Plain Talk

Jason Bohrer is President of the Lignite Energy Council, an industry group representing coal interests in North Dakota. His group made a move about, you guessed it, coal. "You get 50 miles outside those coal mines, people don't know much about them," he said, referring to the coal operations in central North Dakota. "What they do know they get from flawed sources." On May 1, at CoalMovie.com, the Lignite folks are releasing a roughly 30-minute film about the history of coal in North Dakota. What it meant in the past, and what it means going forward. Jason also talked about the fraught politics around coal power today, especially with the news that North Dakota's large coal-fired power plant may be closing. "It used to be Republicans and Democrats could sit in a room and talk about energy and there would be friends of coal on both sides," Jason said. "It's not like that anymore." "There are very few people talking about long-term," Jason continued. "The future is more in doubt now than it was five years ago."

Rob and Jay talk about the news of the day.

Rep. Luke Simons is a Republican lawmaker from Dickinson, North Dakota. On Friday, May 1, he plans to re-open his barbershop and he doesn't care what coronavirus-inspired executive orders Governor Doug Burgum may or may not have in place when that day comes. "I don't care if he's the governor. I don't care if he's a billionaire. I am going to practice my freedom," Simons told me on this episode of Plain Talk. "One has the moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws," Simons added. "The governor does not have the executive authority to be a dictator," Simons also said. "I went along with what I will call tyranny for a long time now." Burgum's Commerce Department has been working with state business and industry leaders on a plan to re-open the economy, but so far there has been no official word on when some of the restrictions put in place might start to ease. In the meantime, Simons says it's his right to re-open his business. "I will not pay the fines," he said.

"We are working on the how. We are not working on the when." That's what North Dakota Commerce Commissioner Michelle Kommer said on this episode of Plain Talk. She was speaking about her department's efforts to come up with a plan for re-opening North Dakota's economy. Parts of it, anyway, Slowly. Kommer praised Governor Doug Burgum's "extraordinary wisdom in not going to the shelter-in-place order" despite demands from some. She said that will allow North Dakota to be a bit ahead of other areas as we look to get back to business. The Commerce Department is soliciting input from business and industry leaders on how they can safely re-open so that plans can be open when Burgum decides to back off the restrictions he implemented in response to the pandemic. Kommer also addressed the conclusion of an investigation into alleged criminal wrong-doing in her department over the solicitation and implementation of a new state logo. State Auditor Josh Gallion's office had referred audit findings to law enforcement officials for investigation, but that resulted in no criminal findings. Kommer says she objects to the way the report was handled, saying it was "paralyzing" for her office. She said the result brought "a certain amount of relief" but "also a lot of frustration and maybe a touch of anger."

Jay and Rob talk headlines on WDAY AM-970.

A group of Republican lawmakers in North Dakota is urging Governor Doug Burgum to re-open the state's economy, rescinding or at least letting expire many of the executive orders he's put in place in response to the coronavirus. "The governor, if he opens up, is not going to kill people," Rep. Dan Ruby, a Republican from Minot and leader of that effort, said on this episode of Plain Talk. Ruby says the intent of the government was never to stop everyone from getting the virus. Eventually, everyone will be exposed, he told me. "The government wanted to prevent a spike" in hospitalizations, Ruby said, noting that North Dakota has just 13 people current hospitalized from coronavirus. "Mission accomplished." "I'm not saying everybody should be forced to immediately open," Ruby explained but said it's time to let many businesses open when they feel they can protect their employees and customers.

Senator Kevin Cramer is very hopeful that an international oil cartel is going to work to help stabilize global oil markets. He talked about that issue as well as America's on-going relationship with China and what more Congress might need to do in terms of coronavirus relief on this episode of Plain Talk.

Dr. Shelley Lenz is a veterinarian based in western North Dakota. She's also running unopposed for the North Dakota Democratic-NPL's gubernatorial nomination. "I would have issued it, yes," she said when asked on this episode of Plain Talk about whether she would have issued a "shelter-in-place" order. North Dakota is one of a few states which haven't seen such an order. Incumbent Governor Doug Burgum, a Republican, has resisted calls to issue one. Lenz says she would have, and that overall if she had been in Burgum's place, should have more direct and authoratative orders earlier. Though despite that criticism, Lenz says she's rooting for Burgum, and admits she voted for him in 2016. "All of us want him to do a good job," she said. "None of us want him to fail." Former lawmaker and current farmer Ben Vig, who was recently announced as Lenz's running mate, also joined the interview. He talked about the Legislature's role in responding to the COVID-19 outbreak, the challenges North Dakota agriculture is facing, and how Democrats can win back support in rural America.

Rob Port and Jay Thomas talk about whether North Dakota should order a shelter in place during the coronavirus pandemic.

The ACLU of North Dakota, among other organizations, has called on Governor Doug Burgum to issue a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures during the coronavirus crisis. Dane DeKrey, a spokesman for the ACLU, says it's about protecting renters but not making landlords the bad guys. "We have no interest in trying to screw landlords," DeKrey said on this episode of Plain Talk. What the ACLU would like to see is an executive order which states that individuals can't be evicted, can't be foreclosed on, can't be charged late fees or interest for failure to pay, and can't see their credit rating downgraded. DeKrey says he does still wand landlords to be paid what they're owed, just not right now. "We're asking for a pause button," he added. Why should landlords be forced into a situation where they're providing, at their expense, relief from coronavirus? "That's a good question," DeKrey said, adding that it doesn't have an easy answer.