Plain Talk With Rob Port

Perrie Schafer likes Gov. Doug Burgum. He says they worked together in recent years "hand in hand" during his stint as chair of the North Dakota Republican Party. But on this episode of Plain Talk, he said Burgum didn't make a big impression during the first presidential debate. "I think Doug is going to have to make a decision," Schafer said during the show with co-hosts Chad Oban and Ben Hanson chiming in as well. "There's a point where there's good money after bad," he added, saying the candidate has to ask himself of saying in a crowded GOP field, "Is it worth doing?" He said Burgum's recent injury, playing basketball the day before the debate, isn't helpful. "He's got an Achilles problem as well," Schafer said. Want to subscribe to Plain Talk? Search for the show on popular podcast apps like Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or click here for more information.

Gov. Doug Burgum was injured in a pick-up basketball game just hours ahead of a pivotal national debate where he desperately needs to make a good impression with a national audience that, for the most part, doesn't know him. So of course we spent this episode of Plain Talk discussing a parking dispute in West Fargo. I'm kidding. Sort of. We talked about Burgum's injury, but we also interviewed West Fargo City Commissioner Mark Simmons about the controversy around the city's West Fargo Events non-profit and the parking dispute between two of the city's major developers. We were also joined by Sen. John Hoeven for an update about the potential for the Dakota Access Pipeline being shutdown, and the struggle to build pipeline infrastructure. Want to subscribe to Plain Talk? Search for the show on podcast services like Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or click here for more information.

A shooter who opened fire on police officers in Fargo had mass casualties on his mind. Attorney General Drew Wrigley, who joined this episode of Plain Talk to discuss the release of harrowing police-worn body camera footage of the terrible incident, said we may never find out much more than that about the shooter's motivations. "I'm going to lower people's expectations on that," he said, noting that more information from the shooter's computers and other devices would be made public in the future. "We can't find anything." Wrigley also covered the controversy over the binary trigger the shooter used to accelerate his rate of fire toward the officers. State lawmakers have passed specific protections for that trigger, and Wrigley said he's received some blowback from critics for bringing the issue up. Wrigley said he's talked about it because it's a central part of the Fargo incident, and because he even he, a gun rights supporter, thinks the triggers should be illegal. "We don't see automatic weapons fire as p

Is a government-backed nonprofit called West Fargo Events too close to a developer, property management, and event-booking company called EPIC Companies? That's a philosophical question, but it manifests itself in a practical way in the relationship between West Fargo Events and another developer, Jim Bullis. "How can you trust West Fargo when they're playing favorites with developers?" he asked on this episode of Plain Talk, where we discussed the years-long dispute he's had with EPIC Companies and West Fargo Events over parking. "It's three years this has been going on," Bullis said, adding that the relationship between EPIC Companies and West Fargo Events "seems to be a conflict they do not have a way to get around." Also, on this episode, my co-host Ben Hanson and I discuss the property tax hikes that are taking place in local government jurisdictions around the state, and what impact that might have on a new ballot measure campaign to eliminate property taxes entirely. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search

Toward the end of my two days covering Gov. Doug Burgum's presidential campaign at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines I was able to get some one-on-one time with the candidate. This isn't to say that I didn't get plenty of time with the candidate before that. He had a sweaty, sunburned press scrum surrounding him everywhere he went at the fair, and it was easy enough to ask him questions when they occured, but the governor was gracious enough to make a half hour available for me for an uninterrupted conversation. I chose, as the venue, a park bench in the middle of the fairgrounds, just around the corner from the famous "soap box" stage sponsored by the Des Moines Register. With people walking by -- including another Republican candidate, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, who greeted Burgum warmly -- I interviewed the governor of North Dakota, who aspires to be leader of the free world. We covered everything from how Burgum entertains himself on the campaign trail to what he's hoping to accomplish at the GOP's firs

On this episode of Plain Talk, recorded by your sweaty and sunburned correspondent in his hotel room at the Embassy Suites in Des Moines, Iowa, my co-host Ben Hanson and I interviewed Sen. Kevin Cramer. Cramer had some unique insights into the peculiar role Iowa plays in presidential politics, his having been a former chair of the North Dakota Republican Party. He also weighed in on Gov. Doug Burgum's issue platform and other issues around his campaign from a congressional perspective. In the second half of the show Ben and I were joined by my other co-host, Chad Oban, to talk about Burgum's performance in Iowa. We discussed everything from the candidate's taxpayer-subsidized security detail to his substantive policy arguments to his annoyance about constantly being asked about Donald Trump. Want to subscribe to the podcast? Search for the show on platforms like Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or click here for more information on how to get the show on the podcast service of your choice.

