Apparently the bottle rocket ban in North Dakota is getting a lot of attention (read here).  If it was just our state passing the ban, I would agree with the editorial as well, but I think North Dakota isn’t the only state that has passed this kind of legislation.  If all states pass something similar, it will be very [...]

The floor debate on a bill to stop the sale of small bottle rockets in North Dakota may have been about the risk of fire, but the testimony in committees included a separate safety hazard:  protecting the eyes. 
Read more here.

This is the North Dakota I love.  In spite of the soured economy and slightly higher unemployment rates here (we’re still the second lowest in the nation), our tourism industry is still going strong.  If you’re looking to go abroad, try Australia.  We had luck with car hire Australia.
It even grew in 2007.  Read Crystal [...]

Some North Dakota lawmakers say we should be focusing our efforts on prevention of abortion by providing better prenatal care.  The idea is that better prenatal care would alleviate some of the stress women in vulnerable circumstances are feeling that leads them to consider abortion.
Read more about it here.

In spite of its relatively slow pace, today was a surprisingly productive day in the North Dakota Legislature for energy related issues.
This morning three resolutions that could let Congress know where the state of North Dakota stands on issues like greenhouse gas regulations and drilling for more oil were heard.  In the afternoon, three bills offering tax [...]

Here are more articles on clean coal technology from the Bismarck Tribune’s business magazine, Business Watch:

The Lurgi Process
The Cost and Byproducts of Controlling Emissions
CO2 Sequestration in North Dakota:  Making History

This was an extremely fun package to write.  I learned much about coal-fired energy and about carbon sequestration in particular–something that could be a lot of  fun [...]

Fifty percent of the nation’s energy needs are currently filled using coal.  That’s good for states like North Dakota that have enormous coal reserves.  It’s also something to watch as the nation leans toward cleaner fuel sources and renewable ones.
Some feel that developing clean coal technology may buy us time to develop economically feasible and sustainable [...]

One more thing about House Bill 1572, the personhood bill that is intended to challenge Roe vs. Wade:  Maria Lancaster and her five year old daughter Elisha are coming to North Dakota to testify on behalf of the bill.
Elisha is known as the Miracle Snowflake baby.  Read more about it here and watch a youtube video here.

House Bill 1572 will have its second hearing on Monday at 9:00.  The Senate Judiciary Committee will hear testimony (I’m assuming there will be a lot of it) both for and against the bill, which would define human life as beginning with fertilization and put that definition into North Dakota law.
Read more about it here, [...]

Apparently North Dakota has a new director for its Workforce, Safety and Insurance agency. I know a lot of people aren’t happy about the pick–Bryan Klipfel, former head of the N.D. Highway Patrol is the new director and Clare Carlson, former policy adviser and state legislator is the deputy director and public affairs officer. [...]