Plain Talk

"Trump has brought the rural voice back into play," Shelley Lenz told me on this episode of Plain Talk. Lenz is the Democratic-NPL candidate for governor, challenging Republican incumbent Doug Burgum, and while she clearly doesn't like Trump overall, she is critical of her own party for not paying enough attention to the priorities of rural Americans. "Urban Democrats are misinformed," she told me...

Is it even worth debating a mask mandate anymore? Rob and Jay discuss.

This episode of Plain Talk was intended to be a conversation with both of North Dakota's candidates for Superintendent. Sadly, the incumbent, Kirsten Baesler, opted not to participate, claiming she didn't have enough time to make it work, though she did offer me a one-on-one interview later in the week. Go figure. The challenger, Brandt Dick, did offer his time, and our conversation covered everyt...

Rob and Jay talk about President Trump and the coronavirus, masking, and Measure 1 and 2 on the November ballot.

What are we going to do with the Legacy Fund? There are a lot of things, and they generally fall into two broad categories. One is how the fund is invested, the other is what we do with the returns. Insurance Commissioner Jon Godfread, who serves, as a part of his official duties, on the State Investment Board which oversees the investments of the Legacy Fund, has an idea for the latter of those c...

Measure 2 is a constitutional amendment, put on the November ballot by the Legislature, which would change the initiated measure process for constitutional measures. Activists would still collect and file signatures the same way, but if a measure amending the constitution is passed by voters, it wouldn't immediately be enacted. It would first go to the Legislature for an up-or-down vote. If the Le...

Rob and Jay talk about Rep. Rick Becker wanting to be North Dakota's new state health officer, and the upcoming presidential debate.

Cramer talks Supreme Court and other topics during his regular appearance on the podcast.

"I have to own the miscue," Governor Doug Burgum said on this episode of Plain Talk. He was referring to a quarantine order issued by his administration earlier this week which carried with it a misdemeanor criminal charge for anyone who violated it. The order applied to people who came into close contact with someone positive for COVID-19. Burgum said interim State Health Officer Dr. Paul Mariani...

Jodi Meisch and Will Thompson are two Democrats in North Dakota's 22nd legislative district. They are hoping to unseat to Republican incumbents, Rep. Brandy Pyle and Rep. Michael Howe. On this episode of Plain Talk, they talk about the issues that are important to them, both big and small. We also delve into the complicated policy problems presented by property taxes and local control, as well as...

Democratic-NPL gubernatorial candidate Shelley Lenz takes questions and talks about her campaign. Also state Rep. Scott Louser (R-Minot) makes the pitch for Measure 2.

Rob and Jay talk about some recent fire at a Minot City Council meeting, and controversy over a Native American statue in Carrington.

Rob and Jay talk about a report connecting some 250,000 cases of coronavirus to the Sturgis motorcycle rally in South Dakota.

North Dakota has come "dangerously close" to not having the power it needs. That's what Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette said on this episode of Plain Talk. He said that political policies favoring energy sources like wind and solar are "distorting the economic viability" of baseload energy like coal. Secretary Brouillette said he wasn't going to criticize a company like Great River Energy, whi...

Jay and Rob talk about the North Dakota Supreme Court kicking Measure 3 off the ballot.

On this episode of Plain Talk Dr. Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control in Georgia, talks about the COVID-19 impact and how America, generally, and North Dakota, specifically, is handling it. One point Redfield made is that elected officials need to avoid making sweeping policies, instead tailoring responses to the needs of specific  areas. "We need to be more surgical,"...

Jay and Rob talk about the Trump vs. Biden race, and the group calling itself North Dakota Voters First which is pushing Measure 3.

Incumbent Congressman Kelly Armstrong, a Republican, debates Democratic challenger Zach Raknerud on issues ranging from marijuana to criminal justice reform to energy development and the postal service.

Rob and Jay talk about the election and mail-in voting.

Rob and Jay talk about North Dakota's cap on state liability, President Donald Trump's attempted suspension of payroll taxes, and coronavirus news.

Rob and Jay talk  about re-opening schools during the pandemic.

Rob and Jay talk about the coronavirus and masks.

Rob and Jay talk about coronavirus, mask mandates, and employee bonuses for the state of North Dakota.

In a recent tweet , President Donald Trump criticized a portion of wall built along the American southern border by a private group of his supporters. "I disagreed with doing this very small (tiny) section of the wall, in a tricky area, by a private group which raised money by ads," Trump wrote, responding to media reports claiming this section of the wall is facing problems from erosion. "It was...

Rob and Jay talk about re-opening North Dakota's schools amid the coronavirus pandemic.