speech that's harassing or defamatory. She also said that, while school board meetings have been getting rowdy in recent years, things have "definitely calmed down since the pandemic." If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

"It's by far the most important race we've been in in the world." That's what Applied Digital CEO Wes Cummins told us on this episode of Plain Talk. "In my opinion, there's two countries that are racing forward to advance AI, to reach super intelligence, to reach AGI [artificial general intelligence], and it's the United States and it's China." Cummins says he wants the United States to win that race, which is why they're investing heavily in data center infrastructure across the country, including billions of dollars' worth of projects in North Dakota. But that push is not without some local headwinds. Opposition to one of their proposed data centers in Harwood, North Dakota, has manifested itself in some shouty public meetings, if not necessarily pushback from the larger public. One bone of contention has been nondisclosure agreements that his company had some local officials, including elected leaders, sign ahead of the Harwood project. Many (including this humble correspondent) have been critical of that move, but Cummins said it's a reality given the nature of their business as a publicly-traded company. "What I will say is there is no purpose to keep information away from the public that they need to have to be informed to know what's going on," he said. "These are typically things that we do prior to us launching a project or doing a project." There are two purposes of an NDA in this context. One is to protect the company's competitive information, since local officials get to tour facilities and learn details about building plans, but the other is to ensure that no illegal trading schemes emerge from the information shared. "So say we have the mayor and he's not steeped in public company rules and regulations, and he tells a couple of his friends or people that work around it or people that he's close with that this big new project could be coming," Cummins said, describing one possible scenarios. "And then they go and find our company, and they say, 'You know what? This is interesting. Maybe I'll buy their stock.' And then you have this issue of potentially violations in insider trading laws." Cummins defended the NDAs by saying they're part of promoting a clean project. "A lot of people who want to yell about, you know, that they're bought and paid for or were trying to hide something would be even happier if one of these guys got in trouble for a simple misstep on something that they didn't know about." And what about the claims that these power-hungry data centers will drive up power prices for North Dakotans? Cummins said that it won't be a problem, because North Dakota already produces far more power than it uses. "When you're a net power exporter and you start using power inside of your state, you just export less power, and so the power is already abundant." He said that at the company's facility in Ellendale, they're actually saving rate payers money, because their facility is allowing utilities to use capacity they were paying for but not utilizing. "With us adding 200 megawatts of load in Ellendale for the last 2 years, we have saved the MDU ratepayers 3.5 million in 2023 that was dispersed back to the ratepayers, and 5.7 million, I believe, in 2024. So we have two years of record of utilizing the infrastructure that's there. The utility makes more money and then shares that money back with its customers." Cummins said he wasn't sure if that would be the case with the Harwood facility, but he's not concerned about his company's power consumption driving up rates. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

"It's by far the most important race we've been in in the world." That's what Applied Digital CEO Wes Cummins told us on this episode of Plain Talk. "In my opinion, there's two countries that are racing forward to advance AI, to reach super intelligence, to reach AGI [artificial general intelligence], and it's the United States and it's China." Cummins says he wants the United States to win that race, which is why they're investing heavily in data center infrastructure across the country, including billions of dollars' worth of projects in North Dakota. But that push is not without some local headwinds. Opposition to one of their proposed data centers in Harwood, North Dakota, has manifested itself in some shouty public meetings, if not necessarily pushback from the larger public. One bone of contention has been nondisclosure agreements that his company had some local officials, including elected leaders, sign ahead of the Harwood project. Many (including this humble correspondent) have been critical of that move, but Cummins said it's a reality given the nature of their business as a publicly-traded company. "What I will say is there is no purpose to keep information away from the public that they need to have to be informed to know what's going on," he said. "These are typically things that we do prior to us launching a project or doing a project." There are two purposes of an NDA in this context. One is to protect the company's competitive information, since local officials get to tour facilities and learn details about building plans, but the other is to ensure that no illegal trading schemes emerge from the information shared. "So say we have the mayor and he's not steeped in public company rules and regulations, and he tells a couple of his friends or people that work around it or people that he's close with that this big new project could be coming," Cummins said, describing one possible scenarios. "And then they go and find our company, and they say, 'You know what? This is interesting. Maybe I'll buy their stock.' And then you have this issue of potentially violations in insider trading laws." Cummins defended the NDAs by saying they're part of promoting a clean project. "A lot of people who want to yell about, you know, that they're bought and paid for or were trying to hide something would be even happier if one of these guys got in trouble for a simple misstep on something that they didn't know about." And what about the claims that these power-hungry data centers will drive up power prices for North Dakotans? Cummins said that it won't be a problem, because North Dakota already produces far more power than it uses. "When you're a net power exporter and you start using power inside of your state, you just export less power, and so the power is already abundant." He said that at the company's facility in Ellendale, they're actually saving rate payers money, because their facility is allowing utilities to use capacity they were paying for but not utilizing. "With us adding 200 megawatts of load in Ellendale for the last 2 years, we have saved the MDU ratepayers 3.5 million in 2023 that was dispersed back to the ratepayers, and 5.7 million, I believe, in 2024. So we have two years of record of utilizing the infrastructure that's there. The utility makes more money and then shares that money back with its customers." Cummins said he wasn't sure if that would be the case with the Harwood facility, but he's not concerned about his company's power consumption driving up rates. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

This is the video version of Episode 633 of the Plain Talk podcast. North Dakota has become a destination for investment in building out America's artificial intelligence infrastructure. Specifically, the massive, power-hungry data centers that enable the sort of cloud computing necessary to make AI work. Public Service Commissioner Sheri Haugen-Hoffart, who serves on the triumvirate that oversees things like utility proces and power infrastructure, is enthusiastic about this investment. And, despite some critics saying the data centers will drive up utility prices, she's confident they're a good fit for the state. "AI is here to stay. It's here. So where is their capacity?" she said on this episode of Plain Talk. "North Dakota has a lot of resources to fulfill that. So why not? We have it." "We have good regulatory oversight," she continued. "I think we work well together, and we want to control that AI versus having someone like China or another adversary control our AI. So let's work together. Let's be good stewards and let's control it, and if we have the capacity, let's use it to serve." Haugen-Hoffart said North Dakota has the cheapest electrical rates in the country, and she's confident that would remain the case even with AI data centers coming online. She also pointed out that the power consumption for some of the data centers -- at least those built by Applied Digital, which is working on a major investment near Harwood -- is "interruptable." first-term incumbent also indicated that she will be seeking re-election next year. "My plan right now, absolutely," she said. Haugen-Hoffart was first appointed in 2022 to complete the six-year term current Tax Commissioner Brian Kroshus was elected to. That appointment was confirmed on the statewide ballot in 2024, and now that term is up for re-election again in 2026. On this episode we also discussed North Dakota's gambling boom, which has grown far beyond the state's capacity to regulate it, and whether our state should embrace a new philsophy of promoting from within, as opposed to hiring from outside the state, when it comes to key government leadership positoins. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode.

North Dakota has become a destination for investment in building out America's artificial intelligence infrastructure. Specifically, the massive, power-hungry data centers that enable the sort of cloud computing necessary to make AI work. Public Service Commissioner Sheri Haugen-Hoffart, who serves on the triumvirate that oversees things like utility proces and power infrastructure, is enthusiastic about this investment. And, despite some critics saying the data centers will drive up utility prices, she's confident they're a good fit for the state. "AI is here to stay. It's here. So where is their capacity?" she said on this episode of Plain Talk. "North Dakota has a lot of resources to fulfill that. So why not? We have it." "We have good regulatory oversight," she continued. "I think we work well together, and we want to control that AI versus having someone like China or another adversary control our AI. So let's work together. Let's be good stewards and let's control it, and if we have the capacity, let's use it to serve." Haugen-Hoffart said North Dakota has the cheapest electrical rates in the country, and she's confident that would remain the case even with AI data centers coming online. She also pointed out that the power consumption for some of the data centers -- at least those built by Applied Digital, which is working on a major investment near Harwood -- is "interruptable." The first-term incumbent also indicated that she will be seeking re-election next year. "My plan right now, absolutely," she said. Haugen-Hoffart was first appointed in 2022 to complete the six-year term current Tax Commissioner Brian Kroshus was elected to. That appointment was confirmed on the statewide ballot in 2024, and now that term is up for re-election again in 2026. On this episode we also discussed North Dakota's gambling boom, which has grown far beyond the state's capacity to regulate it, and whether our state should embrace a new philsophy of promoting from within, as opposed to hiring from outside the state, when it comes to key government leadership positoins. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

This full video interview with Erin Oban from North Dakotans for Public Schools is from Episode 632 of the Plain Talk Podcast.

