"North Dakota's lawmakers could help reduce property insurance premiums, and take away some upward pressure on property taxes, by giving the state's fire departments back their full funding."
Rep. Zac Ista joined this episode of Plain Talk to discuss his opposition to proposed income tax cuts, as did Insurance Commissioner Jon Godfread, who discussed a bill seeking to address drug prices.
"This is something that had certainly been talked about, but up to this point and based on the non-discrimination rules for ACA plans, plans cannot discriminate based on health factors. This includes vaccination status," North Dakota Insurance Commissioner Jon Godfread said.
Allowing others to help craft a response — or to vote on a unified response — stifles true feelings and opinions and further limits the dialogue people can hear about their business.
The American political system works through adversity. At any given time a governing faction holds majorities, and the out-of-power faction serves as the loyal opposition, holding the majority accountable. The Democratic-NPL is clearly terrible at this.
It was a discussion as remarkable for its content — state officials openly talking about how to be less candid with the public — as the people involved in it.
The Legacy Fund's managers were happy to chase big returns, even if they came from investments in the Chinese communist state or Vladimir Putin's authoritarian regime. Thankfully they lost the debate, and people who wanted to want to put North Dakota first won.
The proposal sets an objective for the State Investment Board to designate up to 10% of tax collections flowing into the voter-approved Legacy Fund for creating loans tailored to North Dakota cities, counties and businesses. Another allocation of up to 10% would be earmarked to invest in stocks and other equity in North Dakota-based companies.
The Republican Party has built a solid red brick wall in the state. There’s little chance for advancement, unless one of the senior officeholders makes an unexpected decision.
