Port: Shameless lawmakers set to attack carbon pipeline over supposed foreign ownership
MINOT, N.D. — About a decade ago, the Greater North Dakota Chamber of Commerce ran a marketing campaign touting North Dakota as “open for business.”
It was controversial. The campaign was seen as jabbing at Minnesota for being less friendly to investment and development than North Dakota is. The argument was that there were lower taxes, and less red tape, west of the Red River. Our friends east of the river didn’t like that so much.
I wonder if North Dakota could make that same argument about being “open for business” today, what with people such as state Rep. Jeff Magrum in office and running a harassment campaign against investment in our state.
Magrum is an avowed enemy of a carbon pipeline project from Summit Carbon Solutions. He likes to wrap his cause in a lot of noble-sounding words about property rights, though given that he once tried to seize his own neighbor’s property without paying for it, I think we can assume his motivations are more petty than principled.
Perhaps they’re wrapped up in his personal vendetta against Gov. Doug Burgum, a promoter of the carbon pipeline who campaigned against his election.
