Plain Talk

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