TikTok, Montana, and Digital Sovereignty
The Governor of Montana recently signed a bill that essentially bans the popular social media app TikTok in the state.
The Governor of Montana recently signed a bill that essentially bans the popular social media app TikTok in the state.
The legislation is set to ban state residents from downloading the app within the territorial jurisdiction of the state.
Indigenous scholars have raised the question of what the TikTok ban means for tribal sovereignty and the digital jurisdiction of states. This is a relatively unexplored field in tribal law, and one that is primed to grow with the increasing digitization of the world.
For Indigenous Tribes, the territorial jurisdiction of states has always been important. Social media and digital data add another layer to the conflict over territorial jurisdiction and sovereignty.
The National Congress of American Indians described Indigenous data sovereignty as “the right of each tribe to govern the collection, ownership, and application of data, information, and knowledge about its peoples, land and resources.”
Indigenous scholars have encouraged Indigenous Tribes to exercise and protect their data and digital sovereignty, as it will continue to be an issue as state and national governments monitor the social media and technology industries.
Domestic Policy Caucus supports the right of Indigenous Tribes to exercise digital sovereignty and encourages state and federal governments to honor their sovereignty claims.
Minnesota Joins National Popular Vote Interstate Compact
On May 24, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signed into law a bill that provides for Minnesota to join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact.
On May 24, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signed into law a bill that provides for Minnesota to join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. The provision was included in HF1830, the State Government and Elections Omnibus bill. With the governor’s signature, National Popular Vote is now law in states with 205 electoral votes, only 65 electoral votes shy of implementation.
Once states containing a majority of the nation’s electoral votes have joined the Compact, it will go into effect and will guarantee the U.S. presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Minnesota is the 17th jurisdiction to pass the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. Those states represent 205 of the 270 electoral votes required for the Compact to take effect.
Read more about the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact and its progress towards implementation here.
Worst Idea Ever: Liquid Fuel Ban
Domestic Policy Caucus Secretary/Treasurer Kent Kaiser, Ph.D., appeared on The Jack Tomczak Show on Saturday, April 8, on Twin Cities radio station 1280 AM The Patriot to discuss the Minnesota Legislature's proposed transportation fuel ban.
Domestic Policy Caucus Secretary/Treasurer Kent Kaiser, Ph.D., appeared on The Jack Tomczak Show on Saturday, April 8, on Twin Cities radio station 1280 AM The Patriot to discuss the Minnesota Legislature's proposed transportation fuel ban.
Listen to the full interview here.
Say no to Minnesota measure to ban all gasoline, diesel
We cannot allow the tunnel vision of a few elites in St. Paul to handicap Minnesota biofuels and ignore potentially groundbreaking carbon-capture methods.
We cannot allow the tunnel vision of a few elites in St. Paul to handicap Minnesota biofuels and ignore potentially groundbreaking carbon-capture methods.
Read our full op-ed that appeared on the issue in the Duluth News-Tribune by clicking here.
Price controls could pound the final nail in the coffin for rural Minnesota health care
If price controls are imposed on medicines, many rural doctors will be put in the untenable position of deciding whether to prescribe their preferred, more effective treatment at a financial loss or to administer an outdated, less effective treatment that fits within the price-controlled market.
If price controls are imposed on medicines, many rural doctors will be put in the untenable position of deciding whether to prescribe their preferred, more effective treatment at a financial loss or to administer an outdated, less effective treatment that fits within the price-controlled market.
Read our full op-ed that appeared on the issue in the Fargo Forum by clicking here.
The Minnesota Legislature has introduced a new pathway to BAN your car and your fuel!
Companion bills—Senate File 2584 and House File 2602—are making their way through the legislative process and have already cleared some committees on their way to floor votes and the governor’s desk.
Companion bills—Senate File 2584 and House File 2602—are making their way through the legislative process and have already cleared some committees on their way to floor votes and the governor’s desk.
What this legislation does:
Increases prices at the pump—both gas and diesel—for all Minnesotans in the near-term.
