Issues that impact all North Dakotans
My Focus
Defend North Dakota against E.S.G. headwinds
Washington politicians and their Wall Street allies are trying to use your money to advance their political goals. Companies are being directed to forego good earnings and instead chase ill-defined and ever-changing goals in the name of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) ideals that directly attack North Dakota’s two largest industries. Our state’s funds should not be used against us and must be invested to maximize a return to our citizens and we need to make sure our managers remember that. We are custodians taxpayer dollars, including the retirement for our teachers, police officers, firefighters, and public employees and need to not let their future get derailed by misguided DC politics.
Put the Legacy Fund to work
North Dakota’s Legacy Fund, an endowment fund that collects 30% of the state’s oil tax revenue, currently sits at over $9 billion and generated nearly $500 million in earnings this past biennium that the legislature used to fund water and road projects across the state and provide $250 million in tax relief to citizens. We need to grow this fund so that we can make an even greater impact.
Additionally, by investing some of the principal into the state of North Dakota and not just with fund managers elsewhere, we can provide needed capital to our business leaders and accelerate our economy. In the last few years we have succeeded in deploying nearly $300 million back into North Dakota businesses and projects, and we are on our way to fulfilling our goal of directly investing $1.3 billion back into North Dakota’s economy.
Improve Transparency and Accountability
Sunshine is the best disinfectant, and providing transparency in how the state spends your money is the best way to hold government agencies accountable. I’m committed to making sure information is not only available, but also understandable so that you can see how your hard-earned money is being used and hold agencies and politicians accountable if it’s being wasted.
Make government more Efficient and Effective
The Treasurer’s office touches every single dollar of taxpayer money that flows through the state of North Dakota. From day to day cash management for our agencies, to overseeing numerous endowment funds, the Treasurer impacts billions of taxpayer dollars. I promise to ensure this is being handled efficiently and that we don’t have any wasteful spending or delays in distributing funds back to our citizens.
Support Education in North Dakota
The Treasurer has a large impact on Education in North Dakota. In addition to being tasked with promoting financial literacy training in our state, the Treasurer’s position on the boards investing the Common Schools Trust Fund and the Teacher’s Retirement Fund means that the funding of our education system is impacted by who serves as our Treasurer. The Common Schools Trust Fund alone contributes nearly 20% of the total cost to educate our students in North Dakota. I’m committed to supporting our education system and giving our teachers and students the resources they need to thrive.