"This is not going to solve the problem," Rebecca Pitkin, the executive director of North Dakota's Education Standards and Practices Board, said on this episode of Plain Talk. She was talking about her board's recent request of Gov. Doug Burgum to issue an emergency order setting aside some teacher licensing requirements so that student teachers can run classrooms without supervision. "This is a band-aid," she told me and my co-host Chad Oban (full disclosure, his day job is at North Dakota United, the state teacher and public worker union). Pitkin answered questions about how student teachers might react to being asked to run classrooms without oversight, and why more hasn't been done prior to this immediate crisis to address what is a long-standing problem in our state. I also asked Pitkin about this tweet from Rep. Zac Ista, a Democrat from Grand Forks, who complained in a post on X that the ESPB board opposed his proposal to remove relicensing requirements from long-term teachers. Also on this episode, w

Collin Peterson represented western Minnesota's 7th Congressional District for 30 years, and during that time got a reputation for blunt talk. He hasn't changed much. As we discussed Peterson's efforts to develop an agriculture policy at North Dakota State University, an entity that will help inform and guide politicians, he shared an anecdote from a recent trip to Iowa. He said he found himself among the Republican presidential candidates when "this Vivek guy" came up to him. "I didn't have any idea who the hell he was," Peterson said on this episode of Plain Talk. "I thought he was running for Congress." That "Vivek guy" was Vivek Ramaswamy, a tech industry multi-millionaire who, as I write this, is currently in third place in the GOP primary according to the RealClearPolitics.com polling average. Can we blame Peterson for not recognizing him? There are currently 13 Republicans officially running for President, a field that runs the gamut from former President Donald Trump to former Montana Secretary of Sta

North Dakota is on the bleeding edge of carbon capture and storage technology, but when the news media reports this, we're often treated to a litany of pessimism from environmental activists. Case in point, a recent news article produced by North Dakota News Cooperative reporter Michael Standaert which was long on nay-saying and short on affirmative arguments in favor of using carbon capture and storage technology to keep our state's coal industry relevant. Jason Bohrer, president of the Lignite Energy Council, which represents our state's coal interests, says knee-jerk opponents of this nascent technology are "ignorant" and "uninformed." "Either it's coming from a place of igorance or it's disingenuous opposition," he said on this episode of Plain Talk, arguing that much of the antagonism is rooted in the belief that there is no place for coal power in future energy production. Bohrer, as you might expect, doesn't see it that way. He acknowledges that humanity, and in particular carbon-heavy industries like

Do you know with FirstLink was? If you'd asked me that question before our interview on this episode of Plain Talk with Jennifer Illich, the executive director of the group, my answer would have been...sort of? I knew FirstLink existed. I knew it handled calls from people in distress. I mostly thought of it as a suicide hotline. What I learned during our interview is that this group is doing profound work. In 2022, they handled 85,681 contacts to their 211 and 988 hotlines from people in crisis in various ways, from needing to be connected with assistance programs because they can't pay their heating bill to people who need emergency intervention because they're on the verge of suicide. That's an average of 234 calls per day. Astoundingly, they handled almost 54 calls per day just relating to suicide. FirstLink got a big boost in funding from the North Dakota legislature this year, and it's money well spent, not just because of the work the organization is already doing, but also the work they will be doing.

