North Dakota
School board campaign money isn’t public in North Dakota, but here’s what Fargo candidates told us
FARGO — In North Dakota, state legislation requires candidates for county workplaces, in addition to metropolis workplaces in communities of 5,000 or extra, to file marketing campaign finance studies, however the story is totally different with regards to faculty board races.
Candidates working for varsity board do not must file any marketing campaign finance studies, in any respect.
Nonetheless, many of the 15 hopefuls vying for 5 seats on the Fargo Faculty Board within the Tuesday, June 14, election have been keen to share such data when contacted by The Discussion board, with some having already launched donation data on their marketing campaign web sites.
Secretary of State Al Jaeger stated he is not clear on the historical past of why North Dakota legislation doesn’t require faculty board candidates to file marketing campaign donation and expenditure studies.
It might must do with the actual fact the positions are nonpartisan, although Jaeger acknowledged political events generally establish and assist candidates they suppose are in a single get together or one other.
Jaeger stated he is not conscious of any legal guidelines that will forestall a college district from organising marketing campaign finance reporting necessities.
Jack McDonald, an legal professional for the North Dakota Newspaper Affiliation who makes a speciality of transparency legal guidelines, agreed with Jaeger that one purpose faculty board candidates most likely aren’t required to file marketing campaign finance studies is that the job has historically been seen as nonpartisan.
“In fact, that has modified loads now, with faculty boards,” McDonald stated, referring to the rising politicization of such boards throughout the nation.
McDonald stated he believes marketing campaign disclosure legal guidelines can be good for varsity boards. Any new guidelines, he stated, must be carried out fastidiously to keep away from discouraging individuals from working.
“My impression thus far is, most of those races are self-funded, however it could be good to know when they aren’t,” McDonald stated.
Whereas faculty board candidates in North Dakota do not must file marketing campaign finance studies, the state of affairs is totally different in Minnesota.
Faculty board candidates in Minnesota should file marketing campaign finance studies, and
in Moorhead, the varsity district publishes these studies on its web site
after they’re filed.
In races in North Dakota the place marketing campaign finance studies are required, donations of $200 or much less don’t require identification of the donors, whereas donations above that threshold do require the donor to be recognized.
On this election cycle, the Fargo Faculty Board race has seen marketing campaign spending on the same old yard indicators, but additionally on flyers mailed to residents, billboards and internet advertising.
A lot of the 15 candidates working in Tuesday’s election offered some marketing campaign donation data when requested for it, with many saying they felt transparency in election funding was necessary in races for public workplace.
A quantity stated they’d assist the Fargo Faculty Board organising its personal marketing campaign finance reporting necessities.
Candidates for varsity board and a abstract of the data every offered may be discovered under:
Submitted photograph
Melissa Burkland stated she believes in transparency in marketing campaign finance
so she set her donation web page
to be public.
She stated some donations have been made by way of checks, so they aren’t captured in totals on her fundraising web page, however added that she has raised about $7,800.
With just a few exceptions, she stated, all of her donations got here from somebody locally, Fargo Public Colleges alumni, or from a member of the family.
Submitted photograph
Greg Clark stated he thinks faculty board candidates ought to observe the identical marketing campaign finance disclosure guidelines as different candidates within the state.
Clark stated if faculty board candidates needed to observe such guidelines, his disclosure would appear like this: contributions totaling higher than $200 included a $500 donation from his dad and mom and a $400 donation from himself.
“The remaining $1,215 I’ve raised thus far has come from many smaller donations from household and pals,” Clark stated, including that the median contribution was about $25.
Katie Christensen stated she’s in favor of accelerating marketing campaign transparency and shared that she has raised about $4,000.
She stated of the donations she obtained, two have been over $200.
“A lot of the donations have come from native supporters apart from just a few from family and friends out of state,” Christensen stated.
Submitted photograph
“If we had insurance policies that required us to share the names of our donors, I might have made that clear earlier than anybody donated. Since that is not the case this 12 months, I am opting to maintain my donors’ names non-public,” Christensen added.
Nyamal Dei declined to offer marketing campaign finance data for this story.
Submitted photograph
Zac Echola stated one in every of his marketing campaign planks is to extend marketing campaign transparency by way of a governance coverage of the varsity board itself.
“It would not be that arduous to implement. It solely requires political will of individuals in workplace to do it. I might clearly assist a statewide marketing campaign finance reform invoice, as nicely,” Echola stated.
Discussion board file photograph
He stated he wasn’t going to launch his marketing campaign funds as a result of there are disadvantages to being the one particular person to take action when no person else is obliged, however he provided that he obtained solely three donations over the $200 threshold.
One he stated, was from his dad.
The median donation is $25, he stated, including that the common is about $57,
based on data Echola posted on Fb.
