Today in Minot

North Dakota lawmakers are pushing for stronger communication between the state and tribal nations. House Bill 1455 would require the Indian Affairs Commission to alert tribal leaders about legislation that could impact Native communities before it passes.

Supporters say too many laws—like gambling expansions and tax changes—have blindsided tribes without consultation. With dozens of bills affecting Native nations each session, this proposal aims to ensure tribes have a voice in decisions that shape their future. The bill now moves to the House with committee support.

Water is power on Wyoming’s Wind River Reservation, but for the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes, control over that resource has long been out of reach. Decades of legal battles have left non-Native irrigators in charge of much of the water, and climate change is making access even more precarious.

Now, as political forces push to transfer even more water infrastructure off tribal land, the tribes are fighting back. With snowpack dwindling and drought intensifying, they see water sovereignty as key to their survival.

**Why does this matter in Minot?** Water, water, water—it’s shaped humanity’s past, and it will define our future. We share these stories because water is easy to take for granted, but that would be a mistake. Get the full, in-depth story from Wyo File that was originally produced by Inside Climate News.

“It’s one thing to defund a public broadcaster based on fiscal considerations. It’s quite another to defund it based on political content. Prairie Public doesn’t have a right to public funds; they do have a First Amendment right not to be discriminated against because of the political bent of their content.”

That’s the excerpt. Read the rest of Rob Port’s commentary on Inforum.com if you care about free speech.

Another high-powered data center could soon take root near Tioga. Williams County commissioners have given Teton Digital the green light to begin the permit process for _Project Trinity_, a 100-megawatt facility that promises quieter operations thanks to liquid cooling.

Local officials are urging the company to work closely with townships and neighbors to avoid conflicts. If approved, the facility will sit next to the recently permitted Enerfore Digital Data Center, with hopes to go live by late 2025.

Egg prices are soaring, and small business owners are feeling the pinch. With avian flu forcing mass chicken culls, the cost of a dozen eggs has more than doubled since last summer—and it’s not just about price. Supply chain disruptions mean bakers and chefs are scrambling to adjust, whether by raising prices, tweaking recipes, or finding egg-free alternatives.

Some, like a New Jersey cookie shop, have added surcharges, while others, like a Chicago pasta restaurant, are rethinking their menus. Meanwhile, farmers are rushing to keep up with surging demand. If the shortage persists, expect more changes on your plate.

State and local governments are embracing generative AI, seeing it as a tool to improve efficiency in drafting reports, preparing for meetings, and training employees. Minnesota and Pennsylvania are leading the way, and now OpenAI is offering _ChatGPT Gov_, a secure version designed for government use.

Supporters say AI can help under-resourced agencies streamline work, but training remains key to adoption. Meanwhile, concerns about foreign AI models like DeepSeek are prompting states to tighten controls. As government adoption grows, the balance between innovation and oversight will shape AI’s role in public service.

If the topic sparks a curious ember, this article from Route Fifty is worth a read. And at least, it should get us wondering about how and where we should be deploying AI to improve our own governments.

Iowa lawmakers are weighing a bill that could put school boards and superintendents in legal jeopardy for not following state laws. Under Senate File 178, county attorneys could sue school leaders if residents believe their district isn’t in compliance—bypassing the state’s existing appeals process.

Supporters argue the current system doesn’t resolve disputes, while education advocates warn this could force schools into conflicts between state and federal law. The bill now moves to the full Senate Education Committee, where the debate over accountability and oversight continues.

Why does this matter in Minot? Laws spread like viruses, transmitted from state to state. When a good one or bad one pops up in one place, we’re likely to see it in another. This one out of Iowa is worth keeping an eye on. What it’s saying is if you’re an elected official in a lower level of government, though shalt not stand up to government at higher levels. If you do, you better bring your lawyer cause it’s going to cost you.

North Dakota lawmakers are once again stepping in to override Fargo’s approach to elections. The House has passed a bill banning ranked choice and approval voting statewide, putting Fargo’s voter-approved system on the chopping block.

Supporters of the ban argue that elections should be uniform across the state and claim alternative methods confuse voters. Opponents, including Fargo’s mayor and local leaders, say the ban disregards the will of Fargo residents, who voted for approval voting. With the bill now headed to the Senate, the debate isn’t over yet.

Why does this matter in Minot? First, it’s a matter of local control. When the legislature steps in front of local jurisdictions and tells them how they can or cannot solve the problems in their communities, it’s those in those communities that pay the price. Get the full story on HB 1297 from Inforum.com.

> Elk in Wyoming’s feedgrounds are facing a crisis that’s been years in the making. Chronic wasting disease (CWD), long feared but until recently hypothetical in these densely packed wintering grounds, is now a growing reality. Prions—nearly indestructible infectious agents—are accumulating in soil and vegetation, threatening to accelerate the disease’s spread.
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> Wildlife managers knew this day would come, but their response is constrained by politics. Closing or even adjusting feeding operations requires broad consensus from ranchers, outfitters, and state officials. With five of six feedground-dependent elk herds now harboring CWD, the future of these managed populations is on the line.
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> Why does this matter in North Dakota? Our own game and fish biologists have been sounding the alarm for years, opposing deer feeding out of concern that it would accelerate CWD’s spread. Yet, the ND Senate recently ignored their own experts, passing a law that makes it illegal to restrict supplemental feeding. In effect, they’ve tied the hands of Game and Fish when it comes to disease management. Meanwhile in Wyoming, the fire alarm is going off—CWD is killing elk on the feed grounds. Get the full story from Wyo File.

Tonight, residents across Southern California and some neighboring states will witness the launch of an unarmed Minuteman III missile from Vandenberg Space Force Base. Scheduled between 11:01 p.m. and 5:01 a.m., this routine test highlights the readiness and effectiveness of the U.S. nuclear deterrent. With the capability to reach targets over 6,000 miles away and peak speeds of 15,000 mph, the missile serves as a key element in national defense. The Air Force has notified international counterparts ahead of the demonstration, reaffirming its commitment to preparedness and strategic safety.

Vandenberg is the site of the testing, but these are the same missile systems — the Minuteman III — that are operated by the 91st Missile Wing Squadron at Minot Air Force Base. Vandenberg Space Force Base is located in Santa Barbara County, California to the North of the Los Angeles area.

Walkable, human-scale neighborhoods shouldn’t be a luxury, but in much of the U.S., they’ve become exactly that. Places like Milwaukee Avenue in Minneapolis or Seaside, Florida, aren’t expensive because of their design—they’re expensive because they’re rare.

The real issue isn’t that these neighborhoods exist, but that we’ve made it nearly impossible to build more of them. Scarcity drives up prices, fueling the false idea that walkable urbanism is only for the wealthy. The solution? Stop treating good design as an exclusive commodity and start creating more of it.

If you’re interested in a picture of what we used to build, this piece by Daniel Herriges with Strong Towns is a pictorial review as much as it is an argument to begin doing it again.