Who’s funding measure campaigns

By Amy Dalrymple | Editor

By Jack Dura

Millions of dollars from national and in-state groups have gone into campaigns telling North Dakotans how they should vote this fall on whether to make it harder to change the state constitution and provide free meals to school children.

Measure 1 would require at least 60% of voter support to amend the state constitution. Measure 2 would provide free school meals to K-12 students.

Together for School Meals, the group behind Measure 2, reported nearly $1.1 million in monetary contributions this year. There does not appear to be organized financial opposition to Measure 2.

Protect the North Dakota Constitution, which opposes Measure 1, has reported more than $1.2 million of donations. StrongND Fund has spent $978,000 in support of Measure 1.

National groups such as the Fairness Project and the National Education Association have given to both groups. The Fairness Project has spent more than $1.12 million against Measure 1 and $600,000 to support Measure 2. The National Education Association gave $50,000 to Protect the North Dakota Constitution and $250,000 to Together for School Meals.

By Michael Achterling

Three challengers for North Dakota’s U.S. House seat listed their priorities during a debate Thursday on Prairie Public while criticizing the Republican incumbent for not participating.

Democratic-NPL U.S. House candidate Trygve Hammer and independent candidates Helene Neville and Charles Tuttle made their case to voters and showed their differences on the issues.

Republican incumbent Rep. Julie Fedorchak did not participate. In a statement, Fedorchak said she agreed to a one-hour debate with Hammer, but withdrew after Prairie Public added two candidates and planned to extend the debate to 90 minutes.

When Neville and Tuttle became qualified U.S. House candidates, Prairie Public added them to the already-scheduled debate because the station invites all candidates on the ballot, regardless of party, CEO John Harris said in a statement.

By Amanda Watford

For years, the psychoactive compound kratom has been sold across much of the United States as an herbal supplement, available in powders, capsules and extracts with few of the restrictions applied to controlled substances.

But the market is changing. Products containing a potentially dangerous kratom derivative known as concentrated 7-hydroxymitragynine, or 7-OH, and other chemically modified kratom compounds are increasingly being sold alongside traditional kratom leaf products, prompting state lawmakers and federal regulators to reconsider how the substances should be regulated.

The evolution has put states in the middle of a difficult policy question: how to address concerns about increasingly potent kratom-related products without treating traditional kratom leaf the same way.

The state-owned Bank of North Dakota has launched a pilot program for Roughrider Coin, a dollar-backed digital asset that uses blockchain technology. 

Monitor reporter Jacob Orledge joins host Craig Blumenshine to discuss how the stablecoin technology may help complete financial transactions more quickly and the four North Dakota banks and credit unions that are participating. 

But questions remain about how the technology will work, what risks it may carry, and whether it will eventually affect everyday banking customers. 

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

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