Plain Talk

Forum Communications Co.
Forum Communications Co.
  • 3.8 (85)
  • Politics
  • Updated Daily

Plain Talk is a podcast hosted by Rob Port and Chad Oban focusing on political news and current events in North Dakota. Port is a columnist for the Forum News Service published in papers including the Fargo Forum, Grand Forks Herald, Jamestown Sun, and the Dickinson Press. Oban is a long-time political consultant.

  1. 1d ago ·  Video

    732: 'We don't have the luxury of picking a side' (Video)

    As North Dakota's charitable gaming industry as exploded into what can more fairly be called the casino industry, there's been a trend toward nonprofits buying up for-profit hospitality establishments -- bars and restaurants -- to protect turf for games like electronic pull tab machines and blackjack tables. How does the hospitality industry feel about that? "We have members on both sides of the issue, and so we don't have the luxury of picking a side, and I don't necessarily think we should," Terry Effertz said on this episode of Plain Talk. Effertz is the executive director of the North Dakota Hospitality Association, which represents the state's bars, restaurants and hotels. She said in many ways, the growth in charitable gaming has been a boon to many small businesses in her industry. "We went from about $156 million in pre-electronic pull tab gaming proceeds, gross proceeds to $2.3 billion now," she said. "And so, in less than a decade, look at that explosive growth. There's a lot of opportunities. When you see a small business that may not make it, they might take that option. The rent proceeds have helped keep the lights on in some of those small town bars as well." One thing that would help, and might serve as a buttress against nonprofits buying up bars and restaurants, is some changes to the state's caps on how much an establishment owner can receive in rent from a gaming operation. "They're more interested in what the rent proceeds are," Effertz said of her membership, "because they see, in some cases millions, of dollars filtering through their business through the gaming and they're making a couple grand a month off of their rent proceeds. And so I think that there is some feeling of inequity in some places." But she acknowledged that this might be a tough sell, politically. "It's hard for us to go in and say, 'Hey, we're the purveyors of your vices. Give us some of that charity's money.' Right?' Like, it's a hard thing to say we deserve more when it's going for a charitable purpose." Also on this episode, we discuss the Flock camera debate in North Dakota's communities, and react to listener feedback from someone who has been struggling with kratom addiction. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

  2. 1d ago

    732: 'We don't have the luxury of picking a side'

    As North Dakota's charitable gaming industry as exploded into what can more fairly be called the casino industry, there's been a trend toward nonprofits buying up for-profit hospitality establishments -- bars and restaurants -- to protect turf for games like electronic pull tab machines and blackjack tables. How does the hospitality industry feel about that? "We have members on both sides of the issue, and so we don't have the luxury of picking a side, and I don't necessarily think we should," Terry Effertz said on this episode of Plain Talk. Effertz is the executive director of the North Dakota Hospitality Association, which represents the state's bars, restaurants and hotels. She said in many ways, the growth in charitable gaming has been a boon to many small businesses in her industry. "We went from about $156 million in pre-electronic pull tab gaming proceeds, gross proceeds to $2.3 billion now," she said. "And so, in less than a decade, look at that explosive growth. There's a lot of opportunities. When you see a small business that may not make it, they might take that option. The rent proceeds have helped keep the lights on in some of those small town bars as well." One thing that would help, and might serve as a buttress against nonprofits buying up bars and restaurants, is some changes to the state's caps on how much an establishment owner can receive in rent from a gaming operation. "They're more interested in what the rent proceeds are," Effertz said of her membership, "because they see, in some cases millions, of dollars filtering through their business through the gaming and they're making a couple grand a month off of their rent proceeds. And so I think that there is some feeling of inequity in some places." But she acknowledged that this might be a tough sell, politically. "It's hard for us to go in and say, 'Hey, we're the purveyors of your vices. Give us some of that charity's money.' Right?' Like, it's a hard thing to say we deserve more when it's going for a charitable purpose." Also on this episode, we discuss the Flock camera debate in North Dakota's communities, and react to listener feedback from someone who has been struggling with kratom addiction. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

  3. 3d ago ·  Video

    731: 'It isn't just a problem because I think we should pay teachers more' (Video)

    "Over 80% of North Dotans who took this think that that we need to do a better job," Superintendent of Public Schools Levi Bachmeier said on this episode of Plain Talk. "And I can't help but agree when I visit schools and we have a critical workforce shortage." He's referring to a recent survey conducted by his department. One way Bachmeier thinks schools can do a better job, and something that's backed up by sentiments from North Dakotans in the survey, is teacher pay. "I'll be the first to say that pay doesn't solve every problem. We've got to make sure that teachers feel like their work is sustainable and meaningful," he said. "Money can't ever be a replacement for leadership, but at the same time, that gap--if you compare what teachers make to others who hold a bachelor's degree, I mean, that's a problem." "And it isn't just a problem because I think we should pay teachers more," he continued. "It's a problem because we have schools across our state that don't have teachers in the classroom." Bachmeier said he's heard "from juniors in Wishek who wanted to be reading books and working on projects together in English class" but "they're forced to be taking an asynchronous online class." Bachmeier also talked about other results from the survey and their implications for education policy, including technology in the classroom, and whether virtual learning is really the best way to address snow days during harsh winter weather. On that last, Bachmeier thinks it may be better to just let the kids have a day off.  "I'm a big believer in as many quality minutes as possible, and I'll bet on kids in a class classroom with each other and a teacher versus trying to log on a device any day of the week," he said. Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I discuss the list of bills lawmakers on the Legislative Management Committee forwarded for the upcoming special session in September, and one resolution, calling for clemency for the extremists jailed after their murderous involvement in the infamous Medina shootout, which wasn't forwarded. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

