Plain Talk

When we organize candidate debates on the Plain Talk podcast, our intent is to foster a competition that's not bogged down by a lot of rules and restrictive formatting, nor plagued by shouting and candidates talking over one another. We don't really even want a competition. We want a conversation. A thoughtful discussion between two candidates on important issues of interest to the voters. I think we achieved that with the debate my co-host Chad Oban and I hosted between incumbent U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer, a Republican, and his Democratic challenger Katrina Christiansen. Our conversation covered everything from partisanship, to social security, the national debt, the state of the farm bill and Congress's inability to pass an updated iteration of it, the wars in Ukraine and Israel, and the role of government in our lives. The candidates found places where they agree. Both say they're committed to America's continued backing of Ukraine against Russia's war of aggression. Both support Israel's right to defend itself against terrorism. Both described border security as a crisis for our country. In other areas, however, there was sharp disagreement. Christiansen hit Cramer for voting against a bipartisan border bill negotiated in part by Sen. James Lankford, one of the most conservative members of the Senate and, Cramer revealed, a roommate of the incumbent. Cramer, for his part, pointed out that while Christiansen may be more moderate than some of her national Demcoratic counterparts, her presence in the Senate is a vote toward liberal Democrats leading the chamber. Overall, it was precisely the conversation we were hoping to get. Specifically, a back and forth between two engaged, well-informed candidates. We will have more debates upcoming on Plain Talk. On August 30, the U.S. House candidates, Republican Julie Fedorchak and Democrat Trygve Hammer, will face off. On September 6 we'll host the gubernatorial candidates, Republican Kelly Armstrong and Democrat Merrill Piepkorn. On September 13, supporters and opponents of the Measure 4, the property tax proposal, will make their cases. We also have a preliminary agreement between the candidates for Superintendent of Public Schools, incumbent Kirsten Baesler and former state Sen. Jason Heitkamp. I'll have more on that once it's confirmed. Want to follow Plain Talk and be kept up to date on all of these debates? Click here for an archive of past shows and for information on how to subscribe, or just search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, including on YouTube.

"Every law enforcement officer I've spoken to has said this has been hard on our state and hard on law enforcement." That's what Burleigh County Sheriff Kelly Leben had to say on this episode of Plain Talk. He's referring to Measure 5 on North Dakota's November ballot which, if passed, would legalize the recreational use of marijuana. "I'm very big on personal freedom," Sheriff Leben told co-host Chad Oban and I, but added that those liberties have to be balanced with the needs of public safety. He rejected the oft-made argument from marijuana supporters that legalization will make less work for law enforcement, arguing that "prices" for illicit marijuana will still "entice the black market." Leben did credit the backers of Measure 5 with taking a thoughtful approach to the issue. "I would have to concede that they're trying to get it right," he said, but added that the costs of legalization outweigh the benefits. Also on this episode, Jamie Selzler, a North Dakota delegate to the Democratic National Committee, spoke to us from his party's national convention in Chicago. He reflected on the speeches, the security and protests, and the heartbreak he felt when actor Mark Hamil, of Luke Skywalker fame, was too tired to pose with him for a selfie. Want to follow Plain Talk? Click here for an archive of past shows and for information on how to subscribe, or just search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, including on YouTube.

"Let's take valuations away." That's what state Rep. Ben Koppelman proposed on this episode of Plain Talk. He's referring to a plan for property tax reform that he's proposed should Measure 4 -- a constitutional ban on taxing property values -- fail on the statewide ballot in November. Koppelman would like to see property taxed on size, not value. His plan would levy mills on the square footage of properties, and the structures on those properties, with residential property owners seeing their bill defrayed by credits akin to the state's existing Homestead Tax Credit. "For many years the locals have blamed the Legislature" for the property tax problem, Koppelman said, arguing that, whatever happens with Measure 4, it's time for the Legislature to implement some more dramatic property tax reform to address what is a perennial source of consternation for North Dakota's voters. Koppelman said he's not for or against Measure 4, saying he's got his personal feelings but doesn't want to "twist the arm of voters." However, in the 2023 session, he did oppose Legislation that would have abolished property taxes. Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I discuss the politics around the Measure 4 debate, recent polling in North Dakota's U.S. Senate race that shows Democratic candidate Katrina Christiansen putting up strong numbers, and some of the upcoming debates we have scheduled for the podcast. Want to follow Plain Talk? Click here for an archive of past shows and for information on how to subscribe, or just search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, including on YouTube.

