Plain Talk

When state Rep. Eric Murphy decided to introduced an abortion bill that, while perhaps representing where most of the public is on the issue, is likely to incite blowback from activists on both sides, he decided he wasn't going to ask any of his fellow lawmakers to co-sponsor it. "This is going to be a charged bill," he said of the draft legislation, which he'll introduce next month during North Dakota's legislative session. He said he felt "no need to expose anyone" to the threats and vitriol the bill could inspire. Murphy joined this episode of Plain Talk to discuss the proposal, which would make abortion legal as an elective for the first 15 weeks of of a pregnancy, illegal after 26 weeks, and allowable between 16 and 26 weeks only with approval from a panel of medical professionals who deem it medically necessary. Is Murphy's bill a pro-life bill? That side of the argument would probably say no, because abortion would be completely legal for the first 15 weeks. Is it a pro-choice bill? That side of the debate would likely say no, because abortion is restricted after 15 weeks, and completely banned after 26. But that middle ground between the two extremes on the issue is precisely where Murphy wants to be, and where he thinks most Americans, and most North Dakotans are. He told co-host Chad Oban and I that "we have to move away from the morality play" that the abortion issue is typically cast as. "Nobody is getting what they want," on this contentious issue, Murphy argued. He says it's time to start creating laws we can live with. Also on this episode, columnist Gary Emineth joined us to discuss property taxes. In a recent column, Emineth, who supported the constitutional amendment to abolish all taxes on property values which failed on the November ballot, argued for the Legislature to pass a somewhat narrower ban on property taxes, specifically removing them from only residential properties. 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 don't make a habit of referencing things Plain Talk podcast guests say off the air, but Deb McDaniel, the director of the gaming division in Attorney General Drew Wrigley's office, casually mentioned this jaw-dropping statistic on co-host Chad Oban and I after our interview on today's episode. In October 2024, electronic pull-tab machines in North Dakota saw over 200 million button pushes. The machines saw $80 million in cash run through them that month. That's one month, a state with just over 783,000 citizens. That works out to roughly $100 for every beating heart in the state. It's an astounding figure, and it illustrates how acute the issue of charitable gaming has become in North Dakota. Both Wrigley and McDaniel joined this episode of Plain Talk to talk about their efforts to regulate this exploding industry, as well as a looming push in the upcoming legislative session to take gaming regulation authority away from Wrigley's office. Also on this episode, we react to Gov. Doug Burgum's last budget address as a lame-duck governor, and the tightrope Sen. Kevin Cramer is walking around some of President-elect Donald Trump's nominees. 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

Chad Oban and I are off for the holiday, so today's podcast is a rerun. This is an interview I recorded with columnist Tony Bender three years ago this month, in November of 2021. In it, we discuss divides in the North Dakota Republican Party that were apparent at the time, and still are today. We also discussed the tribalism of American politics in 2021, redistricting, and the special session of the Legislature in Bismarck. Tony was a good friend of mine, and passed away recently. Missing him, I went back and listened to this old interview, and thought you, the audience, might enjoy it, too, as a holiday rerun. Especially since so many in my audience were part of Tony's audience, too. Regular episodes of Plain Talk will resume next week 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

Plain Talk co-host Chad Oban says North Dakota's campaign finance laws are a joke. They're not transparent, he argues, and there's little in the way of consequence for those who flout them. Sen. Sean Cleary, a Republican from Bismarck, wants to change that. He joined this episode of Plain Talk to discuss his idea for putting more information about campaigns and candidates before the voters, and creating some stiffer penalties for those who don't comply. Legislation Cleary is drafting for the upcoming legislative session, which commences in January, aims to require more frequent campaign finance reports from candidates and expand the information being reported. It also seeks to make reporting requirements more consistent across different types of campaigns, from those run by candidates to those backing ballot measures. Cleary is also looking at increasing the fines for non-compliance to put more of a "stick behind it," and he wants to require that both candidates and incumbents have to file statements of interest more regularly, disclosing certain facts about their holdings so that voters can scrutinize how they might intersect with the public's business. Also on this episode, Oban and I discuss my recent story about a plan for the University of North Dakota Alumni Association and Foundation to pay retention bonuses to UND President Andrew Armacost. We also honor the passing of my friend and fellow columnist Tony Bender. 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 reporter Adam Willis set out to profile the debate in North Dakota over Summit's Midwest Carbon Express pipeline for Bloomberg, he wanted to focus on the people who are for it, rather than against it. Much of the reporting on that topic, to date, has focused on the naysayers, he told Chad Oban and I on this episode of Plain Talk. During out interview, Willis described what he learned about the people who are working to make carbon capture projects, including Summit's, a reality in North Dakota, as well as some of the strange political bedfellows between the left and right the debate has created. Also on this episode, Oban and I discuss what may be the new political divide in America, which is less along the lines of ideology than the vagaries of pragmatism. The debate, increasingly, seems to be between people who are unflinchingly loyal to their party or buried to their necks in ideology, and those who just want to pursue good ideas. We also discussed the state of President-elect Donald Trump's cabinet appointments, and some of the blowback Governor-elect Kelly Armstrong has received for appointing an outgoing Democratic lawmaker to his cabinet. 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

