Commentary – Page 4 – TheMinotVoice.com

Public schools are not Sunday schools

By: Cody Schuler, North Dakota Monitor | February 1, 2025

Religious freedom is one of our country’s most treasured liberties. Every individual and family — not politicians or the government — gets to decide for themselves what religious beliefs, if any, they adopt and practice. This constitutional protection is strongest in our public schools, which serve children and families of many religious backgrounds. As the

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Resolution before lawmakers would ‘acknowledge the Kingship of Jesus Christ’

by: Josh Wolsky | January 31, 2025

North Dakota lawmakers are pushing a resolution that would declare Jesus Christ as King over the state—a move that raises serious constitutional and philosophical questions. House Concurrent Resolution 3020, backed by Rep. Nico Rios and Rep. Jeff Hoverson, isn’t just symbolic; it’s a test of political loyalty, designed to pressure lawmakers into choosing between faith

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The right medicine for the rural doctor shortage

By: Justin Leventhal, Inside Sources | January 26, 2025

Health care is notoriously more difficult to provide for rural communities than urban ones. Rural Americans are less likely to have a health care provider they trust and have more difficulty reaching doctors and hospitals. Nearly two-thirds of rural communities suffer from a shortage of primary care physicians. However, several states have faced this challenge

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Covering the Panama Canal debate

by: MinotVoice | January 26, 2025

Navigating the halls of power in Washington, D.C., as a young correspondent is exhilarating and daunting. One day, you’re covering a march or a farmer’s protest, and the next, you’re at the heart of a historic debate on the Panama Canal Treaties. This canal, more than just an engineering marvel, symbolized a turning point in

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Letter: Priorities for the Legislative Session

by: MinotVoice | January 25, 2025

Legislative Assembly is off and running. To date, just under 700 bills have been officially introduced and we anticipate at least 500 more before the filing deadlines. With so many bills, the task ahead can seem daunting, but we are ready to meet this challenge by staying focused on our priorities and the people of

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Herald Opinion: North Dakota needs a tool to help close deals with big companies; approve HB 1332

by: MinotVoice | January 25, 2025

When a Belgian potato processor like Agristo zeroes in on North Dakota, it’s not just about the golden soil. It’s about a vision for growth. Agristo has opted to expand in North Dakota, drawn by more than just fertile land—their choice spotlights local efforts and a business-friendly environment. This isn’t merely about a single company;

Read & Share sourced from: Grand Forks Herald

Forget Greenland, Congress Should Pledge to Support Small Businesses in 2025

By: John Arensmeyer, Inside Sources | January 23, 2025

It’s a new year and new Congress. While most legislation we’ll see this term has yet to be introduced, some of the early bills are out of touch with the needs of most Americans. Although many voters supported Donald Trump in the hope that he’ll address practical concerns like tightening border security, ending taxes on

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Yards Are Not Enough: The Importance of the Public Realm

By: Tiffany Owens Reed, Strong Towns | January 22, 2025

Just before the recent snap of cold weather landed in Texas, I zipped my son into his sweatshirt and marched him to the car. It was time for our daily “outside time,” and I had decided that today would be a little different from our normal walk around the neighborhood. Ten minutes of driving later,

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Counterpoint: The Electoral College Must Be Reformed

By: Rob Richie, Inside Sources | January 19, 2025

For an alternate viewpoint, see “Point: The Electoral College Protects Minority Views and Discourages Fraud.” How we elect our presidents has never been more broken — and that’s saying something for an Electoral College system subject to more proposed constitutional amendments than any other topic. We urgently need popular vote elections that treat every voter equally

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Point: The Electoral College Protects Minority Views and Discourages Fraud

By: Dan Greenberg, Inside Sources | January 19, 2025

For an alternate viewpoint, see “Counterpoint: The Electoral College Must Be Reformed.” The Framers of the U.S. Constitution designed a unique system to choose our president in 1787: the Electoral College. More than two centuries later, it remains an invaluable institution that helps safeguard us against the tyranny of the majority and vote fraud. Back then,

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Ballot measure resolution a roadblock to democratic process

By: Amy Jacobson, North Dakota Monitor | January 18, 2025

The people of North Dakota deserve better than [House Concurrent Resolution 3003](https://ndlegis.gov/assembly/69-2025/regular/bill-overview/bo3003.html?bill_year=2025&bill_number=3003) — a proposal at the state legislature that would undermine our rights and our civic powers as citizens. This resolution, like last year’s Measure 2, is an attack on our ability to shape our future through citizen-initiated ballot measures. It’s designed to silence us by

Read & Share sourced from: North Dakota Monitor

Making Property Taxes Fair Again: A Reform Plan for North Dakota

by: MinotVoice | January 18, 2025

North Dakota’s property tax system might not be a typical dinner table topic, but its complexity impacts every homeowner. A recent proposal aims to address frustrations with the current system, introducing bold reforms like an 8-year rolling average for assessments and a focus on taxing usable square footage for primary residences. The author argues these

Read & Share sourced from: The Dakotan

Ethics and the One-Party State: A Mission Not Yet Accepted

by: Jim Maxson | January 14, 2025

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

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The Sacred, the Profane, and the Bully Pulpit

by: Josh Wolsky | January 12, 2025

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

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Port: The culture war bills are back at North Dakota’s Legislature

by: MinotVoice | January 10, 2025

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

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Why should elected officials care about ethics when we don’t?

by: MinotVoice | January 9, 2025

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

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