North Dakota's public schools are not perfect, but they are very, very good. Sadly, often thanks to national narratives that have little to do with what's happening in our school districts, that's not always the popular perception the public has. People are left with the impression that kids are being indoctrinated, or in extreme cases even groomed, and that's just not the case. North Dakotans for Public Schools is a new organization aimed at bridging that gap between public perception and reality. Former state Senator Erin Oban is a spokesperson for the organization (and, full disclosure, is also the wife of my co-host Chad Oban). "I don't think our public schools are perfect," she said on this episode of Plain Talk. But she wants the group to drive home the question: "What are we doing to to make them a little bit closer to perfect for the kids in our communities that they serve?" That doesn't just mean making the case for the state's public schools. It also means helping the schools understand the reasonable concerns parents and the public at large have. The goal is to  "build stronger more trusted relationships," Erin Oban said. Though that will include telling some of the positive stories about education, to try and get them on par with the negative things we hear. "The negative catches on so much more than the positive," she said, "and we need to be people who spread good news, not just bad news." Both Chad and I agree that there is a need to turn the temperature down in the debate around our public schools. "The adults have to start acting like adults," Chad said, and I think he's right. We also discussed my recent column about the "tyranny of small rooms," which sees the loud voices of angry people who show up at school board meetings, or on social media, get a lot of attention, even if their views aren't necessarily reflective of the larger public's. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive  

Should the voters take their case for covering school lunches for all students to the ballot box with an initiated measure? We discussed the issue on this episode of Plain Talk, and co-host Chad Oban made the case for some populism on this issue. "The legislature has had ample opportunity to pass something that over 70% of North Dakotans support," he said, referring to a North Dakota News Cooperative poll from this spring. "What if school districts start charging parents for books, right? Parents across the state would be up in arms if school districts started charging for books," he continued. "To me, it's a no-brainer today. It was a no-brainer yesterday. It was a no-brainer a year ago." President Donald Trump's early endorsement of Rep. Julie Fedorchak's re-election, which hadn't even been officially announced yet, raised some eyebrows. What drove it? It might have something to do with divisive ."I didn't perceive Julie Fedorchak needing Trump to intervene and try to head off a primary challenge," I argued, but it could be about the North Dakota Republican Party, the leadership of which is now in control of a populist faction that doesn't like traditional Republicans very much. That faction has already censured Gov. Kelly Armstrong twice, and at last cycle's state convention, they had enough clout to deny Fedorchak the endorsement, though she went on to win the primary and the general handily. Trump's early endorsement may have been to "warn off the state party," I contend. North Dakotan Blaize Shiek is a cheerleader for the Minnesota Vikings this year, and not everyone likes it. "This isn't about male cheerleaders. This is about a certain type of male cheerleaders. Ones that are very good dancers and not just holding up the pretty girls," Oban said of the critics. "I don't like it when people take it upon themselves to be gatekeepers and to say we're going to gatekeep football or we're going to gatekeep culture and we're going to say you can only do it our way only the way that we want it," I added. "Being weird in all the different wonderful ways we can be weird is not un-American. That's the most American damn thing in the world. What's un-American is you saying there's only one way to be an American." We also discussed North Dakota Health and Human Services Commissioner Pat Traynor's alarmist comments about cell phones, and state Rep. Emily O'Brien's decision to step down and take a job as deputy commissioner in that same department. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

This is the full video version of our August 20, 2025, interview with North Dakota Insurance Commissioner Jon Godfread. The interview is from Episode 630.

North Dakota Insurance Commissioner Jon Godfread says North Dakota -- and America, really, since our state is hardly an independent nation -- is on an unsustainable trajectory when it comes to the cost of insurance and health care. On this Plain Talk, Godfread, who is also the current president of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, argued that Congress, with its much-ballyhooed One Big Beautiful Bill Act, has made things worse. "With what happened in the budget reconciliation bill, I'm really worried about this upcoming open enrollment period." Godread, who is a Republican, argued that some of the provisions in the bill are "really going to harm consumers" and predicts "pretty significant rate increases across the board across the country." He said there is talk of Congress coming back and fixing some of these issues, but that will be too little too late.  "If they look at doing something, changing it in December, well, at that point, I've already gone on, shopped as a consumer, and realized the price is too high. I'm not going back in the last two weeks of the year to say, 'Oh, well, maybe this time they promise it's going to be better.'" Pricing healthy people out of the insurance market would narrow the pool and drive up costs, creating what Godfread described as a "death spiral." "We're on a track right now that is not sustainable, right? I mean, there is no more more to give when you get to health insurance premiums." On an unrelated topic, earlier this year, the state legislature passed a law merging the state's previously independent Securities Department under Godfread's office after controversial Securities Commissioner Karen Tyler went to work for the state's Industrial Commission. That Godfread's office is now in charge of the inquiry into the high-profile dissolution of Epic Companies. Godfread said he couldn't comment on that matter, specifically, but said he was surprised to learn that a restitution fund created by lawmakers to help mitigate those financially harmed by fraud was sitting empty. "Another piece that we found is back in 2019, there was a restitution fund that was created by the legislature for the Securities Department," he said. Under Tyler's leadership, "that fund has never had money put into it. That to me is a big problem." If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive  

This exclusive interview with F5 Project founder Adam Martin is from Plain Talk episode 629.

A new law that just took effect here in North Dakota seals court records in concluded cases that don't result in a conviction. That would mean instances where the defendant was acquitted, or when the charges were dismissed, or any other outcome that's not a guilty plea or verdict. The argument in favor of the law is that it's not fair to the defendants to have those cases in the public record. After all, as a matter of law, if they aren't convicted of the charges against them, they are innocent. But if the cases are accessible, they may be judged for them anyway, especially in instances like hiring or housing. But what about transparency? What does sealing those records mean for the public and the news media's ability to scrutinize those cases to ensure that the acquittal, or dismissal, or other non-conviction outcome was ethical and lawful? I believe the cases should remain open to ensure accountability for all parties involved. Adam Martin, the founder of the F5 Project and our guest on this episode of Plain Talk, feels the opposite. For every instance where there might be a defendant who got off because of untoward machinations by the judge, or the prosecutor, or some other state official, "there's 500 people...that are struggling with getting jobs or housing or whatever for something that they didn't even do," Martin said. Martin goes even further and argues that in the future we should also close off access to police and other records that don't result in a conviction. "If something's pardoned, if something's dismissed or whatever, I think it should be wiped across the board," he said. Also on this episode, my co-host Chad Oban and I discussed whether SNAP benefits should cover things like energy drinks and candy bars, and the impact the "warrior cop" ethos has on law enforcement mental health and morale. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

"There are currently three ethics complaints against my office," Attorney General Drew Wrigley said on this episode of Plain Talk. It's a startling admission, but Wrigley says the complaints are spurious, and that the state Ethics Commission, which he has been outspokenly critical of, is hording complaints like those, instead of clearing them, for political purposes. "Somebody lodged a complaint that human trafficking is a problem in North Dakota," Wrigley said, describing the complaints. "The legislature has allocated dollars to be handed out in grants through the attorney general's office. There are only three months left in the legislative, in the budget cycle, rather, in the bienium, and they still haven't passed out all the money. Ethics complaint. Three of them." Wrigley disputed that the Ethics Commission has jurisdiction in two of the complaints and that all three have reasonable explanations unrelated to ethics. Wrigley says his office has been contacting groups as potential recipients of the funds, but has struggled to find takers. "That's what it is. There it is. But that's been there for three or four months. They've [the Ethics Commission] never even contacted us about it because you know why? They don't want to. They want that backlog to be able to have this discussion." The attorney general brought up this anecdote to illustrate his argument that the Ethics Commission lacks efficiency, transparency, accountability, and fails to conform to constitutional norms. He is calling on the Ethics Commission to foster a more collaborative and cooperative relationship with the rest of the state government, but my co-host Chad Oban and I asked him how that squares with his own, at times, aggressive behavior toward the commission. Wrigley says his office's criticisms are about "professional, practical, and legal infirmities" at the commission. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