Doug Burgum is selling $20 gift cards for $1 each. Is that legal? Is it ethical? As a campaign tactic, will it work? My co-host Ben Hanson and I discussed it on this episode of Plain Talk. Also, there's a fight between lawmakers and the executive director of the Public Employees Retirement System. The Legislature changed the makeup of the PERS board, adding more legislative appointments, and they begun a transition away from a defined-benefit pension to a defined-contribution model. Scott Miller, the executive director of PERS, doesn't like either of these changes. Meanwhile, the change in leadership of the North Dakota Republican Party - recently-elected Chair Sandi Sanford is an ardent culture warrior elected by the MAGA-faction of the party - continues to have ramifications for fundraising. The party's fundraising was in the red after big refunds to major donors. Finally, Minnesota has passed a free tuition program to address flagging enrollment numbers at that state's institutions. Should North Dakota emu

Lawmakers in Minnesota have created a new tuition program, called North Star Promise, which will give an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 students from households with income levels at $80,000 or less free tuition at the state's institutions of higher education. North Dakota State University President David Cook said that situation has "catastrophic" potential for our state's campuses. He joined this episode of Plain Talk to discuss why, and what can be done about it. "The Legislature was very good to us," he said, adding that the universities are "working hard, doing our do diligence" to put a proposal they feel will keep North Dakota competitive with Minnesota. Cook answered questions about whether North Dakota should consolidate some of its 11 campuses or take other steps to find efficiencies that might, in turn, allow the state to be more generous with admissions. Also on this episode Christopher Dodson, who for 28 years has been the voice of the Catholic Church in North Dakota's halls of government, talks abou

Earlier this year North Dakota lawmakers tried to pass two - yes, two - book bans. One, House Bill 1205, was slightly less odious than the other, Senate Bill 2360, in that it didn't seek criminal penalties for librarians and educators. Both bills did pass the Legislature, though Gov. Doug Burgum only signed the House bill into law, He vetoed SB2360, and lawmakers failed to override the veto. So now that HB1205 is law, how will it impact our state's libraries? Kerrianne Boetcher, the administrator of the Ward County Public Library and the current president of the North Dakota Library Association, joined this episode of Plain Talk to discuss. She talked about what it was like to go through an ugly debate that featured completely stupid and unfounded claims about librarians and educators exposing children to pornography - "It was very hard not to take a lot of it personally," Boetcher told us - as well as what librarians will have to do to comply with the new law. Also on this episode, Wednesday co-host Ben Hans

The U.S. Supreme Court has handed down some significant rulings recently, and Sen. Kevin Cramer likes what he's saying. "The decision was a strong one, and a good one," he said on this episode of Plain Talk, discussing the recent opinion striking down President Joe Biden's student loan forgiveness program. He also acknowledged that student loan debt is a real problem that members of Congress and state leaders should address. "We're going to have a border war with Minnesota over tuition," he said, referring to North Dakota University System officials firing up the klaxons over a free tuition program implemented by our eastern neighbor's lawmakers. "I'm glad I'm not in charge of making those decisions," he added. "I'm sure the college presidents are glad I'm not as well." On this episode Cramer also discussed Gov. Doug Burgum's presidential campaign, which Cramer said he supports wholeheartedly. Asked about what advice he'd give Burgum to break through in a crowded field of candidates where he's consistently i

Earlier this year a long-simmering feud between Auditor Josh Gallion, members of the Legislature, and local government officials burst into the public's eye. The dispute is over what the latter two groups say are sensationalized audits and skyrocketing audit costs. That situation prompted lawmakers to put in place some new accountability measures for Gallion, including new legislative oversight, and an extensive performance audit of his office. Rep. Emily O'Brien, a Grand Forks Republican and one of Gallion's sharpest critics in the legislature, is now the chair of the legislative committee overseeing those initiatives. She joined this episode of Plain Talk to discuss her expectations of Gallion, and the audit of his office. Also on this episode, Tax Commissioner Brian Kroshus discussed the potential implications of a ballot measure aimed at abolishing property taxes. "It's a big decision," he said. "It's a big bite out of the apple." One facet of the debate that Kroshus flagged is that North Dakota has "one

