News

Red vs. blue states and the future of the American Dream.

State and local taxes and spending Minn Post: Bill seeks $10 million for Minnesota cities to help with costs incurred during Operation Metro Surge Spokesman Recorder: Small businesses need Minnesota…

Governor Walz gave his final State of the State address on Tuesday. Lamenting affordability challenges plaguing Minnesotans, he touted his proposal to expand the Dependent Care Tax Credit to lower…

State and local taxes and spending Kare 11: A new tax on fraud? Minnesota lawmakers are discussing the ‘Take it Back Act’ to recover stolen money Star Tribune: Opinion |…

This week, the White House announced that President Trump is nominating University of Minnesota economist Christopher Phelan as the next chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers. Prof.…

A year ago, I wrote: “It’s official: Minnesota is now a below-average GDP per capita state.” Then the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) went and revised their data — which…

In January, the unemployment rate in Minnesota (4.4%) was higher than that of the United States (4.3%) for the first time since November 2007. Some of the local media reports…

State and local taxes and spending The Center Square: Minnesota Republicans propose largest tax cut in state history KTTC: KTTC review finds combined county tax levies in southeast Minnesota rose…

Congratulations are in order to northern Minnesota Congressman Pete Stauber (R, 8th). At a time when Congress can’t even pass a bill as simple as funding the Department of Homeland…

State and local taxes and spending Northern News Now: Legal weed earns Minnesota $27M in tax revenue in 2025 Pioneer Press: How might St. Paul boost its tax base and…

This article originally appeared in the Duluth News Tribune on April 8, 2026, and includes contributions from Edward Timmons (Archibridge Institute). Child care operates in a “broken market,” or so…

State and local taxes and spending KSTP: Fate of license tab bill that would lower fees remains up in the air in Minnesota Senate Elk River Star News: State needs…

Yesterday, Minnesota announced its state unemployment rate. From KWLM Radio, State unemployment rate for January higher than the U.S. rate The state rate stands at 4.4 percent. Somehow, while announcing a state unemployment rate…

The two parties in St. Paul have very different priorities this session. For Republicans, the focus is “affordability;” for the DFL, it is gun control and immigration. But, as we found in our…

State and local tax and spending St. Cloud Times: Walz proposes new taxes, budget changes for Minnesota MPR News: Walz unveils tech tax in budget; bipartisan support emerges at Capitol…

On Tuesday, the Senate Health and Human Services Committee heard SF 4324, a bill that would revise childcare licensing standards in Minnesota. I testified in favor of several provisions in…

Last week, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) belatedly released its migration data for 2022-2023. The data showed a net loss of 7,561 individuals from Minnesota to other parts of the United…

Economic growth KNSI: In search of affordability: How Minnesota ranks for cost of living Fox 9: Economic impact of ICE surge in Minnesota KTTC: New data suggests living in Rochester…

Approvals are 24% above the forecast rate A month ago, citing data over its first four weeks of operation, I noted that approvals for Minnesota’s Paid Family and Medical Leave…

On this day in 1776, Adam Smith published “An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations.” It was one of the most revolutionary products of a…

State and local taxes and spending Star Tribune: Minnesota’s looming budget deficit now is a surplus but uncertainty remains Minnesota Reformer: Minnesota’s budget outlook improves CBS News: Minnesota’s latest economic…

Economic freedom and its (conservative) discontents Did the Industrial Revolution impoverish workers? Was Progressive-era regulation necessary to tame the extremes of capitalism? Was the Great Depression a failure of capitalism?…

Trade Minn Post: D.C. Memo: Scotus upends Trump tariffs that have roiled Minnesota farmers and state’s trade with Canada Star Tribune: Minnesotans hoping Supreme Court ruling brings swift relief for…

In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson declared war on poverty, asserting that additional efforts were necessary to “strike down all the barriers” that kept many from taking advantage of increasing…