The tail continues to wag the dog in Rochester officials’ quest for a sexy project to sell to the public in an effort to continue raking in millions of dollars…
The latest poll for the Center’s Thinking Minnesota magazine captured the thoughts of Minnesotans on the subject of “paid family leave,” among other issues. Minnesota Democrats are considering HF2/SF2 to…
This week, the state legislature passed HF 5, which provides a free breakfast and lunch to all Minnesota public school children, rich and poor alike. Extending free meals to rich…
Minnesota hasn’t always been plagued by governors who seek to raise taxes at every opportunity for any – or even no – reason whatsoever. John Hendrickson, Policy Director of the…
On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors of the City/County of San Francisco was scheduled to take up the proposal of the African American Reparations Advisory Committee. The meeting was delayed…
Minnesota’s Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA) has a timely report out on the (mis)management of nonprofit grants by state government. The news is not good. The OLA’s report, running…
For the second time in as many days, opponents of a controversial proposed development in a North Dakota city triumphed over the political establishment, ending another overwhelmingly unpopular, though once…
In an effort to address the childcare crisis, Minnesota legislators and early care and education advocates proposed creating a task force. Termed the “Great Start for All Minnesota Children,” the…
Some 80 percent of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce’s members already offer paid family leave to employees. Yet Gov. Tim Walz and DFL legislators plan to impose a new $1…
Forget the projected $18 billion surplus. Democrats at the state legislature are looking under every rock for a chance to raise taxes. The latest proposal involves a 40-cent tax on…
The DFL’s plan for paid family and medical leave (HF0002 and SF0002) continues its way through the legislature. As I wrote in the Pioneer Press this weekend: There is no…
What will the DFL’s paid family and medical leave mean for you? One of the centerpieces of Gov. Walz’s “One Minnesota” budget is its proposal for paid family and medical…
As I explained in an earlier post, the DHS takes quite a huge chunk of the state budget already, so giving the agency more money puts pressure on other government…
In his multi-billion spending proposal, Gov. Tim Walz wants to give the Department of Human Services about $3 billion more in spending for the next two biennia. The majority of…
Elected officials rarely turn down the chance to move into a bigger and better publicly-funded building, particularly if it means new offices and meeting rooms. So it’s no surprise the…
When he announced his $65.2 billion two-year “One Minnesota” budget, a 26% increase from the current two-year budget, Gov. Walz claimed that it will “lower costs, cut taxes, and improve…
In Minnesota, families with incomes less than $55,300 can get back up to $1,050 in qualifying care expenses under the state’s Child and Dependent Care credit. Families with two or…
Cited as a cost-saving measure. Earlier this week, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that Hennepin County has used $25 million in federal pandemic funds to purchase five motels to house…
When he announced his $65.2 billion two-year “One Minnesota” budget, a 26% increase from the current two-year budget, Gov. Walz claimed that it will “lower costs, cut taxes, and improve…
I’m not kidding. Buried deep in the fine print of Walz’ proposed transportation budget is a massive increase in the annual car registration tax (“registration tab”), being sold as a…
With Democrats enjoying their new power in St. Paul, one normal part of the legislative process has been missing: conference committees.
When Minnesota’s state Senate passed a bipartisan bill last year to cut the lowest rate of state income tax, a DFL complaint was that it was “titled (sic) toward the…
The southeastern Minnesota town of Harmony was projected to lose residents in the 2020 census, leaving the community short of 1,000 residents. But the prognosticators evidently failed to account for…
The personal care assistant (PCA) program is slated to receive an additional $247 million per year, according to budget documents filed this week (page 25). The proposal (p. 28), would…