Raises gas prices by as much as 45 cents per gallon by 2030 and by more than 61 cents per gallon by 2040.
Completely bans liquid fuels by 2050—EVEN BIOFUELS, because they aren’t carbon-neutral.
This is just another EV mandate and vehicle ban in another form.
This policy is even more aggressive than California’s fuel regulations.
What’s more: This harmful and expensive policy would have negligible positive impact—eliminating all 36.5 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions emitted by the transportation sector in Minnesota would reduce future global temperatures by only 0.00095 degrees Celsius by the year 2100.
Learn more and see how you can help at www.nocarmandates.com.
No Loan for you: Southwest Public Policy Institute Publishes New Report
Southwest Public Policy Institute recently published a report detailing the negative consequences of restricting access to credit in New Mexico.
Southwest Public Policy Institute recently published a report detailing the negative consequences of restricting access to credit in New Mexico.
Short-term, small-dollar loans offer respite to many Americans who are under-banked or unbanked, especially when they are in desperate need of cash. Despite this, New Mexico lawmakers have restricted access to these alternative forms of credit, and many New Mexicans cannot obtain quick credit when they need it most.
The report by Southwest Public Policy Institute highlights a member of the Albuquerque community as he unsuccessfully attempts to access credit in this new, restrictive environment.
Read the full report here.
Why California’s EV Policies Don’t Work for Minnesotans
After the recent elections, the DFL Party controls the Minnesota House and Senate and the Governor’s office. Creating a 100% carbon-free Minnesota by 2040 is one of the DFL’s main priorities.
After the recent elections, the DFL Party controls the Minnesota House and Senate and the Governor’s office. Creating a 100% carbon-free Minnesota by 2040 is one of the DFL’s main priorities. To achieve this ambitious goal, policymakers are looking to copy and adopt some of California’s most extreme environment and vehicle policies right here in Minnesota. One of those policies includes banning the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035. It’s crucial for Minnesotans to understand how this California-made rule would impact them and their families.
For one thing, electric vehicles are costly for the average Minnesota family. With inflation rates and costs rising exponentially this past year, it isn’t easy to budget another significant expense. Today, the lowest-cost electric car is still around $15,000 more than the cheapest gas car. Drivers on a fixed income who can't afford EV prices should be able to choose which car best fits their needs and finances.
Read the full opinion piece here.
Domestic Policy Caucus Appears on The Jack Tomczak Show to Discuss Interest Rate Caps
Kent Kaiser, secretary/treasurer of Domestic Policy Caucus, appeared on The Jack Tomczak Show to discuss House File 290 and interest rate caps on short-term, small-dollar loans.
Kent Kaiser, secretary/treasurer of Domestic Policy Caucus, appeared on The Jack Tomczak Show to discuss House File 290 and interest rate caps on short-term, small-dollar loans.
House File 290 is an attempt by Minnesota legislators to cap interest rates at 36 percent for short-term, small-dollar loans. This would seriously restrict Minnesotans’ ability to access credit and would force many Minnesotans into desperate situations.
Listen to the full interview here: https://omny.fm/shows/northern-alliance-radio-jack-tomczak/02-04-23-hr-2
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Pursues Solar Sovereignty Through Economic Development
In the Dakotas, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe has made history with the success of an interesting organization, the Indigenous Environmental Institute (IEI).
In the Dakotas, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe has made history with the success of an interesting organization, the Indigenous Environmental Institute (IEI). Founded by a group of determined individuals, the IEI has set out to help build solar panels on reservations to promote sustainable energy practices and to establish “solar sovereignty,” which is an important component of economic development.
One of the co-founders of the IEI, Cody Two Bears, a tribal council representative for the community of Cannon Ball, has said that the organization's mission is to protect the land and give their people access to sovereignty by creating their own energy. IEI's goal is to share their successes and help other tribes’ economic development as well.
The IEI's efforts illustrate how renewable energy can benefit not only the environment but also the economy. Their success in the Dakotas is a powerful example of what can be accomplished when tribes are given the opportunity to take control of their own resources and pursue economic sovereignty through technological development.