March 25th, 2015

After a 2014 election that featured controversial difficulties for student voters due to the state’s new Voter ID law, it appears the North Dakota Legislature won’t be making any changes during the ongoing legislative session.This is despite a North Dakota State University study that found 689 college students were unable to vote because of residency issues.
The only pending changes to the law are contained in House Bill 1333, which was passed by the House and is awaiting a vote in…
March 18th, 2015
Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) has come under criticism for being one of 47 Republican senators to sign a letter sent to the leaders of Iran stating that any nuclear deal with President Obama is not approved by Congress and is subject to being overturned by them and future administrations. Some have even gone so far as call Hoeven and the other senators traitors for undermining the president by sending the letter. HPR reached out to…
March 11th, 2015

One of Fargo’s most successful business leaders and entrepreneurs is advocating that the North Dakota House of Representatives pass Senate Bill 2279, which would enact discrimination protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Doug Burgum, who has supported many Republican candidates, led Great Plains Software in the early 1980s until the local company was sold to Microsoft in…
March 4th, 2015

After a couple days of confusion, Grand Forks law enforcement entities sought to clear up speculation and release more information about a shooting at Altru Hospital where a UND police officer shot a suspect.
Grand Forks police released the name of the suspect, David James Elliott, and why he was followed on Tuesday. Initially, police followed Elliott after he allegedly ran a stop sign following a 911 call reporting his truck as suspicious. This…
February 27th, 2015

The North Dakota legislative session hits its midway point this week with many major issues unresolved. As the session got underway, plummeting state revenue projections -- due to lower crude oil prices -- have had a big impact on the agenda at the capitol. Legislators have managed to get a few things done, though they’re due for some some heavy lifting as the end of the biennial session approaches.
The biggest issue looming over early part of the…
February 19th, 2015

After the latest train derailment and explosion in West Virginia this week of trains carrying Bakken crude, some are calling for more to be done in the regulation of the transportation. One of those groups is the Dakota Resource Council, which issued a strong statement following the derailment blaming state officials for not doing more in regards to transport of Bakken oil. We spoke with Don…
February 11th, 2015

Police still seem to be stumped on the death of NDSU freshman student Thomas Bearson and are asking for the public’s help in assisting the investigation. While little had been said about the case up until this point, investigators revealed a few new details this week after receiving the final autopsy as to cause of death.
“We were able to provide at the request of people asking about or referencing toxicology results, the information…
February 11th, 2015

Lawmakers in North Dakota are pushing a bill through the Legislature that would amend the North Dakota Human Rights Act and State Housing Act to include sexual orientation and gender identity as being protected from discrimination in the state. Twenty-one states in the U.S. currently outlaw discrimination because of sexual orientation and 18 states outlaw discrimination because of gender identity. State Rep. Joshua Boschee (D-Fargo),…
February 4th, 2015
A North Dakota legislator says the gender wage gap in North Dakota is one of the worst in the nation and she is working to change it through legislation and awareness. Representative Kylie Oversen (D-Grand Forks) has sponsored three bills that have all dealt with various aspects of the issue this legislative session.
One of her bills, which saw her testify before a skeptical all-male committee, would have required anyone doing business with the state to submit an equal pay statement to…
January 28th, 2015

Two spills affecting western North Dakota has environmental activists concerned and state regulators downplaying their effects. Earlier this month, 3 million gallons of saltwater generated from oil drilling leaked near Blacktail Creek outside Williston, making it the largest spill of its kind from the oil boom in North Dakota. Additionally 40,000 gallons of crude spilled in the Yellowstone River in Montana near Glendive,…