Allow me to pull back the curtain, for a moment, to give you a look behind the scenes at what it's like to be a podcaster and political columnist in North Dakota at this time, in the political cycle. When the legislative session is over. And election season is still months away from starting. And it's summer time. And Friday. It's kind of hard to book a guest. This is why, on this episode of Plain Talk, it's just me and my co-host, Chad Oban, talking politics. Which isn't to say that we didn't cover a lot of interesting stuff. We went from Congressman Kelly Armstrong and his struggles to follow his conscience under intense pressure from the far-right to Doug Burgum's presidential campaign to cryptocurrency. That last may have been ill-advised since neither of us knows a whole lot about it, but we do know that it seems to be a less-than-stable industry at the moment, and the struggles a crypto business - one touted by Burgum - is having in Williams County are very interesting. And you don't really have to be

Minot, N.D. — "The history of this in other states hasn't been good," Pat Finken said on this episode of Plain Talk. Finken is a long-time Republican strategist who has consulted and managed campaigns for candidates like Sen. John Hoeven, and Sen. Kevin Cramer and worked before for and against ballot measures. He joined this episode to discuss the recent takeover of the North Dakota Republican Party by populists, or culture warriors, or the MAGA movement, depending on your preferred nomenclature. He argues that similar takeovers of Republican politics in places like Arizona, and Minnesota, have resulted in the states moving farther left. The same could happen in North Dakota, depending on how the new party leaders conduct themselves. If they start to censure sitting Republican incumbents, if they recruit extreme candidates for the ballot, we could start to see Republicans lose ground in elections. Also on this episode, co-host Ben Hanson and I discuss the recent controversy at North Dakota Right To Life, and

The new chair of the North Dakota Republican Party, Sandi Sanford, doesn't like Republican Congressman Kelly Armstrong very much. She has called for a primary challenger for the incumbent over his vote to codify same-sex marriage in federal law. Does Armstrong now regret that vote? "I do not," he said when asked on this episode of Plain Talk. As for the potential for his own party to become an obstacle to his own re-election, he didn't sound seem concerned. "I'm on the ballot every year," he said. "We'll either get help from the party or we won't," he continued. Armstrong also expressed his support for Gov. Doug Burgum's presidential campaign, saying he's 100 percent behind him, and has donated to his campaign. Burgum's term ends next year, and if he's running for president, he may not seek a third term as governor. Would Armstrong be interested in that office? "Yes, I would certainly look at it," he said. Armstrong also addressed his vote against censuring Rep. Adam Schiff, which earned him the ire of some

The North Dakota Republican Party is fractured. Whatever happens at their upcoming reorganization meeting, where leadership from traditional Republicans is under a challenge from populist culture war activists, there's no question that the party has shifted away from what it's been during the last three decades that it has stood astride state politics. Can the Democratic-NPL, which holds no statewide offices, which has withered to superminority status in the state Legislature, take advantage? Adam Goldwyn, the newly-elected chairman of the party, joined this episode of Plain Talk to discuss it. Also on this episode, co-host Ben Hanson and I discuss the latest from the presidential campaign trail. Gov. Doug Burgum's entry to the race has gone pretty well, so far, but he's still at the bottom of the barrel according to the most recent national polls. What does he need to do to distinguish himself? If you want to be notified when new episodes of Plain Talk publish, search for the show and subscribe on services

There are two big stories in North Dakota politics. One you know about. Doug Burgum is running for president of the United States. He's just the second North Dakota resident to do so in the country's history. The other is flying under the radar of all but the wonkiest of state political observers, and it's what's happening to NDGOP. While Burgum seeks the White House, his state political party may well be taken over by people who don't like him very much. Current party chair Perrie Schafer, a Republican in the traditional mold, is facing a challenge from Sandi Sanford, who is not only an ardent culture warrior, but an outspoken critic of Burgum. And, to add an extra layer of intrigue, she's also the wife of his former Lt. Governor Brent Sanford, who left office late last year. Robert Harms, a long-time leader in the NDGOP, having served as treasurer and party chairman in the past, joins this episode of Plain Talk to discuss this turn of events with co-host Chad Oban and I. Also on this episode, state Sen. Sea