666: The year that was, and the year that will be (Video)
Plain Talk
The year 2025 is almost in the books. On this episode of Plain Talk, we took a look back at the last year, looking at some of the highlights (and lowlights, unfortunately) that made news. The legislature passed massive property tax reform. It's a "sea change" for what's long been a thorny issue, I argued, but can it be maintained? Lawmakers will have to continue funding the $1,600 credits for primary residences while simultaneously holding the line on attempts to water down the 3% cap on local spending. Also, shamelessness was a theme in state (as well as national) politics. Elected officials...
info_outline
666: The year that was, and the year that will be
Plain Talk
The year 2025 is almost in the books. On this episode of Plain Talk, we took a look back at the last year, looking at some of the highlights (and lowlights, unfortunately) that made news. The legislature passed massive property tax reform. It's a "sea change" for what's long been a thorny issue, I argued, but can it be maintained? Lawmakers will have to continue funding the $1,600 credits for primary residences while simultaneously holding the line on attempts to water down the 3% cap on local spending. Also, shamelessness was a theme in state (as well as national) politics. Elected officials...
info_outline
665: 'I hate that we're relying on emergency ad hoc payments again' (Video)
Plain Talk
Matt Perdue is the newly-elected president of the North Dakota Farmers Union. While he was campaigning among Farmers Union members for that office earlier this year, he said he spent a lot of time talking about health care. And not because he was asking about it. "I've spent the last few months traveling the state, visiting with folks in small towns across North Dakota, and I think it's really important to make the point that I have not asked them to talk about healthcare, he said on this episode of Plain Talk. "They have asked me to talk about healthcare. It's a top-of-mind issue for farmers...
info_outline
665: 'I hate that we're relying on emergency ad hoc payments again'
Plain Talk
Matt Perdue is the newly-elected president of the North Dakota Farmers Union. While he was campaigning among Farmers Union members for that office earlier this year, he said he spent a lot of time talking about health care. And not because he was asking about it. "I've spent the last few months traveling the state, visiting with folks in small towns across North Dakota, and I think it's really important to make the point that I have not asked them to talk about healthcare, he said on this episode of Plain Talk. "They have asked me to talk about healthcare. It's a top-of-mind issue for farmers...
info_outline
664: 'We've just got too many programs' (Audio)
Plain Talk
North Dakota has made large strides towards using investments of public funds not just as a way to generate revenue for the for the state but also, by making those investments in North Dakota companies, to benefit the state's economy. But these investments are happening in a lot of different ways, and when some investments made through some programs go bad, and make negative headlines, they can sour the public's view of this sort of public investing. One complicating factor in this is that the state has dozens and dozens of economic development programs, overseen by a patchwork of boards and...
info_outline
664: 'We've just got too many programs' (Video)
Plain Talk
North Dakota has made large strides towards using investments of public funds not just as a way to generate revenue for the for the state but also, by making those investments in North Dakota companies, to benefit the state's economy. But these investments are happening in a lot of different ways, and when some investments made through some programs go bad, and make negative headlines, they can sour the public's view of this sort of public investing. One complicating factor in this is that the state has dozens and dozens of economic development programs, overseen by a patchwork of boards and...
info_outline
663: 'Where is our home if America is not our home?' (Video)
Plain Talk
Hamida Dakane says she was "disappointed" but "not surprised" by President Donald Trump's comments insulting Somalians and calling on them to leave the country. But it hurt. "You know, this comment, it hits deeply on personal level, and what makes it worse is it's coming from the president of the free world," she said. "It's not just offensive. It is dehumanizing. It shakes your sense of belonging. Even if you lived here 5 days or decades, you call America or Minnesota or North Dakota home, and then the people who represent you demonize you to the point that they call you garbage. It's...
info_outline
663: 'Where is our home if America is not our home?' (Audio)
Plain Talk
Hamida Dakane says she was "disappointed" but "not surprised" by President Donald Trump's comments insulting Somalians and calling on them to leave the country. But it hurt. "You know, this comment, it hits deeply on personal level, and what makes it worse is it's coming from the president of the free world," she said. "It's not just offensive. It is dehumanizing. It shakes your sense of belonging. Even if you lived here 5 days or decades, you call America or Minnesota or North Dakota home, and then the people who represent you demonize you to the point that they call you garbage. It's...
info_outline
662: 'I want to be the governor for everybody' (Video)
Plain Talk
"I think sometimes we forget that every community in the country has a whole bunch of people that wake up every morning, and the baseball bat that is called life cracks them across the head," Gov. Kelly Armstrong said on this episode of Plain Talk. "They're the people serving food in a diner, working behind a gas station counter. Sometimes they're sitting in your office right now, anywhere you're at. And if you don't recognize that, then you're not really the governor for everybody. And I want to be the governor for everybody." Armstrong was responding to a question about his administration's...
info_outline
662: 'I want to be the governor for everybody' (Audio)
Plain Talk
"I think sometimes we forget that every community in the country has a whole bunch of people that wake up every morning, and the baseball bat that is called life cracks them across the head," Gov. Kelly Armstrong said on this episode of Plain Talk. "They're the people serving food in a diner, working behind a gas station counter. Sometimes they're sitting in your office right now, anywhere you're at. And if you don't recognize that, then you're not really the governor for everybody. And I want to be the governor for everybody." Armstrong was responding to a question about his administration's...
info_outlineThe year 2025 is almost in the books. On this episode of Plain Talk, we took a look back at the last year, looking at some of the highlights (and lowlights, unfortunately) that made news.
The legislature passed massive property tax reform. It's a "sea change" for what's long been a thorny issue, I argued, but can it be maintained? Lawmakers will have to continue funding the $1,600 credits for primary residences while simultaneously holding the line on attempts to water down the 3% cap on local spending.
Also, shamelessness was a theme in state (as well as national) politics. Elected officials from former Minot mayor Tom Ross to Williston lawmaker Rep. Nico Rios made headlines with ugly behavior. The former faced consequences (he resigned) but the latter is still in office. Can he survive the 2026 election cycle?
Speaking of which, how will the divide in the North Dakota Republican Party play out next year? Will the party hold a state convention? If they do, who will come?
There will be several ballot measures next year, too. The legislature placed one constitutional amendment on the June primary ballot -- a single-subject requirement for constitutional amendments on the ballot -- as well as two more for the November ballot. One would make some modest but meaningful changes to the state's term limits, and the other would require that constituitonal amendments on the ballot get 60% of the vote to pass.
How will those amendments fare? Co-host Chad Oban and I covered it all.
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