Heading into their 2025 legislative session, which starts in January, North Dakota lawmakers will consider dozens and dozens of bills dealing with property taxes. That makes sense because despite a ballot measure aimed at abolishing property taxes face planting on the statewide ballot, North Dakotans are not satisfied with the status quo. What property tax reform and relief will look like coming out of this legislative session is an open question, but Senate Majority Leader David Hogue told Chad Oban and me on this episode of Plain Talk that there is one certainty. "There will be caps," he said.  Which is to say, lawmakers will be capping property tax increases, though Hogue explained that how those caps will be structured will be an open debate. Will the caps apply to all local spending or only that funded by property taxes? Will the caps be a flat percentage or tied to inflation? We'll see, but after years of demuring on caps, won over, Hogue said, by the local control argument, the Legislature is ready to get it done. Hogue also spoke about steps the Legislature plans to take to strengthen its oversight role in policy. The majority leader says the plan is to move dozens of executive branch officials who evaluate policy to the legislative branch. Which makes sense. If the Legislature wants to measure the success or failure of a given policy, it might not make a lot of sense to get that analysis from someone working for an agency head who lobbied for the policy in the first place. This move is also aimed at addressing the challenges presented by term limits. Now that the legislature is going to see more turnover, by law, it's going to be losing some level of institutional knowledge. Moving these workers to the legislative branch serves as a buttress to that brain drain. Hogue also spoke to impending debates over state jail and prison populations and state-provided mental health services, including the push to build a new state hospital in Jamestown, which he said is far too expensive. Also on this episode, Oban and I discuss Gov.-elect Kelly Armstrong's decision to appoint Democrat (and erstwhile Plain Talk gust host) Rep. Corey Mock to his administration, and provide some local analysis of President-elect Donald Trump's cabinet choices. 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 episode of Plain Talk, guest hosts Corey Mock and Jessica Unruh Bell are joined by Minot Representative Scott Louser. Together, they dive deep into the complexities of North Dakota's property tax system, dissecting the legislative response to the failed Measure 4 and exploring innovative proposals for property tax relief and reform.  Mock and Bell close the episode with their perspectives on upcoming legislative priorities and the latest developments in President Trump’s cabinet appointments. 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 episode of Plain Talk, guest hosts Corey Mock and Jessica Unruh Bell welcome Senator Dick Dever from District 32 for a candid conversation on legislative insights and challenges. Senator Dever shares reflections on his experience in the legislature, discussing the impact of term limits, the significance of interim committees, and his personal goal to restore honor and civility in North Dakota politics. The discussion also covers the evolving responsibilities of policy advisory roles and predictions on how term limits might reshape the state’s government structure. Following the interview, Corey and Jessica exchange their own insights on the upcoming legislative session and the recent reporting about Securities Commissioner Karen Tyler.  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

Governor-elect Kelly Armstrong, former Congressman and attorney, dives into his vision for North Dakota following his recent victory. He passionately discusses the pressing need for property tax reform, emphasizing no more superficial solutions. Armstrong also highlights his leadership philosophy of hiring smart people and empowering them. With clear intentions for transparency and collaboration, he aims to modernize governance and navigate the complex dynamics with the legislature. Expect a practical, hands-on approach as he takes on his new role.

The vote is in, and despite weeks of polling gurus telling us it was going to be a close election, it wasn't particularly close. It wasn't a Reaganesque national landslide, either, but former President Donald Trump won not only the Electoral College vote but the national popular vote as well. Legendary North Dakota political operative Pat Finken joined me and Chad Oban on this episode of Plain Talk to discuss the national election, as well as local elections, where Finken, through his Brighter Future Fund political action committee, campaigned against the Measure 5 legalization of marijuana and as well as a couple of Republican legislative candidates. The high turnout election, both in North Dakota and nationally, showed "the importance of showing up," Finken said. We also discussed how the election will impact the divides in the North Dakota Republican party, and how that coalition will govern in Bismarck. 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