I spent a little time on this episode of Plain Talk bemoaning the horrendous performance of my beloved New York Yankees. Poor roster construction and poor fundamental play are difficult things to watch. Co-host Chad Oban ate it up, as you might imagine, but baseball isn't all we discussed. We touched on the baffling controversy over Sydney Sweeney's jeans commercial. For some reason, this has convulsed the nation, starting with left-wing critics who claim the ad promotes some master race message about eugenics, which of course inspired the MAGA crowd to rally around Sweeney as their new hero. It makes me wonder if comedian and actor Marc Maron is right when he says that progressives have "annoyed the average American into fascism." Shifting to North Dakota politics, we talked about Fargo leaders trying to pin their budget woes on property tax reform. I argued on the podcast, and in a previous column, that Mayor Tim Mahoney's budget is calculated to produce political talking points, not solutions, and Oban agreed, pointing out that Fargo's fiscal problems predate the 3% spending cap passed earlier this year. We addressed my controversial story about education lobbyist Aimee Copas and her alleged activities at a Mandan waterpark as detailed in a police report. I got flak from some who said that the story wasn't news. My argument? Copas, the executive director of the North Dakota Council of Educational Leaders, is one of the most consequential people in North Dakota when it comes to education policy. When a police report alleges that she and her husband were engaging in sexual activities in public, at a water park, the public deserves to know about it. Also on this episode, we cover the delays in Superintendent Kirsten Baesler's appointment to a position in the Trump administration, and whether or not her bid might be scuttled by opposition from the MAGA right. Plus, North Dakota's new porn verification law probably isn't stopping anyone from watching porn on the internet. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode.

Today on Plain Talk, we had the pleasure of speaking with US Senator John Hoeven, and began our conversation with a pretty historic event: the rerouting of the Red River for the Fargo-Moorhead Flood Control Project. Senator Hoeven, who has been working on this project since he was governor, highlighted how it will "permanently change part of the route of the uh Red River" and "protect more than a quarter of a million people." He called this a "marvel of modern engineering." Next, we tackled the freezing of education dollars by the Trump administration, which caused weeks of chaos for schools and parents. He explained that the federal Office of Management and Budget was "reviewing funds for social agenda," but emphasized that the larger goal is "transitioning...the education funding from this centralized bureaucracy in Washington D.C." to give states "more control and less regulation." We also discussed the status of state Superintendent Kirsten Baesler's nomination to the Department of Education, which is currently before the full Senate. Hoeven highlighted what he characterized as unprecedented obstruction. He pointed out that nearly 60% of President Joe Biden's nominees were approved by unanimous consent, while for Trump's, it's "zip, none." Speaking of spending cuts, the so-called "Big Beautiful Bill" implemented funding changes for rural hospitals and Medicaid. Hoeven says he's optimistic, believing "our rural hospitals are going to come out as well and hopefully maybe even better" due to higher reimbursement rates and a "$50 billion fund" that ensures North Dakota gets "a hundred million a year" automatically. Hoeven will also be playing host to Customs and Border Patrol Commissioner Rodney Scott later this week. I pressed the Senator on the lack of due process for individuals facing deportation without court oversight, worrying about potential errors where people with legal status might be deported. He contended that due process for citizens "doesn't apply to somebody here who is illegally"  and that Homeland Security and Justice "have to follow the law." He also argued that the public gave the Trump administration a mandate for this sort of policy in the last election. I disagreed, arguing that relying solely on the executive branch to determine immigration status without judicial review "flies in the face of our separation of powers" and the principles of "limited government." Even non-citizens, I contended, "do still have a right to due process" to establish their legal status. Finally, Senator Hoeven mentioned upcoming visits with HUD Secretary Scott Turner to examine "low-cost housing projects." If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode.

NOTE: The $740,000 question is a podcast from Plain Talk producer Matt Fern. In the conclusion of this three-part series, filmmaker Matt Fern investigates the two men at the center of North Dakota's film grant controversy: longtime legislator Rep. Bob Martinson and Canticle Productions founder Dan Bielinski. As an ethics complaint regarding the film grants finally moves into a formal investigation, Governor Doug Burgum's administration breaks its year-long silence, reluctantly agreeing to a meeting. Yet state officials remain dismissive, downplaying concerns and refusing further action. From a mysterious $40,000 payment in 2017, to an unannounced grant in 2021, to a $600,000 grant in 2023, Fern traces how Canticle Productions repeatedly benefited while other North Dakota filmmakers were shut out. At the same time, lawmakers—including Rep. Martinson—pushed to weaken the North Dakota Ethics Commission's authority to investigate complaints. Ultimately, Fern confronts a disturbing truth: transparency and accountability are hard to find in North Dakota government. As the ethics investigation continues, the $740,000 question remains unanswered—how was all of this legal?

On this episode of Plain Talk, my co-host Chad Oban and I talk about the crazy Minot mayoral race, evidence of extremism in the North Dakota Young Republicans, and the controversy over bonuses paid to Commerce Department employees. The Minot race, in some ways, is an important bellwether for North Dakota politics, taking place as it is in one of the most partisan Republican communities in the state. The race is officially nonpartisan, but pits two candidates from the far right against two mainstream, traditional, right-of-center candidates. Can one of the far-right candidates win, and take over leadership of one of North Dakota's largest communities? A lot of it depends on who turns up at an oddball, off-year, August 5 special election. "There's real statewide ramifications for this," Oban said. We also discussed evidence that the North Dakota Young Republicans, an independent group loosely affiliated with the North Dakota Republican Party, are aligning themselves with a bigoted Holocaust denier. At the very least, association with people who believe and say some truly despicable things doesn't seem to be much of a drawback for Republicans in 2025. This stuff is "increasingly mainstream," I argue, and Oban says it's "a frightening proposition for 10, 15 years from now," as it shapes the next generation of Republican leaders. Voters need to be cognizant of the individuals they're voting for. This is a time of political transition, and increasingly, party labels don't mean what they once did. As for the Commerce Department controversy, after we recorded this episode, Commerce Commissioner Chris Schilken said they wouldn't be issuing the bonuses, and apologized to lawmakers for issuing them. I argued that paying bonuses like this through irregular budget practices can "hide the football a little bit" from taxpayers when it comes to how much public employees are getting paid. If you were to look up Schilken's annual salary, or that of any of the other top Commerce Department officials who received the bonuses, it likely wouldn't take into account the additional pay. That's not very transparent. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

Minot-area Democrat Trygve Hammer has run for the U.S. House of Representatives in the last two election cycles. More recently, he's organizing a town hall event in Minot — which he's branded the People's Town Hall — as a clapback to Rep. Julie Fedorchak holding only digital town halls. He was on this episode of Plain Talk to promote that event, but I started him off with the obvious question. Will he seek a seat in Congress for the third consecutive election cycle? "My wife said to make very clear that this does not mean I'm running," Hammer said. "I haven't closed it off, but you know, that's definitely, I'm nowhere near making a decision at this time." So not a yes, but not a no either. Fedorchak has justified her decision not to hold in-person town halls by pointing to acts of political violence, such as the murder of a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband earlier this year, and public events in other states that have been unproductive because of disruptions by political activists. Hammer said he's holding his event to prove "it's safe to go out there and have these town halls." Hammer also said that voters want to see Democrats "fight back" against Republicans. When I pointed out that Democrats have done almost nothing but attack Donald Trump since he was first elected in 2016 — remember they impeached him, twice, in his first term — and that it hasn't worked out well for them, he said Democrats "haven't gotten out there and and really laid down the law, really, really pushed back against Republican accusations." Hammer's town hall will be held at the Carnegie Center in downtown Minot on July 31 at 7:00 pm. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

