It’s Not Appropriate to Sell Access to Governor Burgum’s State of the State Address

It’s a little unusual for a North Dakota Governor to deliver a “state of the state” address in a year when the Legislature isn’t in session.

The Governor’s address to lawmakers at the beginning of their session every other year is required by law.

But Governor Doug Burgum’s decision to deliver a “state of the state” address at Minot State University later this month isn’t unprecedented either. Former Governor Ed Schafer, I’m told, also sometimes delivered the address in Bismarck on off-years.

What is a bit odd is the fact that Burgum’s speech is being sponsored by the Greater North Dakota Chamber of Commerce.

This email sent out to the various lobbying and interest groups in the state was forwarded to me by a lawmaker who says it’s raising a lot of eyebrows:

Calling the speech the “state of the state address” makes it sound like an official act. Something the Governor of North Dakota is doing as a part of his service to the public. So why is it being paid for by a private group? Why are private interest groups being allowed to purchase access to it?

On the Governor’s official website the event is advertised as being “open to the public” but with the admonishment that “seating is limited.”

Limited, perhaps, because at least some access to the event is being sold?

I like the idea of Governor Burgum delivering this address, and I’m happy to see the effort to bring this sort of thing out of Bismarck and to other parts of the state, but partnering with the Chamber of Commerce and selling access to the event smacks of the Governor using his office to raise money for private interests.