  4. 3d ago

    731: 'It isn't just a problem because I think we should pay teachers more' (Audio)

    "Over 80% of North Dotans who took this think that that we need to do a better job," Superintendent of Public Schools Levi Bachmeier said on this episode of Plain Talk. "And I can't help but agree when I visit schools and we have a critical workforce shortage." He's referring to a recent survey conducted by his department. One way Bachmeier thinks schools can do a better job, and something that's backed up by sentiments from North Dakotans in the survey, is teacher pay. "I'll be the first to say that pay doesn't solve every problem. We've got to make sure that teachers feel like their work is sustainable and meaningful," he said. "Money can't ever be a replacement for leadership, but at the same time, that gap--if you compare what teachers make to others who hold a bachelor's degree, I mean, that's a problem." "And it isn't just a problem because I think we should pay teachers more," he continued. "It's a problem because we have schools across our state that don't have teachers in the classroom." Bachmeier said he's heard "from juniors in Wishek who wanted to be reading books and working on projects together in English class" but "they're forced to be taking an asynchronous online class." Bachmeier also talked about other results from the survey and their implications for education policy, including technology in the classroom, and whether virtual learning is really the best way to address snow days during harsh winter weather. On that last, Bachmeier thinks it may be better to just let the kids have a day off.  "I'm a big believer in as many quality minutes as possible, and I'll bet on kids in a class classroom with each other and a teacher versus trying to log on a device any day of the week," he said. Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I discuss the list of bills lawmakers on the Legislative Management Committee forwarded for the upcoming special session in September, and one resolution, calling for clemency for the extremists jailed after their murderous involvement in the infamous Medina shootout, which wasn't forwarded. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

  5. Aug 14 ·  Video

    730: 'This is the wrong way of making decisions' (Video)

    Gov. Kelly Armstrong called a special session to address what he and public health officials say is a crisis related to unregulated says of kratom in its natural and synthetic forms. Sen. Tim Mathern, a Fargo Democrat, says the session is unneccessary, but if we're going to have it, he'd rather it be focused on data centers. "Should we deal with kratom? Yes. Are there people who are hurt by it? Yes. There are many other substances that people are hurt by," he said. "Hundreds more persons per year die of alcohol. Hundreds more die per year of tobacco use and all kinds of other issues. So, let's address this fine, but we should be dealing with other issues also." "Most citizens of North Dakota want attention on data centers, not on kratum," he continued. "Most citizens don't even know what it's about." Mathern is trying to get two bills into consideration during the session. One would impose a one-year moratorium on data center construction, while the other would ban data center companies from seeking nondisclosure agreements with public officials. But the latter would only apply to data center companies. The legislation "basically sets forth the concerns we have about data centers," Mathern said. "It clearly defines what a data center is, what a developer is, what a non-disclosure agreement is. It actually prohibits from any government official whether they're staff or elected any political subdivision or the state from signing or participating in a non-disclosure agreement." Mathern also addressed the financial controversy around a stalled military museum project on the state capitol grounds which could cost taxpayes tens of millions of dollars. "This is the wrong way of making decisions," Mathern said, noting that lawmakers "made a deal" to build the museum that would have it receive public funding that would match private fundraising. But construction on the project began without the private fundraising in place, and now it's out of money. "I'm thinking this is more of a management issue, and this session should not be used to bail out management decisions or we're going down a path that is destructive to legislative decision making," Mathern said. Also on this session, co-host Chad Oban and I discuss North Dakota's problems with charitable gaming which, these days, is beginning to look less and less charitable all the time, and more and more like a deeply lucrative casino industry. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

  6. Aug 14

    730: 'This is the wrong way of making decisions'

