Here is a brief refresher: North Dakota Land Commissioner Jodi Smith revealed in March that two constitutional funds dedicated to the state’s public schools million were short by $137 million. Days later, State Engineer Garland Erbele told a Senate committee that the Resources Trust Fund that benefits water projects was short by $125 million. $262 million mandated by the North Dakota Constitution was misplaced. Treasurer Schmidt was responsible for transferring those funds.

“When public employees across the state have gone without adequate pay raises in years, it is outrageous that Governor Burgum would sign a budget that will give State Treasurer Kelly Schmidt an 8% raise,” said Kylie Oversen, Chair of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party. “Doug Burgum promised North Dakotans in 2016 that he was going to make state government run like a business. I don’t know of any business that would give an employee an 8% raise after mismanaging $262 million.”

In the private sector, a mistake costing $1,000 would lead to an employee being fired. In North Dakota state government, a mistake that went on for a decade costing $262 million does not garner any sort of repercussion. The raise Governor Burgum and Republican legislators are giving Schmidt far exceeds what they are willing to give other state employees like plow drivers; but who needs them, right?

This amendment would have ensured that North Dakotans with pre-existing conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, and more will not lose access to life-saving healthcare. However, the conference committee on the Insurance Commissioner’s budget stripped the clause providing protection for those with pre-existing conditions. Instead, legislative Republicans, at the insistence of Insurance Commissioner Jon Godfread, replaced the amendment with a “study”.

The 316,000 North Dakotans with pre-existing conditions don’t need a study: they know exactly what is at stake if the Affordable Care Act is taken down. Rather than looking out for the best interests of their constituents, Jon Godfread and Republican legislators felt a “study” on protection pre-existing conditions would somehow be a better solution.

“With protections for pre-existing conditions hanging in the balance, North Dakotans don’t need a study. They need their leaders to fight for them,” said Alison Jones, Communications Director of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL. “Jon Godfread and Republican legislators have flat-out failed 316,000 North Dakotans with pre-existing conditions by replacing protections for their healthcare with a meaningless and unnecessary study.”.

With the tax deadline looming at midnight, most people have seen smaller than average returns. The average refund among early filers was down 8.4 percent, according to the Internal Revenue Service. The Swiss bank, UBS says its initial estimate of tax refunds received this season was overly optimistic by $25 billion.

“Lower refunds are hurting small businesses, retail, and the families of North Dakota,” said Alison Jones, Communications Director for the North Dakota Democratic-NPL. “Hopefully, North Dakotans meager returns have enough left to send Cramer a postcard (that you COULDN’T do your taxes on) to tell him how you feel about his support of the Administration’s tax reform.”

The concern is that youth who start vaping are more likely to continue or switch to smoking. The products are illegal to sell or provide to someone under age 18 but are marketed with candy flavors (such as chocolate chip cookie) that appeal to youth.

Vaping is such a new trend that not many studies have been done, but a recent finding was that e-cigarette use can form a potent carcinogen in the oral cavity, which is believed to contribute to esophageal and oral cancer.

The first topic covered was whether to expand the Board of Higher Education from 8 members to 15, after the measure to create two boards separate boards failed. Oban supports the new initiative. She says on a larger board the members would be able to spread out the work. It allows them to work in committees, and give more attention to specific initiatives. As a former school teacher, she knows the path for North Dakota to succeed is retaining talented teachers to educate the next generation, and they are in need of more resources in order to accomplish that.Republicans are trying to sneak the soundly rejected income tax repeal in the closing weeks, but Oban states she is not going to support the income tax repeal “in any way, shape, or form.” The three-legged tax stool includes “property, sales, and income” remove the income tax, and your stool is no longer steady. this will cause a dramatic increase in the other taxes, likely property taxes which have been rising for years.
 
You can watch the entire interview here.