NOTE: The $740,000 question is a podcast from Plain Talk producer Matt Fern. After sending a letter to Governor Doug Burgum and receiving no response, a coalition of 27 filmmakers from across North Dakota hold a press conference outside the Attorney General's office to demand transparency and accountability in how one filmmaker received $740,000 from the Department of Commerce. But despite the media attention and growing public scrutiny, state officials remain silent. The Governor never replies. The Attorney General passes the buck. And the ND Commerce insists nothing was done wrong. In this episode, filmmaker Matt Fern walks through the aftermath of the press conference and the months of waiting for answers. We hear from the State Auditor, whose report confirms the process was flawed, with a grant application window open for just six business days. But while the timeline may have been unusual, the audit stops short of calling it illegal. With no one taking responsibility, and no clear authority stepping in, Matt files a formal ethics complaint—only to discover how limited and untested the Ethics Commission process really is. Meanwhile, Canticle Productions begins building film sets, hiring crew, and raising more money for multiple films—without ever publicly addressing the controversy. And it all leads to one big question: if no one in the state is willing to investigate, who will?

Even as some local governments claim that a new, 3% cap on property tax increases will cause chaos in their budgets, Sen. Josh Boschee, a Democrat from Fargo, says he and his colleagues felt it was important to implement. He says lawmakers see it as a way of putting the responsiblity for property taxes back on local governments. "In the last decade, or my 12 years of service in the state legislature, we've tried to educate voters that property tax is a local issue," he said on this episode of Plain Talk. "Yet it continues to be put on our plate in Bismarck." He noted that with the state now providing significant relief, locals are expected to manage their budgets to prevent past issues of unchecked growth in valuations and spending. Boschee addressed property tax exemptions, including my recent column about a property tax break for newly-built single-family homes in Fargo that could go a long way toward addressing the city's shortfalls. He said the $1,600 tax credit lawmakers approved for primary residences gives local governments a good "off ramp" to end some of those exemptions, since the credit would cushion the blow for taxpayers. Switching topics, Boschee also addressed concerns that cuts in federal spending could hit North Dakota hard. He said the state's finances are in order to deal with some uncertainty. "We are in a good budget position," he said. "We worked and we're part of the ruling majority with the mainstream Republicans to make sure we had a good budget." "The governor has some leniency within about 5% of the budget to weather cuts at the agency level, or you know, some discretionary funds that we can see what can be moved around through the emergency commission. So we're in a a good position to be able to address them." If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

Is Doug Burgum, who is currently serving as Secretary of the Interior under President Donald Trump, a happy man right now? I posed that question in a recent column occassioned by Burgum's visit to infamous island prison Alcatraz at Trump's behest to assess it for use as a detention facility. Burgum has to know that this is a fantastically stupid idea. His face, during a Fox News interview from the prison, made it pretty clear that he knows that this initiative would be a non-starter for any rational, grounded human being. And yet, there he was, on national television, carrying the president's fetid water. We talked about it on this episode of Plain Talk. "If you want to be in Donald Trump's orbit, and if you want to climb the greasy pole of politics in the Republican party right now, you have to be Donald Trump's sock puppet," I argued. Co-host Chad Oban and I also discussed a possible ballot measure banning the use of public dollars and resources for private schools that North Dakota voters are currently being surveyed about. Also on the agenda was Sen. John Hoeven taking a victory lap after the release of federal funds for North Dakota school programs, and Rep. Julie Fedorchak's husband, Mike Fedorchak, getting a job as a lobbyist. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

This episode of Plain Talk is a little unusual, because the guest we interviewed for the show is actually our own producer, Matt Fern. Matt, in addition to producing Plain Talk, is also a filmmaker by trade. A couple of years ago he organized a dozens of his colleagues from around the state to object to hundreds of thousands of dollars in film grants being issued by the North Dakota Department of Commerce under former Gov. Doug Burgum by untoward means. The Commerce Department ran an odd, extremely truncated bidding process for a grant that, per evidence from the legislative record, was always intended to go to a specific Bismarck-based company that, two years later, still hasn't released the films the state paid for. And this wasn't the first time something like this had happened, either. "Our group of filmmakers did speak out two years ago because we saw this coming because this already happened twice, with $100,000 in 2021 with nothing to show for it, and very little to show for $40,000 in 2017," Matt told us. Matt has produced his own podcast about these called "The $740,000 Question." It's available on YouTube, with the first episode available today, and subsequent episodes to be released in the coming weeks. Why does this story matter? While $740,000 is a lot of money from a personal perspective, it's not much in terms of North Dakota's overall appropriations. Also, North Dakota's film industry isn't exactly large. So why should you care? Because this is a window into how our state government sometimes does business, and it doesn't paint a pretty picture. Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I discuss Sen. John Hoeven's interesting maneuvering about the "Big Beautiful Bill" and Trump administration spending decisions, as well as the chaos around the Donald Trump/Jeffrey Epstein situation. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

The $740,000 question is a podcast from Plain Talk producer Matt Fern. Making movies in North Dakota is hard. Unless you're one company with powerful connections. In the premiere episode of The $740,000 Question, filmmaker Matt Fern unpacks how a single production company, Canticle Productions, received $700,000 in taxpayer-funded film grants from the North Dakota Department of Commerce. With no state film office, no tax incentives, and virtually no infrastructure, how did this happen and why? Matt traces the timeline of payments starting with a $40,000 stock footage deal in 2017, a $100,000 grant in 2021 with no public process, and a $600,000 grant in 2023 awarded after just six business days of competitive bidding. The eligibility criteria? What looks like a copy-paste of Canticle's website. Through public records, media reports, and insider interviews, this podcast reveals a process marked by secrecy and a total lack of accountability. With little answers from state officials, the governor's office, or Canticle Productions itself, Fern asks the question no one in power seems willing to: How is all of this legal?

Public defenders working in the federal system representing indigent defendants aren't getting paid. The federal government ran out of money, as my colleague April Baumgarten reported recently. That's a big problem. Every American accused of a crime has a right to counsel, and while you might think that public defenders are just for poor people, they actually represent most people accused of a crime. In North Dakota, the precentage of criminal defendants represented by a public defender is north of 80%. In the federal system, nationwide, it's around 90% Jason Tupman said on this episode of Plain Talk. Tupman is the top federal public defender for the North Dakota and South Dakota district (full disclosure: my sister works as an investigator for Tupman's office). "There will be consequences," he said of this lack of funding. "I think they are not just short-term, either." The federal employees in Tupman's offices cover about 2/3's of the cases in North and South Dakota, with the rest going to private sector attorneys who participate in what's called the Criminal Justice Act Panel. Right now, those panel lawyers won't be getting a check until October 1, though given the chaos in Washington D.C. right now, there's not a lot that's certain. Tupman, and Mark Friese, a prominent defense attorney from the Vogel Law Firm who is a representative on the CJA Panel, say that lawyers are beginning to turn down these cases. That means delays in the criminal justice process for defendants, which in turn means more costs associated with things like pre-trial detention. Also, it may also mean that they're assigned by lawyers from other areas, who may struggle to provide adequate counsel, which in turn may result in more appeals and procedural delays. We are currently having a rollicking debate about the federal debt and deficits, but delays or cuts in funding for federal public defenders could actually end up costing the taxpayers more. Tupman points out that the work of his office isn't political. "This office and this panel has represented George Floyd protesters and they have represented January 6 defendants," he said. "This is a non-political group...who represent individuals, treat them with dignity, and do so every day pretty quietly. To not pay them for the work they've already done can be crippling. Crippling to them and crippling to our future functioning." Friese, meanwhile, pointed out that even when the feds are paying the bills, they're far below what private sector attorneys can otherwise earn. "A lot of your listeners are going to say, $175 an hour, that's crazy," he said referring to the rate at which panel attorneys are compensated. "That's less than half the market rate. That's less than half the prevailing rate if you were to come to me in my private practice to hire me for representation." "When I take my car in the mechanic shop, the prevailing rate in in North Dakota is 150 bucks an hour," he continued. "So, we're paid $25 more an hour than a mechanic shop, essentially." Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I talk about my criticism of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa's lawsuit over redistricting (Chad thinks I'm full of it) and we also give some praise to the North Dakota Chamber of Commerce for their efforts to promote civics. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

