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By Matt Bunk / September 4, 2012 / News, State Politics, Top Stories / 1 Comment
Eleven people, including eight North Dakota State University football players, were accused of forging thousands of signatures on ballot initiative petitions for a new medical marijuana law and a state conservation fund. It appears both initiatives will be disqualified from the ballot due to a shortage of valid signatures. “We’re definitely frustrated and upset,” said […]
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By Reid Wilson / September 4, 2012 / ND in DC, News, State Politics, Top Stories / No Comments
North Dakota’s political history stands in contrast with most other states. Voters routinely split tickets between Republicans and Democrats, and in years when national issues have driven the debate, voters remain focused on hyper-local issues. This year, however, as the state emerges as one of the most closely watched battlegrounds in the fight for control […]
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By Matt Bunk / July 23, 2012 / Matt Bunk's Column, Opinion, Uncategorized / 15 Comments
About five months ago, as western North Dakota was aching under the pressure of the oil boom, a well-connected Republican told me that Gov. Jack Dalrymple was planning to wait a few months before announcing a major investment of state money into things like new roads and public safety programs in the oil patch. Waiting […]
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By Julie Sobel / June 18, 2012 / ND in DC, News, Top Stories / No Comments
When he was elected to Congress, Rep. Rick Berg supported a ban on “earmarks” – a practice in which members of Congress can create new government spending, outside of normal procedures, to benefit a specific project, person or organization. But last month, Berg signed his name to a letter making a request that violates the […]
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By Matt Bunk / June 13, 2012 / News, State Politics, Top Stories / No Comments
Here is a breakdown of the 2102 general election matchups in North Dakota, based on the results of the June 12 primary. The source of the information is the N.D. Secretary of State’s Office. FEDERAL RACES U.S. Senate Rick Berg, Republican Heidi Heitkamp, Democrat U.S. House Kevin Cramer, Republican Pam Gulleson, Democrat Eric Olson, Libertarian STATEWIDE […]
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By Matt Bunk / June 11, 2012 / Matt Bunk's Column, Opinion / 1 Comment
Good intentions should be a prerequisite when drafting ballot measures, but that’s not the only requirement voters need to consider when making decisions at the ballot box that could lead to widespread changes in the way their government operates. Many times, a ballot measure starts from the right place – a desire to solve a problem. The […]
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By Dustin Gawrylow / June 11, 2012 / Guest Op-Eds, Opinion / 1 Comment
Do you know why property taxes are high? There are two basic causes. The first cause is voter apathy. Many voters fail to understand that it’s their local commissioners and council members who control the rise of property taxes by not lowering mill levy (tax rate) parallel to the rate of growth in property values […]
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By Matt Bunk / June 11, 2012 / InFocus, ND in DC, News, Top Stories / No Comments
Brian Kalk would rather stand than sit. He always seems alert. And he rarely fidgets, even during hour-long interviews about his candidacy for the U.S. House. His demeanor suits his background. Kalk enlisted in the Marines Corps in 1987 because he wanted to see the rest of the world. There wasn’t much going on in […]
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By Mike Albrecht / June 11, 2012 / Mandan News, News, Top Stories / No Comments
Mandan voters will have a couple mayoral candidates to choose from when they show up at the polls June 12. City Commissioner Dot Frank and former Central Market Manager Arlyn Van Beek are seeking to replace Mayor Tim Helbling, who announced last November that he wouldn’t seek re-election. The Great Plains Examiner profiled both candidates […]
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By Mike Albrecht / June 11, 2012 / Mandan News, News / 1 Comment
The Department of Transportation isn’t taking over Mandan. The “DOT” signs scattered across town are just City Commissioner Dot Frank getting out the word that she’s running for mayor. The 31-year-old mother of two decided a couple years ago that she wanted her demographic represented in Mandan city government. Since many local moms in her […]
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