Dem-NPL Insider 9/18

Vern Thompson joins Tyler Axness at Big Iron to discuss data centers

Tyler Axness is hosting "News and Views" and is joined in the KFGO Big Iron studio by Vern Thompson. Vern is a former farmer and state legislator and now trucker, and is the Democratic-NPL candidate for North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner, running against incumbent Doug Goehring.

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Pomeroy, Dobervich, Christiansen, Hass to receive awards at Dem-NPL Burdick Dinner Oct 10 in Fargo

Former U.S. Representative Earl Pomeroy, State Representative Gretchen Dobervich, District 12 Democratic-NPL Chair Katrina Christiansen, and Carter Hass will be recognized for their achievements and dedication to growing a better North Dakota.Tickets are available now!

Guest column: Port lies in lieu of substantive attack

We want as many people as possible to participate in their government. We welcome Port to write about the merits of what we stand for in this campaign: family farming and ranching, rural community development, local control, and corporate accountability.

Lawmakers punt on data center concerns

The special session’s failure to redefine the limits of nondisclosure agreements between the industry and elected local leaders is especially troubling. Fargo Democratic Sen. Tim Mathern couldn’t muster support for his reasonable proposal during the brief Senate floor debate. Other legislators seem to have bought into the nonsense that any business development is good. They argued that the state’s open meetings and open records laws, and freedom of information tools, are sufficient to let the public know what is going on, despite the NDAs. Not so.

Fedorchak withdraws from Prairie Public debate

Democratic-NPL candidate Trygve Hammer says he learned on Wednesday, Sept. 16, that Fedorchak would not be taking part in Prairie Public's Oct. 8 debate.

"We received a message from Prairie Public saying that the Fedorchak campaign would not be attending the debate, and that Julie Fedorchak would not be there, and asking us if we still wanted to do it," Hammer said.

Hoeven’s inexcusable criticism of Canada, and where’s the Forum’s Best Newspaper Columnist competition?

It’s sad to see how low North Dakota Senator John Hoeven has sunk. Hoeven had a reputation as a common sense moderate until Donald Trump came along. Now, he serves to appease Trump.

So, Hoeven virtually always supports Trump’s positions, no matter how outrageous, such as Trump’s absurd war against Canada.

I bring this up because Hoeven recently introduced a resolution and spoke on the Senate floor “calling for greater action from the Canadian government to prevent and fight the almost annual wildfires that send smoke over the border.”

DEM-NPL Secretary of State candidate says Trump executive order would have disenfranchised North Dakota voters

Braunberger says residents can help protect election integrity in the state by volunteering to become a poll worker. He says they are the “eyes and ears on the ground” who protect elections the most.

Forum Communications Co Endorses Scot Kelsh

Kelsh, meanwhile, has a legislative and leadership background, having served 18 years in the North Dakota House. His bio notes that he served on the Energy Development and Transmission Committee, the Natural Resources Committee and the Taxation and Finance Committee. He also has served on non-legislative committees that focused on renewable energy policies.

In this race, the Democrat — Kelsh — deserves the vote, based on his extensive legislative and energy background.

Letter: Why does rural America always pay more?

Maybe the question shouldn’t always be, “How much does it cost to serve rural America?”

Maybe once in a while we should ask, “What would America cost without rural America?”

How about a moratorium on the SNAP soda ban?

The state Department of Health and Human Services estimates it will spend $3.5 million to $4 million to implement the SNAP restrictions. The agency conducted multiple webinars to prepare retailers. Staff made flow charts to help stores figure out how to navigate the restrictions, which aren’t always clear cut. (Marshmallows of a certain size will be allowed, for example, but others are not.) The federally imposed delay probably means even more webinars will be conducted to tell people about the flow charts.

That doesn’t include costs paid by grocery stores to upgrade their point-of-sale systems or train staff. North Dakota grocery stores already face challenges, with 47 stores closing between 2014 and 2025, according to the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives. Preserving rural grocery stores has been a priority for the Legislature. Keeping grocery stores with fresh produce in small towns promotes healthier communities.

Plain Talk: 'If not me, who?'

"I was active with voting. I would keep up with local and national events, politics, but I wasn't really super engaged," he said on this episode of Plain Talk. But then he became aware of a big shortfall in the Grand Forks School District's budget. York, who is a musician and works at a music store, was worried about cuts to the arts programs. So he decided to get involved, and felt the best way, for him, was in Bismarck.

AARP ND State Director Josh Askvig encourages candidates to protect social security

North Dakota State Senator Jamie Selzler is joined on "News and Views" by the AARP North Dakota State Director, Josh Askvig. They have a conversation about hopes for the November election, protecting social security, and more.

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Trump likes data centers. Congress seems stuck. The midterms could deliver a verdict.

The bill “does nothing to meaningfully address the rising costs of AI data center development. Instead, it relies on a voluntary framework that does not require AI data centers to pay the full cost of the energy they consume or the strain they place on the grid,” said Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, top Democrat on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

“We need legislation that makes AI data centers pay their fair share and actually protects families,” he said.

How Google is drafting AI chatbot laws around the country

"There are get-out-of-jail-free cards for the tech industries," said Montoya. "There's no duty of care. There's nothing in the bill that says when a piece of technology is being developed that companies must take ownership to develop it responsibly."

Senate Republicans Double Down on Trump’s Tariffs and Block Democrats’ Effort To Lower Costs

A new report found that under Trump and JD Vance, the average American household has spent an additional $4,200 on goods and services. Trump’s tariffs alone cost consumers, households, and small businesses more than $230 billion in just one year. Notably, the Canadian retaliatory tariffs will cost states millions of dollars, including Maine, which gets 68.7% of its imports from Canada, as well as Alaska (40.7%), Minnesota (33.5%), Iowa (26.6%), and Ohio (18.7 %).

AI Is Not Exempt From the Law

As “rogue" AI agents hack systems and leaders warn of catastrophe, who should be held responsible? The former FTC Commissioner Lina Khan argues that the United States already has a lot of the regulatory tools needed. In this live episode from The Atlantic Festival, the “Galaxy Brain” host Charlie Warzel talks with Khan about why the AI-alarmism conversation feels a little off, how money affects politics and regulation, and some of the ways she would be dealing with AI if she were still the head of the FTC.

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The Century Club supports our year-round work to build party infrastructure supporting candidate recruitment, local district and regional leadership, issue-based education, and tools for Dem-NPL success.

Help us elect great Democrats up and down the ballot!

The North Dakota Democratic-NPL is launching a new grassroots program called “Neighbor to Neighbor” where volunteers will connect with voters in your community to elect Democrats up and down the ballot. As a volunteer, you will be responsible for connecting with voters in 25 homes in your neighborhood or friends and family to help elect Democrats up and down the ballot about 3-4 times this year.

Grassroots organizers are the lifeblood of the Dem-NPL! Sign up to volunteer with the Dem-NPL!

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KNOCK DOORS. MAKE CALLS. WIN ELECTIONS.

Souris Valley Campaign Rally

WestFest Parade

D29 Neighborhood Meet and Greet

D12 Farm to Table Fundraiser

Fort Yates Town Hall

Mayville Town Hall

Young Dems Charter Meeting

GOOD TASTE. BETTER GOVERNMENT.

Jamestown Town Hall

Burdick Dinner with Jon Tester