One proposal in the recently passed "big, beautiful bill" that didn't make it to the finish line was an amendment from Utah Sen. Mike Lee, which would have jump-started a sell-off of federally owned lands. On this episode of Plain Talk, John Bradley, executive director of the North Dakota Wildlife Federation, talked about that victory, and also discussed the place in politics conservation issues often find themselves.  "Conservation sometimes becomes the dog that everybody can get behind kicking," he said. Bradley expressed a desire for public lands to become a "third rail" issue that politicians are "terrified to go after," but also acknowledged that there are instances where some sales make sense. He says there is, in existing law, a process for selling or swapping out federal lands, and while he admits that it can be bureaucratic, he also says that it's important that all interested parties are involved in that process. Bradley also discussed his group's recent criticism of North Dakota's congressional delegation's support for using the Congressional Review Act to rewrite federal land use rules that the delegation says are too arduous for the energy industry and other interests. He called the approach "scorched earth," arguing it "wipes that entire process" and assumes D.C. politicians "know better" than local experts. Also on this episode, we discussed the hard feelings between Attorney General Drew Wrigley's office and the North Dakota Ethics Commission, as well as news that millions in federal dollars for after school programs in North Dakota have been frozen. There are "crickets from the congressional delegation in terms of unfreezing this money," my co-host Chad Oban said of the situation. "Crickets from the governor's office to unfreeze this money. Crickets from the superintendent of public instruction." "I understand that [Superintendent Kirsten Baesler] is trying to get a job in Washington, but if our superintendent of public instruction is not screaming and yelling to unfreeze these dollars, I'm not sure she can be doing her job," he added. "Our congressional delegation should be pounding on the door of OMB and the Department of Education getting this money to our kids in North Dakota, but everybody's afraid of Trump," he continued. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode.

The criminal justice system is often where public policy debates, from civil rights to addiction, converge. It's also critical for ensuring accountability when the government oversteps. North Dakota's Commission on Legal Counsel for Indigence, led by Director Travis Finck, headed into this year's legislative session facing a "perilous situation," that was dangerously close to a "constitutional failure" due to a lack of resources, leaving many without legal counsel. But lawmakers stepped up. The Finck and his fellow public defenders received a 20% budget increase, amounting to an additional $4.5 million over their 2023 budget. The budget boost is moving the agency "in the right direction," Finck said on this episode of Plain Talk. This funding has tangible impacts on recruitment and retention. Frink notes the agency can now offer higher salaries, implementing a new compensation plan to put them "on par with places like the attorney general's office." Previously, they weren't even "in the same stadium," Finck said. The agency is now projected to be fully staffed by September, a stark contrast to the 25-30% vacancy rate prior to the session. Beyond attorneys, the budget also allowed for hiring two new investigator positions, increasing their statewide total from one to three. Legislative support also provides a crucial morale boost. Applicants, even from out of state, recognize that the North Dakota legislature "acknowledges the public defenders exist…and the important role they play," Finck said. This commitment fosters a client-centered culture, attractive to new law school graduates, emphasizing the profound impact public defenders have. Looking forward, Finck emphasizes that while the progress is significant, the job isn't done. Future goals include hiring more investigators for thorough case reviews and developing "holistic approach" models to provide services such as housing and job assistance, to reduce recidivism. The agency also seeks to re-evaluate reliance on user fees and eliminate remaining fines, asserting that constitutional rights should not be funded by those exercising them. Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I discuss the turmoil in Minot's recent mayoral elections, which included one of the candidates, Rob Fuller, suggesting I illegally accessed public records about his arrest for domestic violence. We also talked about the ongoing (and very tiresome) Armstrong veto controversy, and we react to some listener feedback. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

In this replay episode, we revisit a conversation that didn't go as planned. We had scheduled Rep. Nico Rios to appear on Plain Talk to discuss his recent controversies; from bigoted and homophobic remarks during a DUI arrest, to a social media post invoking the CIA and antisemitic language, to a constitutionally questionable resolution declaring Jesus Christ “King over all the world.” We wanted to have a respectful, honest conversation about his words and actions. But just minutes before the interview, Rep. Rios backed out. “Ay dude I'm not going on your boring little show,” he texted. “Got more important things to do than chat Capitol gossip.” Replay or not, this episode is a revealing look at the tone and tension inside North Dakota politics today. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

In this special replay episode, Rob Port and Chad Oban revisit a timely conversation with former North Dakota Republican Party Chair Bob Harms. With infighting and censures making headlines again, Harms' perspective on internal party dynamics, district-level power struggles, and the long-term risks to the GOP brand hits even harder today. The discussion dives into how party rules, legislative overreach, and local gamesmanship are discouraging participation and undermining transparency. Harms also shares his concerns about property tax reform, the future of the Legacy Fund, and what happens when politics becomes more about power than principle. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode.  To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

President Donald Trump joined Israel's attacks against Iran's nuclear program, and so far the operation seems to have been a success. That's certainly Sen. Kevin Cramer's view of it, as he explained on this episode of Plain Talk. He also praised Trump's willingness to repudiate some of the isolationists in the MAGA movement. "I've often said, and people have quoted me saying, 'Donald Trump likes people who like him.' The problem is when the body of people who like you range, you know, so greatly, you at some point are going to disappoint somebody," he said. "I was very proud of this decision. And you don't even have to love the decision to recognize...that this is a bit of a repudiation to the Tucker Carlson isolationist crowd." "He probably made peace more than he made war with the strike. Now, we'll see how it all turns out," Cramer continued. The Senator also discussed his "golden dome" legislative proposal for protecting America from drone and missile strikes. He noted that North Dakota has historically been an essential part of America's air defense systems, and he sees that remaining the case going forward. He also had tough words for the new leadership of the North Dakota Republican Party, which censured Gov. Kelly Armstrong over property tax policy and his veto of a book ban bill. "If the state Republican party wants to make itself less relevant, just censure your duly elected governor," he said. "It's absurd." Cramer is a former chair of the NDGOP himself, but said some in charge of the party now have a skewed view of its role. "Too many people, I think, have confused the role of a state party with the role of governing," he said. "The role of state parties are to elect republicans not to govern the not to govern the state." If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

Recently, Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak sent out an email seeking to debunk what she describes as myths when it comes to proposed changes to the Medicaid program. She argues that the program isn't being cut, but rather just being slowed in its growth. But wherever you come down on that debate, the fact that she's prompted to make these arguments is politically significant. On this episode of Plain Talk, my co-host Chad Oban and I talked about that, in the context of one of Fedorchak's predecessors, former Rep. Earl Pomeroy, trying to explain his vote in favor of Obamacare. Oban pointed out that while Fedorchak is disputing the claims that Medicaid is being cut, some Republicans, including Mehmet Oz, the Trump administration's administrator for Medicare and Medicaid services, are calling them cuts. "The problem that she has is it's not just people like me who are saying it's Medicaid cuts," Oban said. "You're like, well, these aren't cuts, but when someone on your own side is referring to them as cuts, you're losing that war," he continued. We also discussed the NDGOP's on-going District 25 debacle, and what the proposed sell-off of federal lands means for Interior Secretary Doug Burgum's political trajectory. Also on this episode, Matt Briney, chief communications officer for the Theodore Roosevelt President Library, talks about the progress on the project. "We're looking forward to welcoming everybody July 4th, 2026 when we will open to the public." Public funding for the project has drawn some criticism, but Briney pointed out that only "about 11% of the project is funded from state funds" and that the library organizqation hasn't had to touch a $70 million line of credit made available by the state. He also detailed some of the features visitors will be able to explore next year. "We're going to take you into the White House. TR's White House. Not the White House that we know today, but TR's White House. So, it's going to have the full kind of look and feel replica of being in there," he said, adding that the library will leverage artificial intelligence technology to make simulated conversations with Roosevelt possible. "You're actually going to be able to talk to TR and TR is going to talk back to you," Briney said. "And that's where we're we're leveraging new technologies from Microsoft...where you can have actual conversations in a group setting with him." If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