    Gov. Kelly Armstrong called a special session to address what he and public health officials say is a crisis related to unregulated says of kratom in its natural and synthetic forms. Sen. Tim Mathern, a Fargo Democrat, says the session is unneccessary, but if we're going to have it, he'd rather it be focused on data centers. "Should we deal with kratom? Yes. Are there people who are hurt by it? Yes. There are many other substances that people are hurt by," he said. "Hundreds more persons per year die of alcohol. Hundreds more die per year of tobacco use and all kinds of other issues. So, let's address this fine, but we should be dealing with other issues also." "Most citizens of North Dakota want attention on data centers, not on kratum," he continued. "Most citizens don't even know what it's about." Mathern is trying to get two bills into consideration during the session. One would impose a one-year moratorium on data center construction, while the other would ban data center companies from seeking nondisclosure agreements with public officials. But the latter would only apply to data center companies. The legislation "basically sets forth the concerns we have about data centers," Mathern said. "It clearly defines what a data center is, what a developer is, what a non-disclosure agreement is. It actually prohibits from any government official whether they're staff or elected any political subdivision or the state from signing or participating in a non-disclosure agreement." Mathern also addressed the financial controversy around a stalled military museum project on the state capitol grounds which could cost taxpayes tens of millions of dollars. "This is the wrong way of making decisions," Mathern said, noting that lawmakers "made a deal" to build the museum that would have it receive public funding that would match private fundraising. But construction on the project began without the private fundraising in place, and now it's out of money. "I'm thinking this is more of a management issue, and this session should not be used to bail out management decisions or we're going down a path that is destructive to legislative decision making," Mathern said. Also on this session, co-host Chad Oban and I discuss North Dakota's problems with charitable gaming which, these days, is beginning to look less and less charitable all the time, and more and more like a deeply lucrative casino industry. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

  7. Aug 12 ·  Video

    729: 'We do disagree with the position that natural kratom leaf products should also be banned' (Video)

    There's been a lot of talk in North Dakota in recent weeks about kratom after Gov. Kelly Armstrong issued executive orders banning the substance and called lawmakers into a special session in Bismarck with an eye toward making that ban permanent. But what does the kratom industry think about it? "We agree with the governor in part and we disagree in another part," Mac Haddow said on this episode of Plain Talk. "It's a lot like being married, right? We have to get it right at the end." Haddow is a former state lawmaker, and a Reagan-era chief of staff for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Currently, he's a senior fellow on public policy at the American Kratom Association, and where he and his organization agree with Armstrong is on synthetic kratom. He said that colloquial descriptors like "gas station heroin" are accurate. "There's no question it's the same as an opioid." But on a previous episode of Plain Talk, Armstrong said the natural, botanical variety of kratom should be banned too, and that's where Haddow and his group diverge. Natural kratom is a different animal. "This is akin to what happened during Prohibition," he argued. "We don't call moonshine corn and we certainly don't call caffeine coffee. These are things that need to be closely examined and properly regulated." Haddow argues that good policy coming out of this session would ban synthetic kratom and regulate the natural variety to ensure that it's only available to adults and is transparent about things like ingredients and dosage. Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I responded to listener feedback and talked about renewed controversy around Fargo-area state lawmaker Rep. Desiree Morton. In June, Morton attacked fellow lawmakers for allowing Somali volunteers on their campaigns. More recently, in private messages, Morton insinuated that a ward proposal for Fargo's city government would allow "imports" to take over the city. Morton said in her message that she's "not a hater," but Oban disagrees. "She is a hater," he said. "She's a bigot. She's a racist." If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

  8. Aug 12

    729: 'We do disagree with the position that natural kratom leaf products should also be banned'

    There's been a lot of talk in North Dakota in recent weeks about kratom after Gov. Kelly Armstrong issued executive orders banning the substance and called lawmakers into a special session in Bismarck with an eye toward making that ban permanent. But what does the kratom industry think about it? "We agree with the governor in part and we disagree in another part," Mac Haddow said on this episode of Plain Talk. "It's a lot like being married, right? We have to get it right at the end." Haddow is a former state lawmaker, and a Reagan-era chief of staff for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Currently, he's a senior fellow on public policy at the American Kratom Association, and where he and his organization agree with Armstrong is on synthetic kratom. He said that colloquial descriptors like "gas station heroin" are accurate. "There's no question it's the same as an opioid." But on a previous episode of Plain Talk, Armstrong said the natural, botanical variety of kratom should be banned too, and that's where Haddow and his group diverge. Natural kratom is a different animal. "This is akin to what happened during Prohibition," he argued. "We don't call moonshine corn and we certainly don't call caffeine coffee. These are things that need to be closely examined and properly regulated." Haddow argues that good policy coming out of this session would ban synthetic kratom and regulate the natural variety to ensure that it's only available to adults and is transparent about things like ingredients and dosage. Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I responded to listener feedback and talked about renewed controversy around Fargo-area state lawmaker Rep. Desiree Morton. In June, Morton attacked fellow lawmakers for allowing Somali volunteers on their campaigns. More recently, in private messages, Morton insinuated that a ward proposal for Fargo's city government would allow "imports" to take over the city. Morton said in her message that she's "not a hater," but Oban disagrees. "She is a hater," he said. "She's a bigot. She's a racist." If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

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About

Plain Talk is a podcast hosted by Rob Port and Chad Oban focusing on political news and current events in North Dakota. Port is a columnist for the Forum News Service published in papers including the Fargo Forum, Grand Forks Herald, Jamestown Sun, and the Dickinson Press. Oban is a long-time political consultant.

Information

  • Channel
    Forum Communications Co.
  • Creator
    Forum Communications Co.
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    938
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    ©2026 Forum Communications Co.
  • Show Website
    Plain Talk

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