701 Civics

On this podcast, I interview Mirabela Punga, a native of Moldova, and now, with her husband and children, a resident of Bismarck, North Dakota for over a decade.

With all of the talk surrounding immigration, particularly in the past decade, I thought it would be good to hear from someone who immigrated to the United States and went through the process of becoming an American citizen.

We get to hear of the challenges faced after arr...

We know who makes the laws, but who enforces them, and how?

On this episode, we get to hear from Colonel Daniel Haugen and Lieutenant Jenna Clawson Huibregtse of the North Dakota Highway Patrol, and the role of the N.D. H.P. in carrying out the laws passed by North Dakota legislators, efforts to make the roads safer, and how the highway patrol has increased their efforts to work more cooperatively with Native American tribes in Nor...

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...

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.

HB 1479

https://ndlegis.gov/assembly/69-2025/regular/bill-overview/bo1479.html?bill_year=2025&bill...

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 Se...

On this podcast, listen to a brief overview of important North Dakota legislative dates and, more importantly, how you as a citizen can be an active participant in democracy.

Below are links to help you become more active in the legislative process, from following bills to contacting your legislator.

• North Dakota Legislature: https://ndlegis.gov/
• N.D. Legislative Deadlines: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindm...

On this episode, I chat with Representative Corey Mock, a Democrat who served in the house of representatives from 2009 and, as of this interview, is wrapping up his time in the House, having decided to not run for re-election in 2024.  In fact, Mr. Mock will be taking up the position of Chief information officer in the administration of the new governor of North Dakota, Republican Kelly Armstrong.

This episode dives into the rol...

Are you interested in running for public office in North Dakota but have no idea where to start?

On this podcast, we hear from veteran North Dakota House of Representatives District 35 lawmaker Karen Karls. Representative Karls shares her experiences of what it was like to run for office in North Dakota and offers advice for those individuals interested in running for statewide office. Listeners will learn that it is important to m...

In this podcast, we take a look at the North Dakota Supreme Court, as seen through the eyes of Charles Steinberger, a former law clerk for the state supreme court. We will see what it takes to become a law clerk, what they do, and examine a bit of the process about how opinions written.

The North Dakota supreme court consists of five elected justices, with each justice provided a law clerk and a staff attorney to assist with resear...

On this podcast, we visit with North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Dough Goehring, a position he has held since 2009.

When outsiders think of North Dakota, they generally associate rural and agricultural as the main identity of the people of the state, and rightfully so. North Dakota leads the nation in production of spring wheat, durum wheat, dry edible peas, dry edible beans, honey, flaxseed and canola. 

Regarding land area of ...

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...

Freshman legislator Sen. Sean Cleary sits down to discuss the role of a state senator in North Dakota. Senator Cleary represents District 35 in the North Dakota Senate, and is half-way through his first term.

On this episode, we discuss how bills are drafted and make their way through the legislative process. We also visit about keeping in touch with constituents, the role of lobbyists, and committee assignments.

Helpful Links:

N...

Did you know that the smallest office in state government also gets to handle all warrants or checks drawn against the state of North Dakota? Though the smallest office, it plays a significant role in state government, even if it doesn't really make any headlines.

We are joined on this episode by North Dakota State Treasurer Thomas Beadle as he explains the role of the treasurers office, and his role as a leader of the tre...

Education is a topic that everyone has an opinion on - from how to pay for it to what is taught in schools.

On this episode, we visit with North Dakota state school superintendent and administrator of the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction Kirsten Baesler and dive into a variety of topics, including how state standards are developed, how students are prepared for for college, the workplace, or other avenues after high s...

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...

In this podcast, the current North Dakota State Auditor, Josh Gallion, took time to sit down and discuss the state auditor's office and its role in state government, as well as what it can - and cannot - do.

Listeners will learn about the size of the office, recent efforts to make reports more accessible to citizens of the state, types of audits, how long audits can take, and helping to provide transparency for citizens.

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