Should EV Charging Stations Be Regulated as Utilities? Kentucky Joins Majority to Say ‘No,’ Minnesota Should Too

Last week, Kentucky regulators ruled that electric vehicle charging stations were not considered utilities under state law, according to Utility Dive. In doing so, Kentucky joins Iowa, Vermont and California in determining that chargers do not provide a public service in the same way that other electric services do. This makes sense, because owning an electric car is a luxury item. The graph below from the Energy Information Administration shows most electric car owners make more than $100,000. Not surprisingly, most of the household that own electric cars also have a regular car. Therefore, the argument that electric car chargers are a vital...

In northern Minnesota, tourism jobs pay less than mining jobs

The average annual salary for Leisure and hospitality jobs in St. Louis County was just $16,904 in 2018. For Metal ore mining jobs, it was $98,954.

National Teachers’ Union Claim of No Members Lost Day After Janus is Misleading

As the one-year anniversary of Janus v. AFSCME approaches, the national teachers’ union AFT (American Federation of Teachers) recently made a misleading claim about the case’s impact on union membership. Photo of AFT President Randi Weingarten by AP/Andrew Harnik

AMERICAN EXPERIMENT BOOK SHELF

Gov. Walz: Stay the Execution of Kenilworth Trail until SWLRT is funded

The Met Council has been saying for years that it is ready to apply for a federal grant. Yet, here we are in 2019, during the Trump administration, without an invitation to apply for $929 million federal funds and the State has pulled support, leaving Hennepin County as the source of funds. Local officials are nervous.

Mortenson Construction to Use Robotic Equipment On “Primarily Renewable Energy Projects”

Mortenson Construction is one of the largest renewable-energy construction firms in the country, but it appears the firm will be dolling out less “green” to their laborers. A recent story in the Star Tribune discusses how Mortenson will be employing remote-controlled bulldozers to prepare sites for wind turbines instead of hiring laborers to man the machines. The remote-controlled bulldozers will be first be employed on remote projects in Wyoming where worker housing and other logistical difficulties make automation  economically attractive, but there’s no reason to think it would be impossible for the company to begin using automated equipment in other...

American Experiment Opposes the Carbon Tax Scam

Last week, 75 conservative organizations signed a public letter to Congress opposing “any carbon tax” days after reports that Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney openly considered backing carbon tax bill, and American Experiment was one of them. The letter, circulated by Americans for Tax Reform, read: “We oppose any carbon tax. A carbon tax raises the cost of heating your home in the winter and cooling your home in the summer. It raises the cost of filling your car. A carbon tax increases the cost of everything Americans buy and lowers Americans’ effective take home pay. A carbon tax increases...

In the Tank (EP195) – “Luxury Communism.” News in The Digital Age, Deepfakes

Heartland’s Donald Kendal, and Justin Haskins are joined by Isaac Orr and Jim Lakely in episode #195 of the In The Tank Podcast. This weekly podcast features (as always) interviews, debates, and roundtable discussions that explore the work of think tanks across the country. The show is available for download as part of the Heartland Daily Podcast every Friday. Featured in today’s podcast is work from The Heartland Institute, the RAND Corporation, Reason Foundation, and the Brookings Institution.