Ag Commissioner: BioScience Grant Program Needs Fixed Next Session

Further analysis of the Bioscience Grant Program reveals a lack of strict adherence to state law and a lack of oversight. More investigation from authorities is needed.

Now that the nastiness and chaos of the June Primary election is over, we can get back to the work of bringing transparency to government and how elected officials are manipulating the system to their benefit.

Over the last couple months, I’ve written about the situation between the State of North Dakota, the North Dakota Department of Agriculture, the Bioscience Innovation Grant program, and the Bioscience Association of North Dakota.

For a review of that work see the following previous articles:

Guilty Verdict Should Act As Warning For Elected And Appointed Officials

Republican Leadership In Denial About Ethics

Investigation Update: Should The State Spend Public Dollars To Create A Special Interest Group?

Video: How To Keep Legislators Out Of Trouble?

New Ethics Commission Complaint Filed Against Legislator

BioND Situation Exposes Broken Grant Approval Process

North Dakota Agriculture Commissioners Speaks To The Matter

On May 31st, North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goering appeared on the KFYR KAFE radio show with Daryl Lies (President of the North Dakota Farm Bureau) and myself. We discussed the issues surrounding the Bioscience situation. Commission Goehring contended that the BioScience Association of North Dakota (BioND) was not held to the same rules as the other recipients of the BioScience Innovation Grant Program. Goering contended…