Echola stated greater than 60% of donations he is obtained are underneath $200.
“My donors are working class individuals who stay in our neighborhood and wish to see it thrive on our personal phrases,” he stated.
Incumbent Robin Nelson stated she has been retaining her marketing campaign “considerably low-profile this cycle by limiting it to yard indicators and social media.”
Submitted photograph
“I didn’t solicit financial donations, and used yard indicators from my earlier marketing campaign. I did, nonetheless, obtain a handful of unsolicited donations amounting to about $300 which offset purchases to meet further constituent requests for yard indicators,” Nelson stated.
Submitted photograph
When requested if she would offer marketing campaign finance data, Katie Kelsh was transient and to the purpose.
“Self funded. Solely yard indicators bought out of my pocket,” Kelsh stated.
Submitted photograph
Incumbent Rebecca Knutson stated, “To be truthful to all candidates and contributors, there must be a common authorized methodology for reporting contributions to high school board campaigns in North Dakota.”
Knutson declined to offer specifics about her personal marketing campaign funds, however thanked those that have donated.
“I wish to thank those that have contributed to my marketing campaign and are supportive of my reelection to the Fargo Board of Schooling,” Knutson stated.
Submitted photograph
Incumbent Brian Nelson stated he has not obtained any cash from anybody.
“I’ve paid every thing from my pocket. It’s a faculty board election. I’ve 34 years schooling expertise. Folks can see the work I did the final 4 years,” Nelson stated.
“I understand how faculties work,” he added. “I do know who does the work. Due to this fact, it could be a waste of cash from individuals to provide me cash to get elected.”
Allie Ollenburger stated she’s utilizing Venmo and GoFundMe to gather donations.
Her GoFundMe web page lists every donation she’s obtained by way of the positioning. She had raised $910 as of Saturday, based on the positioning.
Submitted photograph
Ollenburger stated she has been spending on issues like yard indicators, digital promoting on Fb, digital billboards and mailings.
Submitted photograph
Incumbent David Paulson stated he has not obtained any donations and wouldn’t settle for any if provided.
“I bought yard indicators at my very own expense and didn’t run any radio or print advertisements particularly for my marketing campaign,” Paulson stated.
Submitted photograph
Alexis Scott stated she’s accepting donations by way of GoFundMe and Venmo.
“In whole, I’ve obtained simply over $1,000 in donations from neighborhood members and stakeholders within the FM neighborhood, proudly so!” stated Scott, who added that she has spent on issues like yard indicators, billboards and flyers.
Kristin Sharbono stated she addressed the problem of marketing campaign finance reporting on a stay Fb submit made on Might 25.
“All of my donations, with exception of my dad and mom, are from people who stay inside a ten-mile radius of my house. It has been an incredible expertise to be connecting with others in our neighborhood and know that they assist my marketing campaign and my platform to enhance Fargo Public Colleges,” Sharbono stated.
Alyssa Goelzer/The Discussion board
She stated her donations are viewable on her GoFundMe account, which just lately totaled $965. She famous that her bills have exceeded her donations.
Deven Styczynski stated he wish to see marketing campaign finance legal guidelines for varsity board races, including that he has obtained $25 from a neighbor and his spouse bought $75 price of enterprise playing cards for the marketing campaign.
He stated the majority of his spending has been out of his personal pocket and whole spending has amounted to about $1,000.
Alyssa Goelzer/The Discussion board
“What I am most interested in is what individuals are going to do with their unused donation cash, difficulty refunds or simply pocket it. I am positive your readers can be extra fascinated by that than a poor particular person doing one of the best he can with what he has,” Styczynski stated.
Lyn Telford stated she wasn’t releasing specifics about marketing campaign contributions as a result of she stated there are disadvantages to being the one particular person to take action when different candidates aren’t obligated to do the identical.
“I’ve completely nothing to cover, as 100% of my marketing campaign is funded by way of my private contributions and donations from household, pals, and engaged constituents. If all candidates determine to share their breakdown, I’ll rethink,” Telford stated.
Nonetheless, she shared that she had one donation over $200, which is the brink quantity in different forms of races that requires figuring out the donor. That donation was from a member of the family, Telford stated.
Submitted photograph
She stated the median donation is $50 and the common donation is about $86.
“I’m not funded by any particular pursuits. I’ve a separate marketing campaign account to make sure separation of non-public and marketing campaign funds,” Telford stated, including that she would assist a board coverage on the topic in addition to a statewide marketing campaign finance reform invoice.
North Dakota
Audit of North Dakota state auditor finds no issues; review could cost up to $285K • North Dakota Monitor
A long-anticipated performance audit of the North Dakota State Auditor’s Office found no significant issues, consultants told a panel of lawmakers Thursday afternoon.
