ICE activity prompts protest

By Jeff Beach | Deputy editor

By Michael Achterling and Amy Dalrymple

About 75 people protested in Bismarck Friday to voice their opposition to immigration enforcement operations being conducted in the area.

Sonja Mahlum of Bismarck said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is “out of control.”

“They are not going after the worst of the worst,” Mahlum said during the rally in front of the William L. Guy Federal Building. 

The demonstration was largely in response to an increase in ICE activity in the Bismarck area this week, including two arrests that prompted a popular Mexican restaurant to temporarily close.

By Cami Koons

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services plans to collaborate on research with other federal agencies as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency evaluates the human health risks of the widely used pesticide, glyphosate. 

The recently announced memorandum of understanding between the two departments comes as EPA is conducting a registration review for the pesticide component and as the U.S. Supreme Court recently sided with the manufacturer of Roundup, a glyphosate-based pesticide, in lawsuits alleging the product needed a cancer warning label.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said in a news release that his department is bringing science to the table to “answer unresolved questions, strengthen the evidence, and give EPA the data it needs to conduct a rigorous review.” 

Two stories this week put a spotlight on institutions that depend heavily on public trust. 

Reporter Jack Dura joins host Craig Blumenshine to discuss a recent audit of the North Dakota Development Fund, a state-backed program that provides loans and  investments to businesses.

Dura also talks about his recent reporting on a contested North Dakota Supreme Court race that is nonpartisan but has involved endorsements and events from Republicans.

A Closer Look with the Monitor is a partnership with Prairie Public's Main Street.

By Jack Dura

A legislative audit committee voted Tuesday to urge the full Legislature to shut down a state-backed business financing program and send problematic audit findings to the attorney general for investigation.

Members of the Legislative Audit and Fiscal Review Committee pressed state officials about the North Dakota Development Fund’s lack of documentation for millions of dollars in transactions.

A key official said changes have already been made or are underway. But committee members said they see the situation differently.

“There’s so much there, I don’t even know where to start,” Sen. Jeff Magrum, R-Hazelton, told the North Dakota Monitor. 

By Jack Dura

Officials overseeing a state-backed business financing program that drew critical audit findings and a sharp response from lawmakers plan to meet in coming weeks to address the situation.

The North Dakota Development Fund Board met Thursday in a special meeting by videoconference, two days after the Legislature’s audit committee voted to recommend the full Legislature shut down the program and to refer the audit findings to the attorney general for investigation.

By Michael Achterling

Residential property insurance rates are projected to increase 26% from 2025 to 2028 in North Dakota, according to American Property Casualty Insurance Association figures presented Monday in Bismarck.

Insurance Commissioner Jon Godfread said the projected jump follows an average increase of about 14% that North Dakota property owners saw between 2024 and 2025.

“It doesn’t mean that every North Dakotan is going to face a 26% increase; this was commercial, residential and multi-family businesses,” Godfread said during a North Dakota Residential Resiliency Roundtable. “But it’s absolutely a signal that’s worth taking seriously.”

By Jeff Beach

North Dakota’s 11 public colleges and universities reported 47,377 students for the fall semester, with enrollment leveling off after several years of growth.

The University System had 47,522 students at this time last fall, 145 more than this year.

The biggest decline in number of students came at North Dakota State University, which saw enrollment fall by 343 students to 11,609. 

By Jeff Beach

The president of the University of North Dakota said Tuesday the college has properly reported foreign funds in its aviation program and emphasized that a Chinese pilot training program is run by an affiliated foundation, not UND. 

UND President Andrew Armacost commented on an investigation into the college’s  aviation programs announced last week by the Department of Education and State Department. 

The agencies investigating UND say the college failed to properly report foreign gifts and contracts. 

By Michael Achterling

Gov. Kelly Armstrong announced Wednesday the creation of the Department of Workforce Development to streamline workforce programs under one roof.

The department will combine staff and resources from the Department of Commerce’s Workforce Development Division and Job Service North Dakota; the Department of Public Instruction’s adult education program; and the Department of Health and Human Service’s vocational rehabilitation program and Office of Refugee Resettlement.

“One of the things we recognize is we need to better align the systems that North Dakota already has,” Armstrong said during the Governor’s Workforce Summit at Bismarck State College. “I think right now, anybody who is honest about it knows it’s too fragmented.”

By Jack Dura

North Dakota voters can start receiving and casting absentee ballots for the general election.

Voters can fill out an absentee ballot application via websites for the secretary of state or their county, or in person at their county auditor’s office. County election officials send voters a ballot after reviewing and verifying their application information, Secretary of State Michael Howe said.

Voters need to return their ballot before polls close on Election Day, Nov. 3.

By Jack Dura

North Dakota voters have a rare contest for a state Supreme Court seat this fall, one that raises questions about Republican politics in the nonpartisan race. 

Judicial races are nonpartisan by state law. Justice Jerod Tufte is seeking a second 10-year term, challenged by Watford City attorney Ariston Johnson. Each says his campaign is nonpartisan. They have attended or appeared at events put on by Republicans, including a fundraiser held by prominent party members for Tufte. Various Republicans also have endorsed a candidate in the race.

Longtime attorneys affiliated with the Republican Party said they would avoid partisan mingling because the judiciary’s integrity is crucial to uphold.

By Michael Achterling

A proponent of the free school meal ballot measure touted the benefits to North Dakota families Tuesday while an opponent cautioned against adding the program to the state constitution.

Voters will decide the fate of Measure 2 in November, a constitutional measure that would provide free breakfast and lunch to North Dakota K-12 students at no cost to the student.

By Michael Achterling

The debate over a ballot measure to change North Dakota’s constitution took center stage Tuesday at a policy summit in Bismarck.

The Greater North Dakota Chamber event featured a proponent and opponent of Measure 1, a constitutional amendment proposed by the Legislature that would require a 60% vote threshold to pass future constitutional ballot measures.

The 60% vote threshold would only apply to constitutional ballot measures and not statutory ballot measures that change state law.

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