I have recently joined the Center of the American Experiment as an economist to contribute to the Center’s research and analysis of Minnesota’s economy as well as various policy issues.…
School funding debates have led to several pretty costly spending proposals from the 2020 presidential candidate pool. There are three big concerns Americans need to consider before they jump on…
Beneath the surface Minnesota's economy shows inherent weakness.
Between 2010 and 2018, the US economy grew by 19.5% while Minnesota’s economy grew by 17.2%. Our state's growth matched that of the United States generally from 2010, but diverged…
High electricity prices are deadly. That’s the conclusion reached by a new paper produced by the National Bureau Of Economic Research (NBER), which investigated the relationship between electricity prices and…
Olmsted County residents owe nearly $1.5 million in uncollected fees for services they received this year. But as 2019 winds down the chances of collecting most of those funds appears…
Today, school districts that had their levy pass took to social media to share the news. But what was disturbing was how the news was shared—children were being used as…
Germany is often lauded as an example that Minnesota should follow by renewable energy supporters, but it turns out Minnesota isn’t the only part of the world that may have…
The United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) union decided to “explore” an endorsement process for Bernie Sanders back in September and is now working to “engage” members on this process before…
I’ve written about why Governor Walz’s plan to impose California’s fuel economy standards on Minnesota is not a good idea, namely because it will increase costs, reduce safety, and result…
The purpose of tax is to raise money to pay for government functions. On this score, Minnesota's estate tax is a loser and it should be repealed.
In Minnesota, groceries are fully exempt from the state’s sales tax base, but candy is treated differently than groceries and is therefore not included in the exemption.
Residents of Freeborn County in southern Minnesota could be facing more than a 5 percent hike in their property tax levy next year. But a portion of the tax hike–roughly…
The news broke last Friday that Xcel Energy is proposing a massive 15.2 percent increase in their electricity prices to cover the company’s desire to spend $466 million over the…
This op ed appeared in the Duluth News Tribune on November 1st, 2019 In a column on Twin Metals’ planned sulfide ore copper mine (Local View: “Arrowhead better served without…
The following story originally appeared at thedad.com: Halloween is a beloved holiday for children across the nation, but this Halloween will bring a little less joy than normal, as the…
Heartland’s Donald Kendal and Justin Haskins present episode 215 of the In The Tank Podcast. This weekly podcast features discussions that explore the work of think tanks across the country.…
A round-up of the last week’s economic news stories in Minnesota.
Center of the American Experiment announced its work was recognized with two major awards, highlighting the nationwide impact of its research and advocacy. The awards were presented last week at…
California is incurring yet another round of blackouts to try and prevent strong winds from causing power lines to break and starting fires. The result is approximately 318,000 California customers…
In a surprising move back in June, the Plymouth City Council stood up to staff and rejected a recommendation to adopt the controversial GreenStep Cities environmental program run by the…
Carl Solberg’s excellent biography of Hubert Humphrey – the liberal Mayor of Minneapolis, Senator for Minnesota, and vice president to Lyndon Johnson – contains the following story. Until he became…
It’s unfortunate the teachers’ union resorted, again, to using students and families as its political pawns. The Chicago teachers’ strike was more than a labor agreement dispute, it was a…
This article appeared in the Fall 2019 issue of Thinking Minnesota. To receive a free issue send your name and address to [email protected]. Minnesotans of a certain age will always…