“Based on the work that we performed, there weren’t any red flags,” Chris Ricchiuto, representing consulting firm Forvis Mazars, said.
The review was commissioned by the 2023 Legislature following complaints from local governments about the cost of the agency’s services.
The firm found that the State Auditor’s Office is following industry standards and laws, and is completing audits in a reasonable amount of time, said Charles Johnson, a director with the firm’s risk advisory services.
“The answer about the audit up front is that we identified four areas where things are working exactly as you expect the state auditor to do,” Johnson told the committee.
The report also found that the agency has implemented some policies to address concerns raised during the 2023 session.
For example, the Auditor’s Office now provides cost estimates to clients before they hire the office for services, Johnson said. The proposals include not-to-exceed clauses, so clients have to agree to any proposed changes.
The State Auditor’s Office also now includes more details on its invoices, so clients have more comprehensive information about what they’re being charged for.
The audit originally was intended to focus on fiscal years 2020 through 2023. However, the firm extended the scope of its analysis to reflect policy changes that the Auditor’s Office implemented after the 2023 fiscal year ended.
State Auditor Josh Gallion told lawmakers the period the audit covers was an unusual time for his agency. The coronavirus pandemic made timely work more difficult for his staff. Moreover, because of the influx of pandemic-related assistance to local governments from the federal government, the State Auditor’s Office’s workload increased significantly.
Gallion said that, other than confirming that the changes the agency has made were worthwhile, he didn’t glean anything significant from the audit.
“The changes had already been implemented,” he said.
Gallion has previously called the audit redundant and unnecessary. When asked Thursday if he thought the audit was a worthwhile use of taxpayer money, Gallion said, “Every audit has value, at the end of the day.”
The report has not been finalized, though the Legislative Audit and Fiscal Review Committee voted to accept it.
Audit of state auditor delayed; Gallion calls it ‘redundant, unnecessary’
“There was no shenanigans, there were no red flags,” Sen. Jerry Klein, R-Fessenden, said at the close of the hearing.
Forvis representatives told lawmakers they plan to finish the report sometime this month.
The contract for the audit is for $285,000.
Johnson said as far as he is aware Forvis has sent bills for a little over $150,000 so far. That doesn’t include the last two months of the company’s work, he said.
The consulting firm sent out surveys to local governments that use the agency’s services.
The top five suggestions for improvements were:
- Communication with clients
- Timeliness
- Helping clients complete forms
- Asking for same information more than once
- Providing more detailed invoices
The top five things respondents thought the agency does well were:
- Understanding of the audit process
- Professionalism
- Willingness to improve
- Attention to detail
- Helpfulness
Johnson said that some of the survey findings should be taken with a “grain of salt.”
“In our work as auditors, we don’t always make people happy doing what we’re supposed to do,” he said.
YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE.
GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.
BISMARCK — A bill introduced in the North Dakota House of Representatives could cap out-of-pocket insulin costs for some North Dakotans at $25 per month.
The bill also includes a monthly cap for insulin-related medical supplies of $25.
With insulin costing North Dakota residents billions of dollars each year,
House Bill 1114
would provide relief for people on fully insured plans provided by individual, small and large group employers. People on self-funded plans would not be affected.
“I call insulin liquid gold,” Nina Kritzberger, a 16-year-old Type 1 diabetic from Hillsboro, told lawmakers. “My future depends on this bill.”
HB 1114 builds on
legislation
proposed during the 2023 session that similarly sought to establish spending caps on insulin products.
Before any health insurance mandate is enacted,
state law
requires the proposed changes first be tested on state employee health plans.
As such, the legislation was altered to order the state Public Employees Retirement System, or PERS, to introduce an updated bill based on the implementation of a $25 monthly cap on a smaller scale.
The updated bill — House Bill 1114 — would bring the cap out of PERS oversight and into the North Dakota Insurance Department, which regulates the fully insured market but not the self-insured market.
Employers that provide self-insured health programs use profits to cover claims and fees, acting as their own insurers.
Fully insured plans refer to employers that pay a third-party insurance carrier a fixed premium to cover claims and fees.
“It (the mandate) doesn’t impact the entire insurance market within North Dakota,” PERS Executive Director Rebecca Fricke testified during a Government and Veterans Affairs Committee meeting on Thursday, Jan. 9.
Blue Cross Blue Shield Vice President Megan Hruby told the committee that two-thirds of the provider’s members would not be eligible for the monthly cap, calling the bill a “false promise.”
“We do not make health insurance more affordable by passing coverage mandates, as insurance companies don’t pay for mandates. Policy holders pay for mandates in the form of increased premiums,” Hruby said.
She touted the insurance provider having already placed similar caps on insulin products and said companies should be making those decisions, not the state government.
Sanford Health and the Greater North Dakota Chamber also had representatives testify against the bill.
