Plain Talk

In Georgia, Major League Baseball reacted to the passage of election reform laws with a boycott. The sports league has moved its all-star game from Atlanta to Colorado. In North Dakota, a debate over legislation dealing with transgender athletes was dominated by rumors about what the NCAA might do to punish the state if it passed. Every day, much of America's political debate takes place in venues where corporate giants like Facebook, Twitter, and Google regulate the speech, either through direct human intervention or through filtering algorithms the companies have developed. Is this what we want? On this episode of Plain Talk Live, Rob and University of North Dakota political science professor Bo Wood talk about it. Also, President Joe Biden's administration wants a new infrastructure bill and tax increases, and will Congress, with Democrats in charge, pass gun control legislation? Send comments and feedback to rport@forumcomm.com.

On this episode of Plain Talk, Rob talks with David Owen of Legalize ND about the future of legalizing recreational marijuana in North Dakota now that the Legislature has shot down legalization efforts.

Rob and Jay talk about the controversy around the Georgia voting laws.

North Dakota Lt. Governor Brent Sanford talks about his work to find a buyer for Coal Creek Station, the state's largest coal-fired power plant, as well as the future of coal-fired power in the state in general.

Rob talks with filmmaker Matt Fern about his documentary, "Fighting over Sioux," about the years-long controversy over the University of North Dakota's former Fighting Sioux nickname.

In the very first live streamed episode of Plain Talk, Rob and podcaster Jonah Lantto of the Good Talk Network talk about COVID-19 vaccines, marijuana legalization, and cancel culture.

Rob and Jay talk about outrage exhaustion, marijuana legalization, and underage drinking.

Rob and Jay talk about transgender issues and vaccinations.

Rob and Jay talk about the headlines, including immigration.

Supporters of Rep. Luke Simons, an embattled Bastiat Caucus lawmaker from Dickinson who has been accused of harassing behavior by numerous women who work in and around the Legislature, have begun raising money for his legal defense. Simons currently faces no criminal or civil charges, though House Majority Leader Chet Pollert and other Republican leaders have called on Simons to resign and have said they'll consider expelling him from the chamber if he doesn't. How does one of the women who says she was harassed by Simons feel about the fundraising? "It's a slap in the face of the people who went through this," Rep. Brandy Pyle (R-Casselton) said on this episode of Plain Talk. Pyle detailed many "very uncomfortable comments" Simons has made to her, including asking her who was taking care of her children while she serves in the Legislature. Simons also told Pyle he had seen older pictures of her where she looked "like a schoolgirl." He told her she shouldn't wear her hair too long or she'd like "Indian" or "Chinese." "It's hard," Pyle told me. "You work very hard to get there and get the job. To be constantly undermined as a woman...it's frustrating." "I sat down with him two Fridays ago to talk about some of his behavior in our caucus meetings," Pyle told me, saying that Simons has been, "shouting and screaming and calling everyone hypocrites." The subject of Simons' ire in the caucus meetings was the Legislature's mask mandate - Pyle said Simons would "threaten to be forcibly removed from the floor for refusing to wear a mask" - but the issue wasn't his objection to masks. Pyle said it was how he was conducting himself. Both Simons and many of his supporters have suggested that the accusations are born of a political vendetta. Simons himself has blamed "liberals" for the scandals around him and has argued for "cleaning house" at Legislative Council where a number of the accusations against him have originated. Pyle says that's just not true. "I used to go to Bastiat Caucus meetings," Pyle told me, noting she quit going when the organization began charging $300 in yearly dues.