Even if North Dakota voters approve Measure 4, a constitutional amendment that would disallow taxes on real estate values, our state and its elected leaders will still need to figure out how to replace the roughly $2.4 billion in revenues those taxes generate very budget cycle. We're going to pay for it. The question is how. Neal Messer, a farmer, businessman, and commissioner in Stark County, joined this episode of Plain Talk to discuss what that problem might look like from a local level. One upshot? Property owners may still be stuck with a property tax. "It does open the door where we could tax property based on square footage," Messer told us, though he added that the measure itself is "not very well written." "The challenge is five years from now," he added, pointing out that Measure 4 obligates state lawmakers to replace the revenues from property value taxes, but only at four years from now. Messer argues that, thanks to things like inflation, the cost of something like paving a road is going to cost more in five years than it does today, and yet Measure 4 would pin the Legislature's obligation for paying for local government eternally in 2024. Messer also says he's worried about giving big companies and out-of-state landowners a big tax break by eliminating the tax on property values. He pointed to Marathon Oil, which pays a big tax bill in his county that in turn does a lot to fund local schools, but would be able to keep that money in their out of state headquarters should Measure 4 pass. There are also wealthy, out-of-state landowners who would benefit as well, he argues. "Bill Gates doesn't need another tax break." Also on this episode, my co-host Chad Oban and I discuss why I was wrong about Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz being bad pick as runningmate for Vice President Kamala Harris. Want to follow Plain Talk? Click here for an archive of past shows and for information on how to subscribe, or just search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, including on YouTube.

The emergence of Vice President Kamala Harris as the top-of-the-ticket candidate for Democrats, nationally, has created an undeniable wave of enthusiasm among our liberal friends. North Dakota's Democrats are no different. "There's a new pep in our step," state Rep. Zac Ista told my co-host Chad Oban and I on this episode of Plain Talk. Ista is a Democrat from Grand Forks and the House Minority Leader, and he had some very pragmatic things to say about the chances Democratic legislative candidates have on the ballot this year. Ista pointed out that Democrats already elected to the Legislature have been punching above their weight. They have only 16 seats in the state Legislature, but saw over 50 bills sponsored by Democratic lawmakers passed. He also praised his party's candidate recruitment efforts. Acknowledging that Democrats have struggled to fill all of the legislative races in past cycles, particularly in western North Dakota, he said his party has filled 80% of the races this cycle. Still, even if Democrats win every race they have a candidate in, they couldn't take a majority in either chamber of the Legislature. It's not mathematically possible. "We don't have enough candidates on the ballot," Ista said, but he does see an opportunity for Democrats to make up some ground. But that will require those candidates to get out into their communities and prove they're something more than "someone with a D in parentheses behind their name" on the ballot. Ista also said he's opposed to a constitutional measure that would abolish property taxes, which will almost certainly be on the ballot in November. Asked why voters should trust lawmakers to address the property tax problem meaningfully, given that it's an issue that has rankled voters for decades, Ista said that while dangling "carrots" in front of local governments to inspire them to lower property tax burdens, "we have to get more serious about talking about sticks," he said, referencing possible caps on property tax increases. Also on this episode, Oban and I talk about the controversy former President Donald Trump has created around Kamala Harris's racial background, and who Harris might choose as vice president. Want to follow Plain Talk? Click here for an archive of past shows and for information on how to subscribe, or just search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, including on YouTube.

Rep. Kelly Armstrong, who is currently in the midst of a campaign to become North Dakota's next governor, has had a long career in public service. On this episode of Plain Talk, he told my co-host Chad Oban and I what his proudest moment has been from that career (so far, he's still a young man in political years). He said it was helping his hometown, Dickinson, build a new baseball complex. It was a reminder that Armstrong's track record of public service didn't begin in elected office. In fact, that's probably true of most of our elected leaders, even at the highest levels of government. We can be cynical about politics. We're certainly given good reason to be much of the time. But there's something nice in being reminded that political careers often start with public service at a granular level. Unfortunately, much of what we discussed on this episode is the sort of thing that justifies our cynicism about political leadership. Armstrong expressed frustration about the House of Representatives going out on recess without having completed the appropriations process. "I don't think Congress has done a budget in 25 years that's an actual budget," he said. "I get frustrated because we're pretending like we're doing something," he added. Armstrong also weighed in on the presidential race, saying Democrats are enjoying a "sugar high" around their new candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris, while acknowledging that the rollout of Sen. J.D. Vance as former President Donald Trump's running mate has been rocky. Armstrong also talked about what his priorities in Bismarck might be should he be elected come November, and one of them is the state's budget. "Our growth in spending has been pretty significant since 2012," he said, and while much of that was "necessary" when it happened, it may be time to curb the growth. Want to follow Plain Talk? Click here for an archive of past shows and for information on how to subscribe, or just search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, including on YouTube.

In 2018, North Dakota voters approved a ballot measure creating the state Ethics Commission. The commission was implemented in 2019, and that first year, it received just 2 complaints. There were 3 in 2020, 9 in 2021, then a spike (right around election time) in 2022 to 14. There were 14 complaints again in 2023, and so far in 2024 (another election year) the number has spiked to 25 as of July 25. Those numbers came from Rebecca Binstock, the executive director of the ethics commission, who joined this episode of Plain Talk to advertise the fact that the commission is currently accepting applications for new members (find more on that in their press release).  "Any North Dakota resident can serve on the ethics commission," Binstock told us, though there are some exemptions. For instance, if you're currently an elected official, or in a leadership position in a political party, you need not apply. But Binstock also discussed with my co-host Chad Oban the fact that the Ethics Commission has become much more visible in North Dakota politics, and governance, and what it does, and what it should do, are becoming increasingly important questions. "Ethics commissions alone do not create ethical government," Binstock told us, adding that it also requires a robust news media, and an engaged electorate. The Ethics Commission gets the most attention from its complaint process, where members of the public can allege unethical behavior by state officials that is then reviewed by the commission, but Binstock argued that some of its other missions, such as educating state and local officials about ethics policies and promoting more transparency, are as, if not more, important. She also discussed the commission taking a larger role in enforcing state campaign laws. Want to follow Plain Talk? Click here for an archive of past shows, and for information on how to subscribe, or just search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, including on YouTube.