Advocates for the spending cap said higher premiums are worth lowering the cost of insulin drugs and supplies.
“One of the first things that people ask me about is, ‘Why should I pay for your insulin?’ And my response is, ‘Why should I have to pay for your premiums?’” Danelle Johnson, of Horace, said in her testimony.
If adopted and as written, the spending caps brought by
House Bill 1114
would apply to the North Dakota commercial insurance market and cost the state around $834,000 over the 2025-27 biennium.
According to the 2024 North Dakota diabetes report,
medical fees associated with the condition cost North Dakotans over $306 billion in 2022.
The state has more than 57,200 adults diagnosed with diabetes, and a staggering 38% have prediabetes — a condition where blood sugar levels are high but not high enough to cause Type 2 diabetes.
Nearly half of those people are adults 65 years old or older.
North Dakotan tribal members were also found to be twice as likely to have diabetes compared to their white counterparts.
Building international connections is an important aspect of the agricultural industry.
This year, farmer
Rudy Dotzenrod
hosted visitors from the Big Iron International Visitors Program to his farm to showcase his crops and Reinke irrigation systems.
Jed Brazier / Northarvest Bean Growers Association
“They were looking for a place to kind of showcase some of their swing-arm technology at the end of their pivots,” Dotzenrod said. “I’ve got a couple of them here, so they wanted to come.”
There were visitors from all of the world, including Turkey, Guatemala and Africa.
Ariana Schumacher/Agweek
“We bring in anywhere from 50 to 150 international visitors every year,” said Lindsey Warner, deputy director of the North Dakota Trade Office. “The goal of that is, first and foremost, have agriculture machinery buyers learn more about North Dakota, our agriculture, our agriculture practices, the machinery that’s manufactured here.”
They got to see every part of the farming operation.
“I took a lot of them, and we walked around the farm, we went to different buildings and we looked at all sorts of different kinds of machinery, you know, from getting the ground ready, to planting, to spraying it, to harvesting it, just kind of looked at everything,” Dotzenrod said.
With Dotzenrod also being a black bean grower, that was beneficial to the visitors from Guatemala.
“They were very interested in irrigation and black beans,” Warner said.
Jed Brazier / Northarvest Bean Growers Association
However, most were interested in his corn production.
“I was kind of surprised, I thought there may be a few more questions on edible beans, but it was mostly in corn,” Dotzenrod said.
Bringing international visitors directly onto the farm is a big part of the tour.
“We live in a global world. A lot of the commodities that are produced within our state are exported outside of the U.S., so I think it’s really beneficial for people to see where their food is coming from, whether they are North Dakotas or they are international consumers of these products” Warner said.
“People kind of want to know where their food is coming from, you know, and if they can try and put a face on that or an environment, that gives them a better understanding of where it’s at,” Dotzenrod said. “A lot of this is beyond the economics of it. It’s relationship based. If they feel like they’re buying something from somebody they like, I think it makes it a lot easier for them to go ahead and do that.”
New York’s Chinese Dissidents Thought He Was an Ally. He Was a Spy.
Palisades, Eaton fire victims’ homeowners insurance protected through 2026
Michigan native’s home in California destroyed in wildfire
San Francisco secures 81-72 win over Portland
Dallas Snowfall Totals: How much snow fell on Thursday and Friday?
Colorado Rockies game no. 116 thread: Zac Gallen vs José Ureña
Why Marjorie Taylor Greene was ‘kicked out’ of the Freedom Caucus according to Rep. Buck
See it: Tesla crashes into Columbus convention center at 70 mph
Fox News Politics: Georgia the whole day through
Death of missing Oregon girl found in stream ruled homicide
Mapping the Damage From the Palisades Fire
Appeals court will not block partial release of special counsel Jack Smith's Trump report
‘Much more persecution’: Venezuela braces for Nicolas Maduro’s inauguration
Mondale and Ford’s eulogies written for Carter read by sons at funeral
Elon Musk Downplays the Role of Climate in L.A. Fires, Scientists Say
-
Business1 week agoThese are the top 7 issues facing the struggling restaurant industry in 2025
-
Culture1 week agoThe 25 worst losses in college football history, including Baylor’s 2024 entry at Colorado
-
Sports1 week agoThe top out-of-contract players available as free transfers: Kimmich, De Bruyne, Van Dijk…
-
Politics1 week agoNew Orleans attacker had 'remote detonator' for explosives in French Quarter, Biden says
-
Politics1 week agoCarter's judicial picks reshaped the federal bench across the country
-
Politics6 days agoWho Are the Recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom?
-
Health4 days agoOzempic ‘microdosing’ is the new weight-loss trend: Should you try it?
-
World1 week agoIvory Coast says French troops to leave country after decades