North Dakota State Senator Jeff Magrum joined Townsquare Media KLXX 1270AM’s Talk of the Town with Steve Bakken and special guest host Jason Spiess.
Senator Magrum represented a group of bipartisan legislators who are urging the North Dakota Industrial Commission to reconsider spending $300K in carbon pipeline education. Furthermore, Sen. Magrum is encouraging more transparency and “keep an eye” on the groups given the contract.
“Myself and about twelve other hard working individuals took time out of our day to go to the Industrial Commission meeting, of coarse they went through the proposal from AE2S, at which time I asked if I could talk,” Senator Magrum said. “The Governor wouldn’t let me, he said ‘well this isn’t a public hearing’.”
Senator Magrum said he wasn’t at the Industrial Commission meeting to debate, rather discuss the timing of the $300K and rapid rate of pushing it through.
“This is real serious,” Senator Magrum said. “I’ve been a part of city, county and state government as well, and I’ve never been a part of a meeting where we didn’t let the public air out their views.”
Senator Magrum continued, “And like you said, I’m not just the public. I don’t want to be treated any different than the public, but I am an elected official representing the public and they are the boss. I believe they should have the right to have their voice (included in giving away tax dollars to a political group with special interests).”
Magrum reiterated that the timing of the money and who is getting the money are the immediate red flags.
“There’s a lot of conflicts of interests with who they just hired,” Magrum said.
The carbon education proposal accepted from the North Dakota Industrial Commision is from AE2S, which also included the use of the Fieldstone Group, part-owned by conservative talk radio host and columnist Scott Hennen.
Hennen also helped organize Friends of Ag & Energy, which has a website about carbon capture and hosted a public meeting that included Wade Boeshans of Summit Carbon Solutions.
North Dakota Governor Burgum also spoke at the forum and has been actively promoting their agenda on social media, state run media and via economic stimulus dollars to groups, like Friends of Ag & Energy, Emerging Prairies and the North Dakota Petroleum Council in line with the global carbon subsidy agenda.
Senator Magrum reiterated that Gov. Burgum is one of three members of the North Dakota Industrial Commission and is directing tax dollars to a political project that is benefiting his special interests.
“Special interests and political ideologies… I’ve listened to Kathy Neset, Senator Kevin Cramer… and when asked why they are for this carbon capture they say ‘because that’s what the world wants right now,’” Senator Magrum said. “The world? Are they talking about the World Economic Forum, because the people in my world that I represent don’t want it, have not interest in it and think it’s a total boondoggle.”
The three then discussed whether Neset was using emotions as a weapon in order to advance the carbon pipeline agenda and capture more government subsidies.
“Then are trying to say it’s so critical that we do this and get CO2 to the oilfield,” Magrum said. “They why aren’t we doing it already? Why aren’t we using what we already have? We have DGC, MinnKota Power, Blue Flint Ethanol, Red Trail Energy, why aren’t we using what we have if it’s so critical.”
The conversation dove deeper into credibility of AE2S, Fieldstone Agency, the North Dakota Petroleum Council, Harold Hamm and Kathy Neset.
“They are willing to take away people’s property for this project,” Senator Magrum said. “It’s just disgusting.”
Rep. Jeff Magrum was first elected to the ND House of Representatives in 2016 in the 28th District, and re-elected in 2020. After the 2021 redistricting cycle, he was placed into the new boundaries of District 8. He is running for the Senate seat in 2022.
Here is the press release sent to the media:
Today, a group of legislators released the following statement in response to bids submitted to the Industrial Commission by AE2S Communications and The Public Affairs Company:
"The North Dakota legislature should re-evaluate the discretion it grants the North Dakota Industrial Commission to spend money promoting certain business interests over the interests of North Dakota citizens. Such promotional activities in the name of "education" effectively amount to an endorsement of a particular company and a particular project over the rights and concerns of many citizens. Certainly, every main street business would appreciate the State advertising the virtues of its business across the state without having to spend its own money to do so.
We, the undersigned, do not approve of the use of taxpayers' dollars to develop public relations and campaign materials promoting carbon dioxide pipelines and sequestration projects when such projects are currently under regulatory review by any ND state agency.
We call on the ND State Industrial Commission members to halt this grant as an entirely inappropriate use of taxpayer dollars.
We urge our fellow legislators to watch this situation carefully and keep it in mind during the next legislative session.
Senator Jeff Magrum
Senator Bob Paulson
Senator David Clemens
Senator Judy Estenson
Senator Kent Weston
Senator Tim Mathern
Senator Kathy Hogan
Representative SuAnn Olson
Representative Brandon Prichard
Representative Mathew Heilman
Representative Kelby Timmons
Representative Jeff Hoverson
Representative Lori VanWinckle
Representative Donna Henderson
Representative Nico Rios
Representative Scott Dyk
Representative Kathy Frelich
Representative Karen Anderson
Former Representative Cole Christensen
Click here to read Forum Communication’s article
Click here to read the Bismarck Tribune’s editorial
Click here to read the North Dakota Watchdog Network’s editorial
The Bismarck Tribune Editorial Board this morning took its sharpest stance yet on the issue of CO2 pipelines following the recent release of polling data showing North Dakotans are not on board.
“Furthermore, there is growing sentiment that the intention of the 45Q is actually to pay investors an ‘exit payment’ to be willing to divest and walk away from traditional energy sources such as oil and coal. By paying large investors, like Harold Hamm, billions of dollars out of federal coffers, there is less and less incentive for him and others in his same position to fight the federal government on shutting down their industry over the next 15-30 years. Workers and communities that rely on traditional energy will be thrown under the bus, and energy security will be sacrificed in the name of synthetic “profits” generated not by business activity but by government subsidies.” - Dustin Gawrylow, North Dakota Watchdog Network
In 2022, I asked “Will North Dakota Get Its Own "Green New Deal"? We now know that the answer is clearly, yes. And in fact, state money will be used to promote it - that’s just how much the elected Republican leadership believes in this cause!
The question now is should this be the new policy of North Dakota?
Click here to read the North Dakota Watchdog Network’s editorial
Part Two: State Sponsored Propaganda, Carbon Pipeline Objections Continue