In a recent column, I argued that the concept of "baby bonds" — a verison of which is included in "big beautiful bill" President Donald Trump is backing in Congress — is something North Dakotans should implement whatever the federal government might do. We have hundreds of millions in revenue from the Legacy Fund's investments, and we have the Bank of North Dakota to administer the program. A rough estimate based on the average number of live births in our state every year is that this would cost the state about $20 million or so per biennium. After I published my column, Treasurer Thomas Beadle reached out, saying it's a topic that intrigues him as well. "I think that you get a little bit of a a stakeholder society," he said on this episode of Plain Talk. "Children are being set up with these accounts, and the parents are managing these accounts on behalf of their kids, so they will be vested. They might have a stakeholder interest in making sure that programs like this are viable." Speaking of investments, also joining this episode was Jodi Smith, executive director of the state Retirement and Investment Board, and Kodee Furst, a director 50 South Capital. They discussed the ongoing efforts to implement the Legacy Fund's in-state investment program. The goal is to have the Legacy Fund at $1.3 billion invested inside of the state by 2030. Some of the challenges in getting there early on were negotiating the producer-investor rules. State investment officials have a responsibilty to maximize returns, but with the in-state investment program, the idea is that some of those returns aren't in the form of interest on investments but rather economic development. This balance is important. "We're not providing a grant," Smith said. "We do expect a return to come back to us." If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

The North Dakota Republican Party censured Republican Gov. Kelly Armstrong at a recent meeting. And yes, despite what some party leaders are now saying, Armstrong does see it that way. "It was a censure," he said on this episode of Plain Talk, going on to expand on his immediate reaction to the censures which was "I don't care." The censures expressed disapproval in Armstrong's property tax plan, along with his veto of book ban legislation, but he says that serving the party isn't his top priority. "I just view it this way: I'm a North Dakotan first. I'm the governor second and a Republican third." He accused some in NDGOP leadership of being obsessed with "microniche" issues and wanting to control Republican elected leaders with party rules and censures. "I mean, one of the problems I think you're running into in this is...this was always 'we hate the smoke-filled back room,' right? That was always the argument forever. That's not really true. What they want to do is control the smoke-filled back room," he said. "I don't think they spend near enough time talking about how to win elections, which is what people rely on the party for," he added, further arguing that party leadership is elected by small groups of people. "Matt Simon got elected with 24 votes," Armstrong said "I hope he does great. I hope he brings unity." Also on this episode, we discuss Rep. Scott Louser's decision to forgo a property tax ballot measure challenging the relief lawmakers passed earlier this year, as well as the recent No Kings protests and how their momentum compares to the 2009 "tea party" movement that changed the shape of North Dakota politics. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

Andrew Loftesnes is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps. Specifically, he served with the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division, which is the same unit that President Donald Trump has, controversially, deployed to Los Angeles to, as Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem put it recently, "liberate this city from the socialist and burdensome leadership" elected by local citizens. The deployment was "not only a direct threat to democracy and in my opinion a significant step towards autocracy, but also a direct betrayal of the young men and women who serve in the Marine Corps and other branches of the US military," Loftesnes said on this episode of Plain Talk. "The escalation 100% is the point," he added when asked if Trump's motive was to inflame an already delecate situation further. "Anyone who calls themselves a conservative politically, I think, should be horrified by this federal overreach," he said. Also on this episode, Attorney General Drew Wrigley explains his legal opinion concluding that Gov. Kelly Armstrong's line-item veto should stand, and that a special session isn't necessary. He points to Article V of the North Dakota constitution which states that the governor need send two things back to the Legislature when issuing a veto: A veto message, and the original bill, with the latter requirement being an anachronism from the pre-digital, pre-copy machine era when there would be only one copy of a given piece of legislation. Wrigley says that the veto message issued by Armstrong was accurate, and that whatever mistakes were made up the marked-up version of the bill Armstrong sent back alongside the message are irrelevant. "This isn't a hieroglyphics contest," he said. Armstrong's office is proceeding following Wrigley's opinion, but the Legislature, and specifically the Legislative Management Committee which Senate Majority Leader David Hogue chairs, has yet to decide whether they'll litigate or call themselves back into session to take further action. In public statements, Hogue was dismissive of Wrigley's opinion, saying his "understanding of the English language" and "respect for the rule of law" prevented him from going along with it. Wrigley says he's since spoken to Hogue, and that they laughed the matter off. "We had a conversation that afternoon," he said. "In fact, I had seen the quote that you just mentioned, and when he called me later in the afternoon, I asked him if he was calling to discuss the English language, at which point he started speaking Spanish. We started off with a pretty good laugh." If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

When former Congressman Earl Pomeroy looks at the protests today against the Trump administration and the so-called "big, beautiful bill" in Congress, he sees echoes of the 2009 protests that ended his tenure in elected office. "There's going to be an election day reckoning," Pomeroy, a Democrat who represented North Dakota in the U.S. House from 1993 to 2010, said on this episode of Plain Talk. What was interesting about this discussion is that many of the 2009-era "tea party" protests in North Dakota were organized, in part, by me. Pomeroy said that in 2009, there were times when voters would be "mad as hell out there" but Democratic leaders in Washington D.C. were dismissive. "The leadership would say to the nervous members not to worry. They'll get over it. Or, as has been said with the more recent demonstrations, or the passionate town halls, oh, these are paid agitators." He says he still thinks the 2009 protesters were operating on bad information, but that they should have been taken seriously. "What I found is the the concern, the anxiety, the anger was very real." North Dakota's political dynamics are different in 2025 than they were in 2009. At that time, our state was politically mixed, with an all-Democratic congressional delegation. Today, North Dakota's political landscape is more ideologically homogenous, and the protests against Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak, as well as Senators John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer, have quite reached the critical mass that the 2009 demonstrations achieved. Still, Pomeroy has a warning for those Republicans: "I think these protests are real and I think that there's some people going to lose their seats over it." Also on this episode, Zachary Taylor and former Fargo City Commissioner Arlette Preston, representing Strong Towns Fargo, joined to discuss my recent column about sprawl in North Dakota cities, its impact on property taxes, and how property tax reform recently passed by the Legislature may force local governments to have some meaningful debate about it. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive  

Artificial intelligence continues to dominate conversations worldwide, sparking both optimism and deep concern. On this replay episode of Plain Talk, hosts Rob Port and Chad Oban revisit a compelling discussion with the late Rep. Josh Christy, an influential North Dakota lawmaker and expert in artificial intelligence who tragically passed away during the legislative session. Throughout the conversation, Christy emphasizes the critical balance between safeguarding communities and fostering economic growth through responsible AI adoption. His insights offer valuable perspectives that remain highly relevant today, underscoring both the transformative potential of AI and the necessity of thoughtful policymaking. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

At the beginning of this episode of Plain Talk, Attorney General Drew Wrigley took exception to my recent reporting suggesting that he and Gov. Kelly Armstrong are at odds over sentencing legislation and the performance of state prison officials. Based on what would follow, I think the conflict between two of North Dakota's top elected officials is positively overt. According to Wrigley, the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, headed by director Colby Braun, is lying to state lawmakers and the public. He took particular issue with a recent fiscal note issued by the DOCR indicating that so-called "truth in sentencing" legislation he supports, which would mean that inmates serve a larger percentage of their sentences, will cost taxpayers as much as $269 million. "Their quest is to make it extraordinarily expensive to turn people away from the bill," he said. "That is a blatant falsehood," a stormy Wrigley told guest-cost Erin Oban and I. "It is not worth the paper it's written on," he continued about the fiscal note. "It would be a joke if it weren't a matter of serious policy debate," he said. Wrigley also said that DOCR officials have been hiding data from the public and lawmakers, and making misleading statements about rising crime rates. "What an absolute abdication of responsibility," concluded. These are serious accusations -- lying, abdication of responsibility, etc. -- but Braun isn't an independent operator. He has a boss. That's Armstrong, who was also scheduled to appear on this episode to discuss the progress of property tax reform, which he has made his primary focus during this legislative session.  I asked Wrigley if he felt Braun should be fired, and he demured, saying it wasn't his place to advise the governor on personnel issues. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode.

