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 Wrigely, 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.
As for Armstrong's feelings about Braun? "I have total confidence in Colby," Armstrong told us when I asked him about Wrigley's remarks.
"I try not to make things personal," he added.
Armstrong said he hadn't yet reviewed the fiscal note issued by DOCR in response to Wrigley's legislation, which is Senate Bill 2128, but expressed some sympathy with its conclusions about cost. "It turns out when you lock people up, it's expensive," he said. Armstrong also said that while he'll take advice from his staff and cabinet into consideration, if he is ultimately asked to sign something like SB2128 into law, the decision will ultimately be based on his consideration of its merits.
As for the progress on property taxes, Armstrong said he's pleased with the debate, though he's worried about lawmakers watering down the caps in his bill. House Bill 1176, which was introduced by Rep. Mike Nathe and carries the governor's plan, was amended in policy committees to allow local governments to set aside a 3% cap on spending increases for as much as 10 years if approved by a vote.
"The way it was done probably means there aren't really caps," Armstrong said of the change, later arguing that it was a loophole so big "you could drive a grain truck through it."
This episode is presented by Dakota Resource Council. For nearly 50 years, DRC has worked across North Dakota to protect our land, water and future. Become a member, volunteer and take action, or donate today at www.DRCinfo.org.
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