Industrial Commission factors into ag race

By Amy Dalrymple | Editor

By Jeff Beach

Vern Thompson is challenging Doug Goehring for North Dakota agriculture commissioner, but has been most vocal about controversial data center plans in the state. 

Thompson, a Democrat, said he is running in part because the ag commissioner is one of three members of North Dakota’s Industrial Commission, which has committed to supporting a natural gas pipeline that Thompson said will ultimately benefit data centers. 

But many residents are apprehensive about those data centers, Thompson says. 

Goehring, a Republican, called the data center discussions “political grandstanding.”

“He’s running for the wrong office,” Goehring said.

By Jeff Beach

The leader of the North Dakota University System is pushing for greater collaboration among its 11 higher education institutions. 

Commissioner Brent Sanford on Thursday gained the backing of the State Board of Higher Education for what he calls the coordinated network or “One NDUS” model.

Sanford’s plan presented to the board would create a network of the state’s two-year schools and a network of the state’s smaller four-year colleges, with the two research institutions — the University of North Dakota and North Dakota State University — operating independently. 

“So this is not a different model. It's not, but it is a different mindset,” Sanford said last week.

By Robbie Sequeira

The U.S. Department of Education’s suspension this year of a comprehensive monitoring process puts billions of K-12 dollars at heightened risk of undetected waste, fraud and abuse, according to a new report by the nonpartisan U.S. Government Accountability Office.

The congressional watchdog’s report also raised concerns about the reliability of federal absenteeism data, noting that absenteeism rates were reported above 100% in some schools.

Officials from the Department of Education told GAO the department suspended its consolidated monitoring of Elementary and Secondary Education Act requirements while it develops a new approach. But as of August, the department had not provided a timeline for resuming the reviews or details on an alternative for making sure states comply with federal requirements.

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.

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