After shutting down in 2020 due to the pandemic and the following year by concerns over crime and “civil unrest,” the Uptown Art Fair in south Minneapolis appeared to be…
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) announced today that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased — the rate of inflation — by 0.4% in March, which matches February’s number for another “hot”…
Regulation Star Tribune: Can Minnesota find a path forward for Uber and Lyft drivers? Star Tribune: Here’s how Uber and Lyft are trying to get their way in Minnesota Star…
I recently appeared on the Let the People Prosper podcast hosted by economist Vance Ginn from the American Institute for Economic Research to discuss my report “The X-Factor? Social capital…
On Thursday, the Minnesota House’s Labor and Industry Finance and Policy Committee will consider HF 2513, a bill which would abolish sub-minimum wages for people with disabilities. If enacted, the bill…
Last week, my colleague, Martha Njolomole, wrote that Minnesota’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in 2023 ranked 43rd in the country. This relatively poor performance wasn’t an anomaly. Indeed, as…
Speaking at his 2023 State of the State address, Gov. Walz heavily touted the many accomplishments of the DFL-controlled legislature in the 2023 legislative session, declaring that the state of…
Labor market Pioneer Press: Minnesota private sector loses 1,600 jobs in February, unemployment steady at 2.7% KNSI: Minnesota Ekes Out February Job Gain Willmar Radio: Minnesota unemployment rate holds steady…
A $20 minimum wage taking effect on April 1 is already causing havoc in California. According to the Wall Street Journal, Some restaurants there are already laying off staff and…
Back in December, I wrote: To some extent, then, I see the American economy going into the new year as a race between two factors: one is the squeeze on…
Last week, the Star Tribune carried a story titled “Women’s salaries are lower, and their expenses are higher. Here’s how to push back.” This one article invoked both the “Pink…
State and local taxes and spending Newsweek: (Illegal) Migrants Could Get $500 a Month Under New Bill Kare 11: ‘Build toward the future’: Gov. Tim Walz unveils supplemental budget proposal…
State and local taxes and spending Bloomberg: Minnesota Persists in Drive for Full Value From Corporate Taxes KROC: The 10 Minnesota Counties With The Highest Property Taxes in 2024 Star…
Last week, PBS reported: President Joe Biden is going all-in on calling out “shrinkflation.” The term applies to a seemingly covert way for companies to raise prices by ever so…
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) announced today that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased — the rate of inflation — by 0.4% in February. This is the fastest rate…
State and local taxes and spending Star Tribune: Proposal would tax Minnesota farmers to help pay for cleanup of nitrate pollution Duluth News Tribune: Our View: New tax credit can…
Day laborers line up for blocks along West Lake Street in south Minneapolis looking for work. Around 10 am this morning, two colleagues of mine visited this intersection just west…
As new markets open up, entrepreneurs rush in to fill the demand. An alert reader sent me this picture taken Friday, March 1, of a bus parked at a south…
A drilling crew boring some 2,000 feet under the surface of the northern Minnesota wilderness has found what they were looking for. Namely, confirmation of a rich pocket of helium…
Economic growth KFGO: U of M study shows ethanol generated $6.6 billion in economic activity in Minnesota Star Tribune: Chris Farrell: Productivity growth has led to our economic growth Minnesota…
I’ve written before about how Minnesota’s state government is trying to offset the residents driven out of the state by its ever-higher-tax policies with those attracted here by the state’s…
In a newly introduced bill SF 4019, three DFL senators have suggested gradually raising Minnesota’s minimum wage for all employers to $20 by 2028. Currently, large employers pay $10.85 an…
Yesterday, I wrote about a bill being pushed by three DFL Senators — McEwen, Seeberger, and Hoffman — which would erect a costly regulatory apparatus to govern who could buy, sell, or use…
Last week, I released my new Policy Briefing, “Counteracting Regulatory Burdens,” which calls for state policymakers to enact a Pay-as-You-Go provision whereby new regulatory requirements or costs must be offset…