North Dakota tackles AI regulation

North Dakota tackles AI regulation

Artificial intelligence is changing so quickly that lawmakers across the country are struggling to keep up.  Now, North Dakota has created a new legislative committee [https://northdakotamonitor.com/2026/07/20/north-dakota-lawmakers-explore-options-for-limited-regulation-of-ai/] to study whether the state needs additional safeguards, and if so, what they should look like. The committee is not writing legislation just yet, but instead members are gathering information, hearing from experts, and looking at how other states are balancing innovation with consumer protection, free speech and  public trust.  North Dakota Monitor reporter Jacob Orledge joins host Craig Blumenshine to talk about the committee’s work, including a recent standing-room-only hearing [https://northdakotamonitor.com/2026/07/15/data-center-concerns-dominate-public-comment-for-new-legislative-committee/]. A Closer Look with the Monitor is a partnership with Prairie Public's Main Street [https://news.prairiepublic.org/podcast/main-street].

Challenges to dairy and pipeline permits

Two recent stories deal with how state regulators handle environmental protection of permitting of major development projects.  One covers the legal challenges surrounding the permit for what could become North Dakota's largest dairy operation [https://northdakotamonitor.com/2026/07/13/opponents-of-giant-north-dakota-dairy-argue-for-permit-reversal/], where opponents argue state regulators failed to adequately evaluate  potential environmental impacts.  Another is the ongoing courtroom dispute over the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline, where attorneys debated whether the North Dakota Public Service Commission can even consider public safety [https://northdakotamonitor.com/2026/07/14/safety-not-a-factor-in-determining-north-dakota-pipeline-routes-attorney-says/] when approving pipeline routes. North Dakota Monitor deputy editor Jeff Beach talks about those stories in this episode of A Closer Look with the Monitor. The weekly podcast is a partnership with Prairie Public's Main Street [https://news.prairiepublic.org/podcast/main-street] hosted by Craig Blumenshine.

Military Gallery construction stalls

The North Dakota Military Gallery was envisioned as a world-class addition to the State Heritage Center in Bismarck, a place to honor veterans, preserve military history and attract visitors from across the country. But just one year after groundbreaking, construction has stopped. The project, which depends on a combination of public and private donations, has raised only a fraction of its fundraising goal, prompting lawmakers to question [https://northdakotamonitor.com/2026/07/07/nd-lawmakers-react-to-halted-capitol-grounds-construction-project-that-ran-out-of-money/] what comes next.  North Dakota Monitor editor Amy Dalrymple joins host Craig Blumenshine to talk about her reporting. A Closer Look with the Monitor is a partnership with Prairie Public Main Street [https://news.prairiepublic.org/podcast/main-street].

Amplifying Indigenous history at the Roosevelt library

The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library will open its doors to the public this Saturday on the 250th anniversary of the United States’ declaration of independence.   The library will explore the former president’s legacy and his transformational years in the Badlands of North Dakota in the 1880s. But it will also confront Roosevelt’s history of racist remarks and the policies he supported that continue to have a detrimental effect on Native Americans across the country.  North Dakota Monitor reporter Jacob Orledge joins host Craig Blumenshine to discuss his reporting on the subject and what he learned from speaking to Native American leaders, historians and a member of the Roosevelt family.  A Closer Look with the Monitor is a partnership with Prairie Public Main Street [https://news.prairiepublic.org/podcast/main-street].

JETx at a crossroads: Court challenge and permit approval

The proposed JETx transmission line took two significant turns this week.  JETx is a proposed 92-mile-long, high-voltage electric transmission line connecting substations near Jamestown and Ellendale through Stutsman, LaMoure and Dickey Counties. Companies Otter Tail Power and MDU Resources say it’s designed to improve the reliability and capacity of the regional power grid.  On Tuesday, the North Dakota Supreme Court heard arguments [https://northdakotamonitor.com/2026/06/23/landowners-townships-bring-appeal-of-transmission-line-to-north-dakota-supreme-court/] from landowners and townships who say they were denied proper notice and participation during an earlier approval process. Then, on Wednesday, the North Dakota Public Service Commission unanimously approved [https://northdakotamonitor.com/2026/06/24/public-service-commission-grants-final-approval-to-jetx-transmission-line/] the project's final route permit.  North Dakota Monitor reporters Jacob Orledge and North Dakota Monitor contributor Mary Steurer join host Craig Blumenshine to unpack the latest developments. A Closer Look with the Monitor is a partnership with Prairie Public Main Street [https://news.prairiepublic.org/podcast/main-street].