Many Republicans are trying to argue that President Joe Biden opting to end his re-election campaign, and the subsequent consolidation of Democrats behind the candidacy of Vice President Kamala Harris, was a "coup." Was it? My co-host Chad Oban and I discussed it on this episode of Plain Talk, where we were also joined by Trista Keith, a now-former member of the Dickinson State University nursing faculty. That faculty has resigned, and the administration at DSU has moved on, opting to use personnel from Mayville State University to provide instruction to its nursing students. Craig, who came on the program to rebut claims made in our previous interview with North Dakota University System Chancellor Mark Hagerott, said she and her fellow nurses resigned because the credit hour requirements in their contracts were untenable. Hagerott, echoing claims made by DSU President Stephen Easton (who has also resigned though remains in his position as higher ed leaders work on finding a replacement), also claimed that the program was costing a half-million dollars a year to graduate just 16 students. Keith acknowledged that the program's graduation numbers were down, but attributed that to a blip from the COVID-19 pandemic. "It's completely unfair not to take COVID into consideration," she said. She said the pandemic scared a lot of prospective students away. "Nobody wanted to become a nurse," but she said things have been recovering, noting that the DSU program had 60 incoming students. She also said she was "disappointed" in Hagerott's comments, saying she expected that "someone int hat leadership position" would "get the other side of the story." "I've never spoken to the chancellor," she said. Want to follow Plain Talk? Click here for an archive of past shows, and for information on how to subscribe, or just search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, including on YouTube.

When President Joe Biden announced an end to his re-election campaign, Adam Goldwyn, chairman of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL, participated in a call with his counterparts from around the country that resulted in a unanimous endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris to replace the incumbent at the top of the party's national ticket. "There was overwhelming support for her in that group," Goldwyn told me and my co-host Chad Oban on this episode of Plain Talk. Responding to complaints from Republicans that Biden was pushed out undemocratically after Democratic voters around the country cast their primary ballots for him, Goldwyn said, "there was no cigar-filled back room." "Nobody pushed President Biden out of anything," he said, adding that the party's convention process is now "open" and that the delegates "could vote for anyone they want." Goldwyn says he senses a lot of enthusiasm from Democrats after the shake-up. Also on this episode, Chad and I discuss how Harris's ascendence may impact the race, what she should do to win a national election, and who her running mate might be. Want to follow Plain Talk? You can search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, listen to new episodes on YouTube, or click here for an archive of our episodes and to find subscribe links for some of the most popular podcasting services.

Dickinson State University, one of the North Dakota University System's four-year institutions, has been thrown into chaos by a labor dispute with a group of nursing faculty. First the faculty, after rejecting a new contract aimed at tamping down what DSU President Stephen Easton too much spending on a program that produces too few students, chose to resign en masse. Then Easton himself tendered his resignation alongside a lengthy statement in which he defended his approach to the dispute. "The simple reality is that, though we love DSU Nursing and want to help it survive, we cannot spend over half a million dollars in compensation expenses for 16 Registered Nurses," he wrote in that statement posted on DSU's website. "That does not work financially." "We're not going to be held hostage by 7 contract-rejecting faculty," Mark Hagerott, chancellor of the university system, said on this episode of Plain Talk. Hagerott told guest co-host Corey Mock and me that "the focus is on the students" who are set to resume classes for the fall semester in approximately five weeks, and said that Eason, who continues to serve as president until the State Board of Higher Education chooses a new leader, is still negotiating with the former nursing faculty to find a new contract. The chancellor noted that East was trying to apply the same standards for credit hours and instruction that apply to the rest of the faculty at DSU. "Seven people didn't sign their contract," he said. "Everybody else is moving forward." Will the DSU nursing program survive? And what will happen to the students currently enrolled in this program if the impasse continues? Hagerott said his expectation is that the program continues, and that if need be current students could be served by faculty at some of North Dakota's other public institutions. He also said he's had preliminary conversations with at least one state lawmaker about finding funds to help those students with scholarships to smooth over any hardships from that transition. Also on this episode, U.S. House candidate Julie Fedorchak joined to reflect on the Republican national convention she just attended in Milwaukee. "You could hear a pin drop when he was recapping the assassination attempt," she said of former President Donald Trump's speech accepting the convention's nomination. "You could see the weight on him," she continued, noting the less bombastic tone Trump struck during the address. She said it was "electric" in the convention hall, and that Trump's "drill baby drill" comments about expanding domestic energy production got the "loudest" reaction from the audience and was "music to my ears." Want to subscribe to Plain Talk? Search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.