Tom Steward

Investigative Reporter at Center of the American Experiment

Communications guy & oversight reporter for Center of the American Experiment. Mercifully, these comments reflect my views solely.

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Articles

Glitches postpone launch of DNR licensing app before fishing opener

5 days ago | americanexperiment.org | Tom Steward

The list of highly promoted rollouts of state government websites that have crashed and burned over the years runs long. The disastrous 2013 MNsure website debut cost the executive director her job, followed by the backlash against the years-late, $100 million over budget Minnesota Licensing and Registration System (MNLARS), and last year’s meltdown within minutes of going live of the Department of Revenue website to give away taxpayer-funded e-bikes.
North Dakota set to ban ranked-choice and approval voting

1 week ago | americanexperiment.org | Tom Steward

Fargo became the first city in North Dakota to adopt so-called approval voting for local elections in 2018, and the way things look now, it will be the last. North Dakota lawmakers have overwhelmingly passed legislation banning approval voting and another alternative electoral system called ranked-choice voting in an effort to standardize and streamline the process statewide. Unlike his predecessor who vetoed a similar ban in 2023, Gov.
Proposal requires grads to work in MN for each year of free tuition

2 weeks ago | americanexperiment.org | Tom Steward

The Minnesota Office of Higher Education calls the free college tuition program initiated in 2024 to stave off the decline in admissions the North Star Promise. Not surprisingly, nearly 17,000 students from families with an adjusted gross income under $80,000 enrolled at Minnesota State, University of Minnesota and tribal campuses in the first year.
Feds cancel MN pandemic grants funding renovations, other projects

3 weeks ago | americanexperiment.org | Tom Steward

It’s difficult to get a handle on the scope of the federal budget cuts coming down from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). But the cancellation of billions of dollars in COVID grants still flowing to state and local health health agencies reported by NBC provides an inside look at some of the programs on the chopping block.
North Dakota law requires annual review for tenured faculty

3 weeks ago | americanexperiment.org | Tom Steward

For decades students and faculty have been the ones questioning the status quo on college and university campuses. But a decline in enrollment, a rapidly changing workforce and uncertain funding have resulted in a sort of role reversal, leading some legislators, civic leaders and administrators to challenge business as usual in higher education. The latest example is the North Dakota Legislature’s passage of a bill aimed at one of contemporary higher education’s cornerstones–tenure.
Letter carriers riled up over possible privatization of post office

1 month ago | americanexperiment.org | Tom Steward

The steady decline in the quality of mail service in recent years has been well documented by MinnPost and other media outlets across the country. The saga over unreliable mail delivery in many areas of Minnesota is escalating, with the inspector general of the U.S. Postal Service investigating the cause of poor service for many Minnesotans. But solutions to a frustrating problem will be hard to fix because they are the result of several factors and are very widespread.
Greenpeace socked with $660 million in damages for Dakota Access Pipeline protests

1 month ago | americanexperiment.org | Tom Steward

It would be difficult to overstate the likely impact of the jury’s decision in the defamation case brought by the developer of the Dakota Access Pipeline against environmental icon Greenpeace over its role in protesting the project eight years ago. The damages awarded by the Morton County jury in Mandan after two days of deliberations stunned those in the courtroom and members of the media like the New York Times.
School district to sell buses and cut costs after failed referendum

1 month ago | americanexperiment.org | Tom Steward

Last November residents overwhelmingly rejected the operating referendum that would have supplemented the annual budget of Dover-Eyota public schools by $1 million annually. Since then, officials of the small southeastern Minnesota school district have been scrutinizing the budget for ways to cut costs, while maintaining quality. As the Post Bulletin indicates, the rural district is far from alone. All told, Dover-Eyota Public Schools is trimming $755,000 from its budget for the coming year.
Earmarks zeroed out of funding bill that prevents government shutdown

1 month ago | americanexperiment.org | Tom Steward

For more than a decade, members of Congress were banned from slipping spending requests for pet projects in their districts, known as earmarks, into spending bills. But as MinnPost points out, the temptation to bring back the notorious process turned out to be too great under Democratic control of Congress.
Increased homeless calls swamp Rochester police

1 month ago | americanexperiment.org | Tom Steward

The homeless camps in Rochester may be fewer and farther in between than before the city passed a ban on such activity in public spaces. But the time and money spent by the Rochester Police Department in dealing with homeless individuals continues to increase to the budgetary breaking point. The urgency came through loud and clear in the Post Bulletin account of the latest update for the Rochester City Council.