Plain Talk

The North Dakota Democratic-NPL has been out of power in North Dakota for about two generations. They haven't held the governorship since the early 1990s. They haven't held a statewide executive branch office since 2009, or a majority in either chamber in the Legislature since 1994. Until 2010, the state's entire congressional delegation were members of the Democratic-NPL, as of 2018 those seats a...

President Joe Biden is set to deliver his first State of the Union address to a country that is still reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic and deeply divided in just about every way a society can be divided. From environmental issues to infrastructure to immigration, can he map out a policy agenda that brings people together to solve real problems? Rob Port and University of North Dakota professor o...

Thanks to high-profile cases, including the death of George Floyd, Minnesota has become an epicenter in the political battle over the use of force by law enforcement. As a result, the state has created new use of force laws, and they're not sitting well with some in law enforcement. Cass County Sheriff Jesse Jahner, whose North Dakota jurisdiction bumps up against Minnesota's border, recently wrot...

Rob and Jay talk about the end of the Legislative session, including the debate over a Buffalo-themed amusement park in Jamestown.

In March the State of North Dakota implemented a truly innovative bit of public policy. With some grant money from the AAA Foundation, Governor Doug Burgum's administration launched the Sober Ride program, which provided $10 vouchers for Lyft rides between the hours of 5:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. The result? In March, some 800 presumably impaired drivers got rides home, and the total cost was just $8,...

North Dakota's legislative session is ending, and that always means a flurry of bills getting signed into law, or occasionally vetoed, by the Governor. On this episode of Plain Talk Live,  Governor Doug Burgum  talks about the bills he's signed, and the bills he's yet to sign. Among the bills already signed is one protecting schools from lawsuits over 10 commandment displays and another providing...

Derek Chauvin is guilty, and that's some justice for George Floyd, but are debate over the role of law enforcement in our society is far from over. Can cops accused of inappropriate activity get a fair trial in this environment? What can we do about militant attitudes in the ranks of law enforcement? Rob and podcast entrepreneur Jonah Lantto from the Good Talk Network, a production company that cu...

#NorthDakota ​ #FreeSpeech ​ #HigherEducation ​ Recently Governor Doug Burgum signed House Bill 1503 into law. It's aim? To protect free speech on North Dakota's campuses. At the national level, we've all heard many stories about students who, whether it's because of campus administration or harassment from other students, have difficulty expressing controversial points of view. Was that a problem...

Rob and Jay talk about COVID-19 vaccines, face masks, and more.

A new ballot measure campaign seeks to amend North Dakota's state constitution to make it harder to amend the constitution. Specifically, it would require a 60 percent supermajority for any constitutional amendment on the ballot to pass. It would also limit each proposed amendment to just one topic. Is this good reform? Or a power grab or,  as the  Forum of Fargo-Moorhead  put it in an editorial ,...

The rollout of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been paused across the nation. North Dakota is possessed of some of the highest rates of hesitance in the nation when it comes to COVID-19 vaccinations in general. What does the pause mean for you? How do we persuade people who are skeptical of any of the vaccines? Molly Howell, the Immunization Program Manager at North Dakota Department of Health,...

Chad Oban is a long-time activist in North Dakota politics. He served as the executive director of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL and his wife, Erin Oban, is a state Senator from Bismarck. On this episode of Plain Talk Live, Rob and Chad will talk about the rise of the Bastiat Caucus in North Dakota, the fight over mask mandates, campaign finance transparency, and legislative pay. Plus, whatever...

A group calling itself Protect North Dakota's Constitution held a press conference today announcing a ballot measure campaign aimed at making changes to North Dakota's constitution a bit harder. Currently, outside of a greater number of signatures required on petitions for constitutional measures, it's as easy to amend the state constitution at the ballot box as it is to amend statute. This group...

Is North Dakota about to give the coal industry a handout? That's what critics of pro-coal legislation in Bismarck are saying, but there's another side of the story. Power sources like wind and solar have enjoyed decades of political favoritism. From heavy production subsidies to outright mandate for their use, the market has been skewed in their favor, to the detriment of baseload power like coal...

Rob and Jay talk about the officer-involved shooting in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, and the resulting protests.

There is perhaps no political conflagration in America more intractable than our debate over border security and immigration. In the long run, we need policies that facilitate lawful immigration while giving no quarter to illegal entry into our country. In the here and now, we have a crisis at the southern border, with thousands upon thousands captured and detained while trying to make an illegal...

In Georgia, Major League Baseball reacted to the passage of election reform laws with a boycott. The sports league has moved its all-star game from Atlanta to Colorado. In North Dakota, a debate over legislation dealing with transgender athletes was dominated by rumors about what the NCAA might do to punish the state if it passed. Every day, much of America's political debate takes place in venues...

On this episode of Plain Talk, Rob talks with David Owen of Legalize ND about the future of legalizing recreational marijuana in North Dakota now that the Legislature has shot down legalization efforts.

Rob and Jay talk about the controversy around the Georgia voting laws.

North Dakota Lt. Governor Brent Sanford talks about his work to find a buyer for Coal Creek Station, the state's largest coal-fired power plant, as well as the future of coal-fired power in the state in general.

Rob talks with filmmaker Matt Fern about his documentary, "Fighting over Sioux," about the years-long controversy over the University of North Dakota's former Fighting Sioux nickname.

In the very first live streamed episode of Plain Talk, Rob and podcaster Jonah Lantto of the Good Talk Network talk about COVID-19 vaccines, marijuana legalization, and cancel culture.

Rob and Jay talk about outrage exhaustion, marijuana legalization, and underage drinking.

Rob and Jay talk about transgender issues and vaccinations.

Rob and Jay talk about the headlines, including immigration.