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. (https://mass.pbslearningmedia.org/col...) Ben Klutsey is the executive director of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University whose work is featured in the documentary "Undivide US." (https://undivideusmovie.com/) They recently co-authored an op-ed about politics in the classroom, (https://www.grandforksherald.com/opin...) 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."  If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

Recorded live at the North Dakota Professional Communicators conference in Minot, this special episode features Rob and Chad in front of a live audience talking media bias, political polarization, and the value of honest disagreement. They share lessons learned from tough interviews and respond to audience questions about journalism, trust, and what could be done to make North Dakota's legislature more effective. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

On this episode of Plain Talk, co-host Chad Oban takes the reins with guest co-host and former State Senator Jessica Bell for a conversation with Matt Perdue, Government Relations Director at North Dakota Farmers Union. Perdue, who's running to become the next president of NDFU, emphasizes the uncertainty facing many producers amid economic headwinds, fluctuating commodity prices, and ongoing concerns about federal farm policy and trade conflicts. He also shares how farmers are working through complicated relationships with energy developers, the challenges of rising land prices and absentee landowners, and the importance of investing in rural communities to attract and retain young families. Plus, Chad and Jessica dive into the recent veto snafu by Gov. Kelly Armstrong, the implications of growing partisanship, and the upcoming appointment of a new Superintendent of Public Instruction. This episode is presented by Lignite Energy Council, an organization dedicated to protecting and enhancing the development of North Dakota's abundant lignite resouces. Their goal is to maintain a viable lignite coal industry and support the generation of electrcity, syntheitc natural gas, and valuable byproducts. Visit www.Lignite.com/Podcast to connect and learn more. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

On this episode of Plain Talk, Sen. Josh Boschee, a Democrat from Fargo, characterized the just-completed legislative session as marked by crucial victories but also "too many missed opportunities" and numerous "close calls on bad Republican bills." He emphasized how Republicans and Democrats worked together to achieve both. Among the victories? Passing Gov. Kelly Armstrong's property tax plan, which implements $1,600 primary residence property tax credits and 3% caps on growth in property tax bills. Noting his day job in real estate, Boschee extolled "how much this is going to help make housing more affordable throughout our state." He highlighted that the reform could potentially "completely wipe out" property taxes for lower-priced or rural homes or those in smaller communities, allowing residents to invest that money in home repairs, buy a larger home, or open up more affordable housing stock for others. And the bad bills? Boschee said those included "book bans, what teachers are teaching in the classroom, which bathrooms people are using," and issues related to "abortion and gay marriage." Most of those initiatives failed, and Boschee said that's because "a faction of the Republican party worked with Democrats to defeat a lot of those bills." Boschee also praised former Rep. Cynthia Schreiber Beck, who passed away recently. She was someone who "got things done for Richland County or District 25," he said. "Someone that we could all depend on and trust" and who "told you like it was."  "If she wasn't going to support your idea, you knew it," he said, but if she liked your idea, she "would work with you to make it better or to get it across the finish line." Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I discuss the impact the property tax cap may have on the ways North Dakota communities develop, and how the state's new ban on cell phones in schools will play out. This episode is presented by Lignite Energy Council, an organization dedicated to protecting and enhancing the development of North Dakota's abundant lignite resouces. Their goal is to maintain a viable lignite coal industry and support the generation of electrcity, syntheitc natural gas, and valuable byproducts. Visit www.Lignite.com/Podcast to connect and learn more. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

Though his instance on a "skin in the game" provision in property tax reform -- effectively a cap on how much of the primary residence credit property owners could receive -- was one of the major flash points during this year's legislative session, Senate Majority Leader David Hogue says he's satisfied with the outcome overall. More than that, really. He was downright enthusiastic on this episode of Plain Talk. "Nobody, whether you measured it on a per capita basis, whether you measure it on a percentage of your surplus that you gave back to the taxpayer, nobody in the nation is doing what North Dakota is doing," he said. "You know, what Minnesota did last session when they had a surplus, they don't have a surplus this session. So, guess what? No tax relief," Hogue said. "Montana, the same thing. They are trying some income tax relief." Hogue also extolled a provision in the property tax package that went overlooked by many, but which he sees as important. "Our rural legislators were interested in seeing more funding for rural infrastructure, but they were also interested in seeing that funding source be something that isn't flat and static like our gasoline tax," he said. "And so in addition to using the Legacy Fund earnings to fund the primary residents tax credit, we also tied 2% of those Legacy Fund earnings to go into the DOT budget and specifically to fund rural infrastructure. County roads. Bridges." Which isn't to say that he thought the property tax package was perfect. "The biggest issue that probably went unreported was how many people are eligible for the primary residence tax credit and how many are going to claim it," Hogue said. The Tax Commissioner's office was estimating around 160,000 eligible homes, he continued, while the Senate's estimate was around 144,000. "If you do that math, that's 16,000 primary residence applications times two in a bienium. That's 32,000 homes times a $1,600 tax credit," he said. "That's a $50 million item of difference that you're trying to factor into the amount of tax relief." He expects the Tax Commissioner may be coming to lawmakers for more funding for the property tax credits. Also on this episode, my co-host Chad Oban and I discuss the public reaction to my story about Jesse Burgum being misleading about her dad Doug Burgum's financial involvement in her fiml career and news that once-disqualified and infamous baseball legends like Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson are now eligible for the Hall of Fame. This episode is presented by Lignite Energy Council, an organization dedicated to protecting and enhancing the development of North Dakota's abundant lignite resources. Their goal is to maintain a viable lignite coal industry and support the generation of electricity, synthetic natural gas, and valuable byproducts. Visit www.Lignite.com/Podcast to connect and learn more. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

Nick Archuleta and North Dakota United, the state's combined teacher and public workers union, are touting a report showing that our state is sliding down the rankings in terms of teacher pay. We're now 40th in the nation, down significantly from roughly a decade ago. But Archuleta admitted during an interview on Plain Talk that educators could be doing a better job of giving the taxpayers some context around the pay issue. "We are horrible at telling our success stories," he said. "We have to do a better job," he added, rattling off some examples of the stories that could be told. "Eighth graders are second in the nation in mathematics. Fourth graders are third in the nation in mathematics. Archuleta said it's also time to "tone down the rhetoric surrounding K12 education" and back off some of the expectations, from the left and the right, that educators be central to the culture wars. "Everybody that I know that has gone into education goes into it because they want to make sure that every child has the best educational outcomes that they can possibly have," he said. "They don't go into it to be part of a political scrum and they shouldn't. That's exactly the wrong reason to get into education." As for teacher pay specifically? Archuleta said that North Dakota is "not increasing salaries very quickly." He also noted that other states like Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and New Mexico have "done things that actually raise salaries faster." This is impacting North Dakota's ability to recruit new teachers. "We have an acute teacher shortage in North Dakota" that "has gotten to the point, this is particularly true in rural areas but also in our larger areas, where we're depending more and more on foreign based teachers, particularly from the Philippines." Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I talk about how on-going chaos in the North Dakota Republican Party and a possible legal fight with the state Ethics Commission may impact the upcoming election cycle. We also take a look at the last bills from the recently-concluded legislative session that are on Gov. Kelly Armstrong's desk and what he might do with them. (Full disclosure: Oban also works for North Dakota United.) This episode is presented by Lignite Energy Council, an organization dedicated to protecting and enhancing the development of North Dakota's abundant lignite resources. Their goal is to maintain a viable lignite coal industry and support the generation of electricity, synthetic natural gas, and valuable byproducts. Visit www.Lignite.com/Podcast to connect and learn more. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive  

