Commentary – TheMinotVoice.com

What the Health? American Health Gets a Pink Slip

by: MinotVoice | April 5, 2025

A quiet earthquake just hit the nation’s health institutions. In a sweeping move, thousands of federal health officials—scientists, regulators, and career public servants—were fired, reassigned, or sent packing to remote posts. The official reason? Efficiency. The real effect? Decades of expertise, gone overnight. On this week’s What the Health? podcast, Julie Rovner and a panel

Read & Share sourced from: KFF Health News

Letter: A bill in Congress threatens every American’s right to vote

By: Denise A. Dykeman, Minot | April 3, 2025

Right now, Congress is considering a bill that could make it much harder for millions of eligible Americans to vote—including you. The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act would require every voter to provide specific citizenship documents, such as a passport or an original birth certificate, not just when registering but also when updating voter registration

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The 51st State? Don’t Bet the Crown Royal on It

by: Jim Maxson | April 2, 2025

Having just returned from Vancouver, British Columbia, a frequent destination due to family ties, here are a few observations. Unlike many past trips, one notices a significant proliferation of the display of the Canadian flag. As has been reported, the Liberal party has gone from being down twenty percentage points or more in the polls

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Democracies need more voting, not less

By: George Ayoub, Nebraska Examiner | March 31, 2025

Nebraska voters should be confident their Xs go where they are intended and are counted in the right pile. We know this from the state’s previous elections being free and fair. Yet, despite the results and the facts and the accurate tabulation of votes, tinkerers remain — those who insist a sky full of hanging

Read & Share sourced from: Nebraska Examiner

North Carolina May End Parking Mandates—Minot Should Be Next

By: Strong Towns, Strong Towns | March 29, 2025

The ripple effects of outdated parking mandates are felt everywhere. Whether they’re blocking a new business from opening, a church from expanding, or new housing from being built, these rules often get in the way of the kind of communities people want and need. Parking mandates can also worsen financial stress for cities, as they

Read & Share sourced from: Strong Towns

Students will thrive in phone-free schools

By: Gov. Kelly Armstrong, Lt. Gov. Michelle Strinden | March 29, 2025

When we stood up this week in support of legislation to require phone-free schools in North Dakota, we approached it as giving something back to students: the freedom to learn and grow with far less distraction and stress. As parents of a combined six children who have attended 15 different schools in several districts, we’ve

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Port: Should Nichole Rice have even been on trial?

by: MinotVoice | March 29, 2025

Nichole Rice’s acquittal in the 2007 murder of her college roommate, Anita Knutson, wasn’t just a courtroom drama — it exposed deeper problems within Ward County’s prosecution system. Despite weak evidence and years of delays, prosecutors pushed forward, only to see the case unravel in hours. But Rice’s trial is just one example. With a

Read & Share sourced from: InForum

A revolution is happening in the heartland — are you paying attention?

by: MinotVoice | March 27, 2025

For too long, America’s heartland has been overlooked by venture capitalists chasing the next big thing on the coasts. But while Silicon Valley pitches another AI platform and New York backs the latest fintech app, entrepreneurs in middle America are solving real problems—problems that impact millions of Americans. These founders aren’t just innovating for profit;

Read & Share sourced from: Route Fifty

Port: Attorney General Drew Wrigley is selling snake oil

by: Josh Wolsky | March 27, 2025

Attorney General Drew Wrigley’s push for stricter sentencing laws in North Dakota isn’t about making communities safer—it’s about politics. His proposed legislation, Senate Bill 2128, promises harsher sentences but ignores the steep financial costs and strains on an already overburdened corrections system. Studies show that such policies don’t reduce crime, yet Wrigley continues to sell

Read & Share sourced from: InForum

Herald Opinion: Annual sessions are needed in today’s fast-paced world of government

by: MinotVoice | March 27, 2025

North Dakota’s biennial legislative schedule may have served its purpose in a slower, simpler era, but that time has passed. The Grand Forks Herald Editorial Board argues that House Bill 1408, which proposes moving to annual legislative sessions, is the right move to keep pace with the state’s rapidly evolving economy. With billion-dollar budgets, global

Read & Share sourced from: Grand Forks Herald

Are There Any We Should Be Comfortable Losing?

by: MinotVoice | March 24, 2025

When a community fails to see its most vulnerable children, someone has to step forward and refuse to look away. This deeply personal commentary doesn’t just describe North Dakota’s legislative battles — it lays bare what’s at stake: the lives of kids like Chance and Nex, who needed care more than politics. Through grief, exhaustion,

Read & Share sourced from: North Dakota Monitor

Port: Just pass the Armstrong property tax plan already

by: MinotVoice | March 23, 2025

A rare thing is happening in North Dakota politics: a big property tax relief bill is moving forward with real momentum. HB1176 would deliver meaningful savings to homeowners, renters, and seniors—while putting a cap on how much local governments can raise taxes. But as the bill nears the finish line, some senators are eyeing changes

Read & Share sourced from: InForum

High school sports are losing athletes to private clubs, but schools can keep them by focusing on character development

By: Mark Rerick, The Conversation | March 23, 2025

Not long ago, high school students who wanted to play football, basketball or another sport had few options other than trying out for their school team. And it was to high school gymnasiums and fields that recruiters flocked to find talent for colleges and even the pros. That’s changed in recent decades as private clubs

Read & Share sourced from: The Conversation

Commentary: America, for so long a state of mind, is losing its sense of mission

By: Llewellyn King, Inside Sources | March 22, 2025

America isn’t just a piece of remarkably fertile real estate between two great oceans. It is also a state of mind. Even when America has done wrong things (think racism) or stupid things (think Prohibition), it has still shone brightly to the world as the citadel of free expression, abundant opportunity, and a place where

Read & Share sourced from: Inside Sources

We Are Better Than This!

By: Lillian Crook, Bismarck | March 21, 2025

I read a news story about some of the February 2025 firings of North Dakotans working for the federal government. Last summer I attended the 50th anniversary celebration at Knife River Indian Villages, one of the most important National Park Service sites in North Dakota, where visitors learn myriad lessons of the indigenous people of

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North Dakota’s Delegation Should Face Voters

by: Josh Wolsky | March 20, 2025

North Dakotans deserve answers. With tensions rising over U.S.-Canada relations, federal workforce cuts, and the balance of power in Washington, the state’s congressional delegation—Sens. John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer, along with Rep. Julie Fedorchak—must step forward. These aren’t abstract policy debates; they impact tourism, jobs, and the lives of thousands. Thoughtful town halls, not scripted

Read & Share sourced from: InForum