American Experiment update

Center events, initiatives, and policy work.

Events  

The interest following last issue’s Thinking Minnesota Poll covering Minnesota’s election laws was the impetus for American Experiment’s four-city event tour, “Rigged or Fair? Election integrity issues in 2024.” The Oct. 3-16 events took place in Edina, St. Cloud, Vadnais Heights, and Rochester, and featured policy fellow Bill Glahn and marketing and communications director Bill Walsh.  

American Experiment launched its St. Cloud Chapter with a dinner and reception on Oct. 24. Featured speaker Bill Walsh discussed the effects of Minnesota’s legislature under one-party, Democrat control and how the Center is fighting to restore Minnesota’s future through sound public policy and grassroots activism.  

American Experiment’s Young Leaders Council (YLC) and the Freedom Club hosted the annual holiday party on Dec. 5 at the Metropolitan Ballroom & Clubroom in Golden Valley. The evening event included drinks, food, a photo booth, music, and a prize raffle. Join YLC or find more information on American Experiment’s website (www.AmericanExperiment.org/YLC/). 

Initiatives and reports  

American Experiment North Dakota’s “Nope on Dope” campaign contributed to North Dakota voters defeating a third consecutive attempt to legalize recreational marijuana. American Experiment North Dakota launched a marketing and social media campaign in early October urging North Dakotans to oppose Ballot Measure 5, which would have made recreational marijuana legal in the state. The successful Nope on Dope campaign consisted of digital and Meta advertising directing voters to an informational landing page (www.NopeOnDope.com).  

“We are pleased North Dakotans made the right choice on recreational marijuana on Tuesday,” says Jennifer Benson, American Experiment ND executive director. “Perhaps this vote will put the matter to rest so policymakers can focus on more important issues such as the state budget and property tax relief.” 

Policy fellow David Zimmer released his latest report, “Minnesota’s Offender Outcomes Devoid of Racial Bias” on Nov. 13. Zimmer uses crime data to dispel the often-used political narrative that disproportionate representation between black and white offenders throughout Minnesota’s criminal justice system is evidence of an unfair system that creates racial disparities.  

American Experiment published “Mission Impossible: Mineral Shortages and the Broken Permitting Process Put Net Zero Goals Out of Reach” on Oct. 8. The report is authored by hardrock mining policy expert Debra Struhsacker and American Experiment policy fellow Sarah Montalbano. The report provides a stark warning that the minerals needed to achieve so-called net zero policies are either in short supply, made inaccessible by permitting delays and excessive regulations, or controlled by our geopolitical enemies, especially China. A version of the report is featured in this issue of Thinking Minnesota.  

Policy fellow spotlight 

Following her cover story in the Fall 2023 issue of Thinking Minnesota, American Experiment economist Martha Njolomole was invited to tell her story of coming to America in a five-minute video with PragerU. “Martha Njolomole grew up in a village in Malawi, Africa. Her laundromat was a nearby river. Her school was a clearing under a tree. When she won a scholarship to come to America, she was overwhelmed by the comparative luxury. What was the secret to America’s success? She had to find out.” As of this writing, the video has 610,000 views on YouTube. Readers can find Njolomole’s story as well as other multimedia clips, radio appearances, and the podcast on American Experiment’s website (www.AmericanExperiment.org/multimedia).

CORRECTION: A feature in the print edition of the Fall 2024 Thinking Minnesota (“The Green New Twilight Zone”) misstates the units when describing the quantity of minerals used in onshore wind turbines and solar photovoltaic panels. The correct verbiage should be:  

“Onshore wind turbines require 5.5 metric tons of zinc, 2.9 metric tons of copper, and 0.78 metric tons of manganese per megawatt of installed capacity. Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels require 3.9 metric tons of silicon and 2.8 metric tons of copper per megawatt of installed capacity.”