Our Story

The Roughrider Policy Center, d/b/a Roughrider Institute, was created in 2018 as an independent, nonprofit think tank founded for the purpose to Increase Freedom, Liberty & Prosperity in North Dakota.

Roughrider Institute is organized to educate and equip the people of the state fostering an informed an engaged citizenry.  An important initiative for Roughrider Institute is a partnership with BeTruthful to host an annual educational event in Medora.

Roughrider Policy Center is a 501(c)(3) research institute funded solely from voluntary contributions from individuals, corporations, and charitable foundations.

We are the North Dakota affiliate of the nationwide State Policy Network.  

Roughrider Policy Center believes in solving problems through educating people on the issues and giving them the resources to discover the truth for themselves.

For this reason we are now be doing business  as Roughrider Institute to better illustrate our mission.

“Complaining about a problem without proposing a solution is called whining.”
Teddy Roosevelt

CEO, President for the Roughrider Policy Center, d/b/a Roughrider Institute.  North Dakota’s Think Tank

• Public Policy experience with a focus on energy security, environment issues, education freedom and government accountability
• Eighteen years as a North Dakota State Representative
• Research and write on advancements in domestic tight-oil plays and the positive impacts for consumers, business, and the economy, domestic and abroad
• Work with policy makers at the state and federal level to develop and implement sound public policy advancing individual liberty, energy security,  and educational freedom 
• Support state and federal policy makers to protect individuals, their families, and their business interests from attack under Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) and Net-Zero initiatives

Policy Director for the Pro-family Legislative Network, a division of WallBuilders.  https://www.profamily.com/pfln/

Senior fellow with The Heartland Institute. https://heartland.org/

• Research and write articles and opinion pieces for publication
• Work with state legislators on policy direction and drafting 
• Speaker at ICCC 10, ICCC 12
• Speaker @Carroll University WI, Topic: State response to Clean Power Plan
• Speaker at Western Conservative Summit, Denver CO
• Speaker at Rebuttal to UN “Civil Society” sustainability conference in Salt Lake City UT 

Served as a North Dakota state representative from 1996–2014, representing the 41st district.

As a North Dakota lawmaker, she served on the Finance and Tax Committee, chairman of the Government and Veteran Affairs Committee, chairman of the Employee Benefits Programs Committee and as a member of the House Appropriations Committee and the Education and Environment Division. Other committees were Education, Political Subdivisions, Judiciary and a variety of interim committees.

• Chairman, Government Affairs Committee (2009-2013)
• Chairman Employee Benefits Standing Committee (2001, 2007-2010)
• Chairman, Energy Division of the American Legislative Exchange Council’s Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force (2012-2014)
• State Director, National Foundation of Women Legislators (NFWL) (1999-2013)
• Energy committee, Council on State Government (CSG)

Grande has also served as chair of the energy division of the American Legislative Exchange Council’s Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force, energy committee member of the Council of State Governments.

On social issues Bette lead the charge as the chair of the pro-life caucus while a legislator and was prime sponsors of the Heartbeat, prenatal non-discrimination, ultrasound and the controlled use of chemical abortion drugs and procedures bills to mention a few.

North Dakota Co-State Coordinator, National Day of Prayer Task Force

Congressional Prayer Caucus Foundation, State Director – ND Prayer Caucus Network

National Governor’s Prayer Team Leader, North Dakota

Member of CWA – Concerned Women of America 

Grande holds a Bachelor of Science degree in education from the University of North Dakota. She has been married to her husband Don for 40+ years, and they have three children and four grandsons. Born and raised in Williston, North Dakota, Grande’s family operates a multiple-generation family business in the Williston Basin, which is in the heart of the Bakken formation.