Former Governor Ed Schafer was elected governor of North Dakota in 1992 and served for two terms. He was a popular governor that could have probably been elected to a third term, but he walked away from the office, followed by service in 2008 as the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture under President George W. Bush.

On this episode, the governor talks about why he decided to run for office in 1992, his favorite thing about campaigning for the statewide office, and the most difficult decisions he had to make as governor.

Unlike many former office holders, he has not written a book on his time in office, but he has been generous with his time and speaks frequently on podcasts and a variety of other platforms.

On this episode, we provide an update about making October 1 'North Dakota Constitution Day'. The big news is that the idea to celebrate the state constitution has gone from an idea, to an actual bill, to a bill that has passed the North Dakota House! Follow along as we discuss what has happened since Part 1 was created.

In our continuing series on state government, North Dakota Insurance Commissioner Jon Godfread explains the role of the insurance department for the consumer and the state.

Commissioner Godfread noted that the Insurance Department is one of the best kept secrets in the state, and he wants to change that so consumers are more aware of what the department can do for them.

We discuss how the rural nature of North Dakota can affect insurance, the role and services provided by the insurance department, and the role of the insurance commissioner.

North Dakota Insurance Department: https://www.insurance.nd.gov/

North Dakota Insurance Department Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/NDInsuranceDepartment

Did you know that North Dakota even has a constitution? Do you know what it says? Or that its more than triple the length of the U.S. Constitution? If you answered 'no', then the intent of a proposed bill before the North Dakota Legislature is for you!

Join host Bryan Pechtl and special guest host Samantha Pechtl as they dive into the process of getting a bill submitted to the North Dakota Legislature during the 69th Legislative Session, and the processes of getting the bill through committee, and onto the North Dakota House for a vote. But that is only half of the process to get a bill passed.

This is the first of a short series of episodes that will focus on getting 'North Dakota Constitution Day' recognized and passed into law in order to raise awareness about the North Dakota Constitution and its contents.




Links:

North Dakota Constitution: https://ndlegis.gov/constitution
North Dakota Legislature: https://ndlegis.gov/ 
N.D. Bills and Resolutions Index: https://ndlegis.gov/assembly/69-2025/bill-index.html? 
N.D. Find Your Legislator: https://ndlegis.gov/legend/constituent/districts/public/find_my_legislator/ 
N.D. Legislative Calendar: https://ndlegis.gov/calendar 
N.D. Legislative Video Broadcast: https://video.ndlegis.gov/

The North Dakota Secretary of State Michael Howe is charged with ensuring secure elections, registering lobbyists, business registrations, and also acts as the Commissioner of Combative Sports, among the many hats that he and his staff wear.

The office itself is one of the most consequential offices in the state, especially as it relates to elections. Secretary Howe discusses the role that the office of Secretary of State plays in the lives of North Dakotans.