The reluctance of the North Dakota State legislature to accept the recommendations of the newly formed ethics commission should not be a surprise except to the most naive among us. Organizations historically have not been known to reform themselves. Elected officials having hubris is about as surprising as ducks having webbed feet. The relaxed conflict
Read & Share
Editor’s Note: This commentary has language not worthy of a Sunday or any Sunday places. You’ve been alerted. In May of 2020, at the height of our COVID isolation, I went deeper in. I walked into the North Dakota Badlands with a friend. At the time, I was still serving on Minot’s City Council. Beyond
Read & Share
North Dakota is no stranger to legislative drama, and this session is no exception with bills that wade deeply into the murky waters of religious and social policy. Among the more contentious proposals, House Bill 1145 seeks to mandate the display of the Ten Commandments in all public classrooms, while others aim to resurrect blue
Read & Share
Ethics in North Dakota politics are raising eyebrows as lawmakers reconvene in Bismarck. Key figures like Rep. Jason Dockter, recently convicted of a misdemeanor over a questionable lease deal, continue to hold office despite calls for accountability. Similarly, other instances, such as lobbyist ties or ethical missteps at the University of North Dakota, emphasize the
Read & Share sourced from: InForum
Government transparency in Minot looks to again be on the agenda. Harold Stewart, the City Manager, wants to keep personnel records under wraps — that’s the message he delivered at a City Council meeting on the upcoming legislative session late last year. And that’s an issue that has caught the interest of columnist Rob Port.
Read & Share sourced from: InForumSubscribe to Today in Minot!
It's the free, easy way to stay informed about what's happening in Minot, and it helps support independent local news and journalism.
North Dakota is on the brink of a pivotal decision that could transform its school cafeterias into hubs of equality and nourishment. A recent poll reveals a whopping 82% of residents support providing meals to all school children, echoing efforts already underway in neighboring Minnesota. As food insecurity rises and school lunchrooms carry the weight
Read & Share sourced from: Grand Forks Herald
The country is in a period of transition from the leadership of one incoherent old man to another incoherent old man. Rather than obsessing and speculating about what the eventual results of that transition may be, at least football fans have something to distract their attention. Will Diploma Mill State beat Deadbeat A&M in the
Read & Share
Many of the state’s biggest stories from last year — including those related to taxation, abortion and incarceration — remain unsettled. State leaders could reignite public discussion of these issues as early as the 69th legislative session, which starts Tuesday. Here are five state government stories we’ll be watching this year: Property taxes The ballot
Read & Share sourced from: North Dakota Monitor
The Maah Daah Hey National Monument proposal seeks to protect about one tenth of the 1.1 million acres of the Little Missouri National Grasslands. A modest request to preserve our expansive Badlands. The proposal (found here) tells a more proportional story that recognizes the ancestral lands of indigenous people of ND. We owe them that
Read & Share
In a world obsessed with tech and science, the humanities are quietly taking a back seat, and that’s a loss we might not recognize until it’s too late. With a 24% drop in humanities majors since 2012, the pressure to focus on so-called “practical” degrees is palpable. But dismissing subjects like literature, history, and philosophy
Read & Share sourced from: The Conversation
In Wyoming, there’s division in the ruling Republican Party. Sound familiar? The same could be said for North Dakota. So read the commentary linked below from Wyoming File and then replace Wyoming with North Dakota. It will be pretty accurate, but it won’t be personal. Maybe that’s a pathway to political reconciliation — it’s almost
Read & Share sourced from: WyoFileSubscribe to Today in Minot!
It's the free, easy way to stay informed about what's happening in Minot, and it helps support independent local news and journalism.
Democracy isn’t perfect, but it’s the best we got. Rob Port dives into the topic with local examples that will make his argument hard to deny, even if you think you sit on the other side of some ideological fence.
Read & Share sourced from: InForum
Math is important. It’s tough, though, trying to teach that to students who study natural resources management. Most people go into the broader field of natural resources because they love the outdoors – hiking, camping, fishing, hunting. But these people often aren’t into math. They don’t want to add, multiply and use statistics to make
Read & Share sourced from: NDSU Extension Service
Amid rising frustration and distrust toward government institutions, we’re facing a critical moment in public administration. It’s not just a question of who holds office but rather the values guiding our civil service—values that have grown disconnected from today’s pressing issues. Trust is eroding quickly, with 85% of Americans feeling unheard by their leaders. As
Read & Share sourced from: Government Executive
It’s easy to get swept up in the convenience of clicking “buy now” from your couch, but let’s take a moment to remember the vibrant role small businesses play during the holidays. They aren’t just shops; they’re the lifeblood of our communities—the very essence of our towns. As we dive into this season of giving,
Read & Share sourced from: Grand Forks Herald
Let’s dive into a Wyoming tale of local control—or the lack thereof—where state lawmakers, often advocates for small government, seem eager to dictate local policies. This time, their efforts to streamline regulations inadvertently tied up the progress of local governance. The Regulatory Reduction Task Force, charged with trimming bureaucratic fat, ironically found itself entangled in
Read & Share sourced from: WyoFile