State Rep. Rick Becker (R-Bismarck) held the formal kick-off for his Governor campaign at a Bismarck bar he owns. Becker is a plastic surgeon and a businessman. He was elected to the House in 2012, and was re-elected in 2014.
Becker told his supporters North Dakota government has become bloated. And he says with oil and agriculture prices down, the money won’t be there to support all of that government growth. Becker says some legislators say the choice would be to either raise taxes – or spend down the state’s Legacy Fund.
"Are we going to just waste that away?" Becker told supporters. "Are we going to increase taxes so we don't have to make choices to cut? That's what I am concerned about. WE need someone who is going to stand up and say 'no' to that. This bloated government can be decreased substantially."
Becker also said he wants the state to get out of Common Core – which he says is ultimately about control of the schools.
"I'm not even saying the Common Core standards are bad. They are," said Becker to laughter from the crowd. "But that's irrelevant. They key is we need control. Let our school districts decide what's proper for the children. Let parent involvement in school districts decide what's proper for our children."
Becker said the Common Core standards were written by "California intellectuals." He says as Governor, he could cancel the state's contract with Smarter Balanced, the company that administers standardized testing.
Becker also said the Legislature and the Governor need to take back oversight of the University System. He ended his speech with a plea for his supporters to get involved – and register as delegates to the state Republican Convention, to be held in Fargo next April.
