News of note

American Experiment Update: Center events, initiatives, and policy work

Summer tour

American Experiment’s summer tour returned this year in June and July. The “Minnesota DOGE: Cut the waste, save the budget” events featured Center economists John Phelan and Martha Njolomole discussing the question, “What if Minnesota had a Department of Government Efficiency?” The tour traveled around Minnesota, giving the state government a thorough examination amid a $70 billion state budget that provides health care for 1.5 million people, educates 850,000 children, plows 7,500 miles of highways, and incarcerates 8,200 inmates. Tour events sponsored by local American Experiment chapters in Rochester, Mankato, St. Cloud, and Duluth each drew more than 100 attendees. Almost 20 others were held in communities like Owatonna, Marshall, Willmar, Brainerd, and Bemidji.

Farmfest

Greater Minnesota events and initiatives include American Experiment’s booth at Farmfest Aug. 5-7. The Center has been a presence at the event since 2019, sharing feedback and discussing issues and policy work at the three-day event that attracts over 20,000 people in agribusiness across the Midwest to Redwood County, Minn. Outreach Director Mike Amery emphasized the importance of relationship-building, noting that conversations with agricultural professionals and community leaders help shape American Experiment’s understanding of rural challenges.

County-level engagements and speaking tours

American Experiment also ramped up its presence in Greater Minnesota counties including Lyon, St. Louis, Lake, Nicollet, Beltrami, and Itasca. At the Itasca County Fair, the Center connected with fairgoers to discuss local and state issues and distributed more than 150 copies of Thinking Minnesota magazine. Speaking engagements in Duluth and other regional hubs allowed the Center to share research and policy proposals tailored to the unique needs of Greater Minnesota communities.

New staff

American Experiment welcomes new policy fellow Josiah Padley, who will focus on education-related issues and policies. Padley previously taught Attic Greek, Latin, and ancient history in Baton Rouge, La., after working with the Hertog Institute as a political studies fellow and a Humanities at Hertog program facilitator. She is also a graduate of Baylor University, where she studied Classics, Great Texts, and History. Says Padley, “Through my work at American Experiment, I hope to give insight to the countless educators, parents, policymakers, journalists, and citizens who are conducting the fruitful work of building a society.”

News from North Dakota

Whether on the state or local level, American Experiment North Dakota is deeply engaged in important policy issues, and a growing number of North Dakotans are reading about it at AmericanExperimentND.org.

When issues arise, American Experiment North Dakota is there to analyze and address them, with executive director Jennifer Benson sharing its voice at the Capitol and policy fellows writing and speaking on important topics throughout the state.

Because North Dakota is one of only four states whose legislature still meets biennially (every other year), and for a maximum of 80 days, interim committees play an important role during the 20 months between legislative sessions.

Policy fellows will be actively engaged in several of the studies underway this interim:

  • Economist John Phelan and policy fellow (and former ND Speaker of the House) Kim Koppelman will bring their expertise to property tax issues and government efficiency task force work.
  • Energy policy fellow Sarah Montalbano will provide insight on the feasibility of advanced nuclear power and the impact of large energy consumers on the state’s electrical grid.
  • Health care policy fellow Matt Dean will weigh in on four studies: prescription drug transparency reporting, prescription drug pricing, historical health care mandates, and the impact of prior authorization requirements on both patients and costs.
  • Economist Martha Njolomole will participate in studies on childcare provider licensing laws and policies, as well as the Legislative Council’s program evaluation of childcare services within the Department of Health and Human Services.
  • Public safety policy fellow David Zimmer and Kim Koppelman will engage with Judiciary Committee studies on sentencing, corrections and parole oversight, and the costs and savings of pretrial services programs.
  • Kim Koppelman will also continue to research, analyze and write on a variety of issues affecting North Dakota policy throughout the interim.
  • Martha Njolomole, John Phelan and Kim Koppelman will contribute to the Legislative Task Force on Government Efficiency, evaluating opportunities to improve how government serves North Dakotans.

In addition to these committee studies, executive director Jennifer Benson and policy fellow Catrin Wigfall continue to advance education choice policy in partnership with EdChoice, Americans for Prosperity, and state lawmakers. Education remains a top priority, as solutions are refined and momentum is built heading into the 2027 Legislative Session.