"The Minot State one took us by surprise," U.S. Rep. Julie Fedorchak told us on this episode of Plain Talk, referring to the cuts of nearly two dozen staff at the North Dakota Center for Persons with Disabilities. One of those workers, Kyle Erickson, who lives with cerebral palsy and not only works for the center but received services from it as a child, joined us to talk about the cuts on a previous episode of Plain Talk. "We found out about it in the newspaper, and we've been trying to get to the bottom of it, and I'm not sure that we have yet," Fedorchak said, expressing some mild frustration with how President Donald Trump's administration has been going about these cuts. "I do wish that some of the sudden cuts that are coming out, that the the administration is unleashing, would be a little bit more clear," she said. "That we'd have more heads up, that we understood the grand scheme and how these things are working out. What the big plan is, because I think that's what's hard. It's not having time to prepare for them. Or be thoughtful about them." "You know, if I was doing it, that's not how I would do it," Fedorchak continued, responding to a question about how DOGE and Elon Musk have presented their efficiency efforts to the public. "I would I would not talk about it this way, but I'm not in charge." Still, Fedorchak supports the overall effort. "In my opinion, we do need to be retracting and right-sizing the federal government," she said. "It isn't sustainable. There has been out of control spending and we have to correct that for ourselves and for the future citizens of our country." Fedorchak also pushed back on claims that Medicaid is being cut and that Republicans are pushing for tax cuts for the rich. She said the rate of growth in Medicaid spending is to be slowed, and that Republicans only want to renew existing tax policy. Also on this episode, Minot-based rapper Dakotah Faye performed his song '925,' discussed how he's managed his burgeoning career as a performing artist from North Dakota, and talked about his work with the F5 Project as someone who has struggled with addiction in the past. This episode is presented by Lignite Energy Council, an organization dedicated to protecting and enhancing the development of North Dakota's abundant lignite resources. Their goal is to maintain a viable lignite coal industry and support the generation of electricity, synthetic natural gas, and valuable byproducts. Visit www.Lignite.com/Podcast to connect and learn more. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

During the closing hours of the legislative session, lawmakers came to a consensus around a property tax plan endorsed by Gov. Kelly Armstrong which provides $1,600 credits for the primary residences of North Dakotans and a 3% cap on the growth in overall property tax bills. Rep. Scott Louser voted for that plan, and encouraged his colleagues to vote for it, but in a surprise move, also announced in a floor speech that he had drafted language for a ballot measure campaign for his own property tax plan which had been amended into oblivion earlier in the session. "I wanted everybody to vote for property tax relief," he said of his eyebrow-raising move. "I just think there's a better way to do it." Louser wants the state to buy out the 60 mills funding school districts across the state, something he estimates will cost $750 million. He says his plan wouldn't nullify the plan lawmakers did pass, but he pointed out that the primary residence credit would have to be reauthorized by lawmakers next session anyway, and that his expectation would be, if voters approve his ballot measure, that lawmakers reduce of eliminate the credit. But wouldn't that mean some people, who saw their property tax bills eliminated by the primary residence credit, would start getting bills again? Louser said the next legislative session ould have to take that issue up, too. "If this were to pass, we are going to be in a situation next session where we have to evaluate for all of those people that had their taxes zeroed out," he said. "How do you balance that? How do you keep it at zero at a lower amount and then continue to step up the credit in the future?" Though Louser also indicated that he's not entirely decided on whether to go forward with his measure campaign or not. "It's hard for me to answer, 'are you going forward?'" he said, indicating that he like to do some polling of the public first. "If the polling shows that it's a 25 point no, why proceed with it? I don't have that answer yet." Louser also expressed frustration about the failure of a campaign finance reform bill which was originally intended to require legislative candidates to disclose beginning and ending fund balances, as well as campaign expenditures but ran into a wall of what was at times viscerally angry opposition in the House chamber. "It was almost all about process and not about the product," Louser said of the debate. "In the end, it's the product that we that we leave for the for the public to see. And the product that we have now is nothing. Nothing changed," he continued, referring to the fact that the legislation, drained of any real reform by the House, ultimately failed. Louser pointed out that taxpayers have "spent a little over a million dollars" on a new campaign finance system for the Secretary of State's office"to make this reporting easier for us as legislators, easier for the public to read," but that system now won't be fed with better data. This episode is brought to you by the North Dakota Petroleum Foundation, providing education and outreach opportunities related to the petroleum industry, advancing quality of life initiatives, and promoting and enhancing the conservation heritage of North Dakota. Learn more at www.NDPetroleumFoundation.org. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

Like many organizations and government entities across our region, the Fargo School Board has had to weigh how to react to an erratic president who is on a seek-and-destroy mission for anything with even a whiff of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Katie Christensen Mineer is the president of the school board. She and her fellow board members have come under fire for removing from their website four "philosophies" related to how they handle students in the LGBTQ community. Some critics have accused her and her board of capitulating to President Donald Trump. "We did this when we did because we were in the process of applying for and renewing a lot of our federal grants, which is $19.7 million," she said on Plain Talk. "And we wanted to protect those dollars." But she added that the philosophies didn't really have any bearing on how the school district conducts its business. "I believed in these statements for sure and I think some people liked seeing them there," she said, "but the actual, like, inner workings of our district, that is rooted in our strategic plan and that is rooted in our policies." Christensen Mineer also said that former Superintendent Rupak Gandhi, who very publicly proclaimed that he would ignore state laws regulating bathroom and pronoun use in our schools after the 2023 session, put her district in the political crosshairs. "A part of me is proud of him and I spoke in support of that and then a part of me is like, 'Oh, crud. What did we just do here?' Because yeah, I mean, we became this target then." Also on this episode, the Trump administrations chaotic approach to slashing federal spending has resulted in 23 workers losing their jobs at a Minot State University center that served disabled people. One of them, Kyle Erickson, wasn't just a worker at the center, but also received services from it. "It was kind of a neat little full circle moment for me because one of the projects that [the North Dakota Center for Pesons with Disabilities] runs is called infant development and they do a lot of work with, you know, early intervention, early diagnosis, screening, that type of thing. And I was born with cerebral palsy," he said. "I spent a lot of my youth in infant development." "I've been involved with this organization my entire life as a client and now I'm an employee fighting to keep this place running for, you know, people that were like me 10, 20 years ago that do rely on the good work." This episode is brought to you by the North Dakota Petroleum Foundation, providing education and outreach opportunities related to the petroleum industry, advancing quality of life initiatives, and promoting and enhancing the conservation heritage of North Dakota. Learn more at www.NDPetroleumFoundation.org. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

On this Plain Talk, Sec. of State Michael Howe and Rep. Ben Koppelman joined us to discuss a surprisingly contentious issue in the closing days of the legislative session. Namely, a debate over laws requiring more rigorous campaign finance disclosures from legislative candidates. Howe supports the legislation, saying he wants better data for a new online database his office is implementing. Rep. Koppelman, however, suggested that the information wasn't that important to the public and would be "fodder for just trolling and fishing." He said that allowing the public to "really microscope every movement" is "not a practical or I would argue even a useful reason" to require greater disclosure. But without better disclosures, how could the public and the news media detect if a candidate is engaged in fraudulent or otherwise untoward activities with their campaign money? Koppelman said public officials are expected to "behave with high moral standards and follow these rules in a way that they can defend." Howe, meanwhile, said his office's goal is "to make this easy for the filer and for the public." Koppelman also weighed in on the closing debate over property taxes, saying he's not confident that the public is going to get enough property tax relief to head off another ballot measure. Koppleman called the legislation backed by Gov. Kelly Armstrong "the wrong approach from the get-go" and suggested that it's a futile endeavor. "I don't see any point in passing the bill, quite frankly, because it's like people aren't asking me for three drops in the bucket of relief from their property tax bill," he said. Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I discuss the state of the property tax debate, and when this legislative session is likely to be over. This episode is brought to you by the North Dakota Petroleum Foundation, providing education and outreach opportunities related to the petroleum industry, advancing quality of life initiatives, and promoting and enhancing the conservation heritage of North Dakota. Learn more at www.NDPetroleumFoundation.org. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive