Plain Talk

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

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

Toward the end of my two days covering Gov. Doug Burgum's presidential campaign at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines I was able to get some one-on-one time with the candidate. This isn't to say that I didn't get plenty of time with the candidate before that. He had a sweaty, sunburned press scrum surrounding him everywhere he went at the fair, and it was easy enough to ask him questions when they occured, but the governor was gracious enough to make a half hour available for me for an uninterrupted conversation. I chose, as the venue, a park bench in the middle of the fairgrounds, just around the corner from the famous "soap box" stage sponsored by the Des Moines Register. With people walking by -- including another Republican candidate, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, who greeted Burgum warmly -- I interviewed the governor of North Dakota, who aspires to be leader of the free world. We covered everything from how Burgum entertains himself on the campaign trail to what he's hoping to accomplish at the GOP's first presidential debate later this month in Wisconsin. If you want to subscribe to Plain Talk, so you're notified when new episodes drop, search for the show on your favorite service, like Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or click here for more information.

On this episode of Plain Talk, recorded by your sweaty and sunburned correspondent in his hotel room at the Embassy Suites in Des Moines, Iowa, my co-host Ben Hanson and I interviewed Sen. Kevin Cramer. Cramer had some unique insights into the peculiar role Iowa plays in presidential politics, his having been a former chair of the North Dakota Republican Party. He also weighed in on Gov. Doug Burgum's issue platform and other issues around his campaign from a congressional perspective. In the second half of the show Ben and I were joined by my other co-host, Chad Oban, to talk about Burgum's performance in Iowa. We discussed everything from the candidate's taxpayer-subsidized security detail to his substantive policy arguments to his annoyance about constantly being asked about Donald Trump. Want to subscribe to the podcast? Search for the show on platforms like Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or click here for more information on how to get the show on the podcast service of your choice.

"This is not going to solve the problem," Rebecca Pitkin, the executive director of North Dakota's Education Standards and Practices Board, said on this episode of Plain Talk. She was talking about her board's recent request of Gov. Doug Burgum to issue an emergency order setting aside some teacher licensing requirements so that student teachers can run classrooms without supervision. "This is a band-aid," she told me and my co-host Chad Oban (full disclosure, his day job is at North Dakota United, the state teacher and public worker union). Pitkin answered questions about how student teachers might react to being asked to run classrooms without oversight, and why more hasn't been done prior to this immediate crisis to address what is a long-standing problem in our state. I also asked Pitkin about this tweet from Rep. Zac Ista, a Democrat from Grand Forks, who complained in a post on X that the ESPB board opposed his proposal to remove relicensing requirements from long-term teachers. Also on this episode, we discussed the latest from Burgum's presidential campaign, including the mystery donor to a Burgum-aligned super PAC, and some fake news from Fargo television station Valley News Live about a Trump attack on Burgum that never actually happened. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show on services like Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or click here for more information.

Collin Peterson represented western Minnesota's 7th Congressional District for 30 years, and during that time got a reputation for blunt talk. He hasn't changed much. As we discussed Peterson's efforts to develop an agriculture policy at North Dakota State University, an entity that will help inform and guide politicians, he shared an anecdote from a recent trip to Iowa. He said he found himself among the Republican presidential candidates when "this Vivek guy" came up to him. "I didn't have any idea who the hell he was," Peterson said on this episode of Plain Talk. "I thought he was running for Congress." That "Vivek guy" was Vivek Ramaswamy, a tech industry multi-millionaire who, as I write this, is currently in third place in the GOP primary according to the RealClearPolitics.com polling average. Can we blame Peterson for not recognizing him? There are currently 13 Republicans officially running for President, a field that runs the gamut from former President Donald Trump to former Montana Secretary of State Corey Stapleton (no, really). How does someone like Peterson keep a hugely important but, we must admit, somewhat prosaic topic like agriculture from becoming collateral damage to our nation's dumpster fire politics? He says he works to keep it "low profile" and "bipartisan." Peterson talked about how agriculture is home to some of America's most bleeding-edge technology, including carbon capture, which he described as the most important issue for ethanol and farming going forward. Also on this episode, co-host Ben Hanson and I discussed the likelihood that Doug Burgum will qualify for the GOP's second presidential debate, and my upcoming trip to Iowa to cover the governor's campaign there.

North Dakota is on the bleeding edge of carbon capture and storage technology, but when the news media reports this, we're often treated to a litany of pessimism from environmental activists. Case in point, a recent news article produced by North Dakota News Cooperative reporter Michael Standaert which was long on nay-saying and short on affirmative arguments in favor of using carbon capture and storage technology to keep our state's coal industry relevant. Jason Bohrer, president of the Lignite Energy Council, which represents our state's coal interests, says knee-jerk opponents of this nascent technology are "ignorant" and "uninformed." "Either it's coming from a place of igorance or it's disingenuous opposition," he said on this episode of Plain Talk, arguing that much of the antagonism is rooted in the belief that there is no place for coal power in future energy production. Bohrer, as you might expect, doesn't see it that way. He acknowledges that humanity, and in particular carbon-heavy industries like coal, oil and gas, ethanol production, and concrete manufacturing, have an impact on our climate. As we read news reports about record-setting temperatures, he thinks humanity needs to act in ways that go beyond trying to make us dependent on energy sources like wind and solar which, so far, have not proven that they can carry the load. Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I discuss a controversial political raffle, North Dakota's too-lax campaign finance laws, and a new ballot measure aimed at setting an age limit on serving in Congress, and by extension challenging U.S. Supreme Court precedent holding that such state-based prerequisites are unconstitutional. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show on services like Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or click here to learn about other ways to subscribe.

Do you know with FirstLink was? If you'd asked me that question before our interview on this episode of Plain Talk with Jennifer Illich, the executive director of the group, my answer would have been...sort of? I knew FirstLink existed. I knew it handled calls from people in distress. I mostly thought of it as a suicide hotline. What I learned during our interview is that this group is doing profound work. In 2022, they handled 85,681 contacts to their 211 and 988 hotlines from people in crisis in various ways, from needing to be connected with assistance programs because they can't pay their heating bill to people who need emergency intervention because they're on the verge of suicide. That's an average of 234 calls per day. Astoundingly, they handled almost 54 calls per day just relating to suicide. FirstLink got a big boost in funding from the North Dakota legislature this year, and it's money well spent, not just because of the work the organization is already doing, but also the work they will be doing. One of the new initiatives Illich told me they're working on is coordinating with the 911 call centers to transfer calls about suicide to them. Currently 911 operators almost always dispatch law enforcement to these calls, but many times that's not necessary or even helpful. The folks at FirstLink are trained to handle those calls and can take work off the backs of law enforcement officials who can then use those resources elsewhere. As you listen to our interview, remember that if you need help, whether it's with thoughts of suicide, or financial problems, or employment problems, you can call or text 211 or 988 (it doesn't matter which) and get help. Also on this episode, we talk about some rank hypocrisy with broadband funding in North Dakota, as well as Gov. Doug Burgum qualifying for the RNC's first presidential debate in August.

Doug Burgum is selling $20 gift cards for $1 each. Is that legal? Is it ethical? As a campaign tactic, will it work? My co-host Ben Hanson and I discussed it on this episode of Plain Talk. Also, there's a fight between lawmakers and the executive director of the Public Employees Retirement System. The Legislature changed the makeup of the PERS board, adding more legislative appointments, and they begun a transition away from a defined-benefit pension to a defined-contribution model. Scott Miller, the executive director of PERS, doesn't like either of these changes. Meanwhile, the change in leadership of the North Dakota Republican Party - recently-elected Chair Sandi Sanford is an ardent culture warrior elected by the MAGA-faction of the party - continues to have ramifications for fundraising. The party's fundraising was in the red after big refunds to major donors. Finally, Minnesota has passed a free tuition program to address flagging enrollment numbers at that state's institutions. Should North Dakota emulate them? To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show on services like Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or click here for more information.

Lawmakers in Minnesota have created a new tuition program, called North Star Promise, which will give an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 students from households with income levels at $80,000 or less free tuition at the state's institutions of higher education. North Dakota State University President David Cook said that situation has "catastrophic" potential for our state's campuses. He joined this episode of Plain Talk to discuss why, and what can be done about it. "The Legislature was very good to us," he said, adding that the universities are "working hard, doing our do diligence" to put a proposal they feel will keep North Dakota competitive with Minnesota. Cook answered questions about whether North Dakota should consolidate some of its 11 campuses or take other steps to find efficiencies that might, in turn, allow the state to be more generous with admissions. Also on this episode Christopher Dodson, who for 28 years has been the voice of the Catholic Church in North Dakota's halls of government, talks about his decision to step down amid health challenges. He has stage-4 prostate cancer, and he opened up about it on the show. He also spoke about some of his successes in policy areas, some of the issues where the Cahtholic Church doesn't get enough credit, how politics in our state has changed over the nearly three decades he's worked here, and what it was like to help guide his church through the challenges of sex scandals. "The clergy abuse crisis hit us hard," he said. "It's been very hard to be the face of the church after this evil," he added. He said politics in North Dakota, like the rest of the nation, has become less civil in recent years, though he argued that our state is much more optimistic than it was in the 1990s when he began. To subscribe to the Plain Talk podcast, search for the show on services like Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or click here for more information. "