Minnesota’s Economic News – W/E 3/19/21
State and local taxes and spending
Star Tribune: Minnesota Senate passes tax relief on pandemic aid for some businesses, workers
Star Tribune: Hennepin County eyes taxes, borrowing to pay for services for homeless people
Pioneer Press: Minnesota Senate approves pandemic $470 million tax relief plan
Marshall Independent: Minnesota Senate passes PPP tax conformity legislation
KNSI: MN DEED: State Ready For Financial Recovery
International Falls Journal: DEED: More than $200,000 to 21 Koochiching County businesses
Minn Post: Is Minnesota’s tax system unfair?
Star Tribune: Minnesota Democrats tout $1.9 trillion stimulus package
Pioneer Press: Report finds Minnesota has 7th highest state and local taxes in U.S.
Park Rapids Enterprise: Minnesota Senate GOP calls for keeping state spending ‘closely in check,’ vows to block tax hikes
Pioneer Press: Minnesota Senate Republicans counter Walz budget proposal
WCCO: Minnesota Senate Republicans Offer Their Own Budget Proposal
KTOE: Minnesota Senate Republicans Propose $51B State Budget
The Globe: Hamilton supports business tax relief plan, but bill fails
WCCO: Revised Walz Budget Drops Some Tax Hikes, Makes Some PPP Loans And Unemployment Benefits Tax-Free
Star Tribune: Gov. Tim Walz scales back proposed tax increases, boosts tax relief
Labor market
Star Tribune: Minnesota in January saw bounceback of jobs that it lost in December
Hometown Focus: DEED focuses on getting unemployed ready for in-demand careers
International Falls Journal: State unemployment rate drops; gains nearly all jobs lost in December
Wahepton Daily News: MN unemployment rate falls in January
Economic growth
WCCO: Restaurant owners, workers, and customers all win with rolled back pandemic restrictions
Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal: Optimism is returning to construction industry as pandemic disruptions persist
KELO: Minnesota looks to open economy further with Executive Order 21-11
John Phelan is an economist at the Center of the American Experiment.