On Friday, February 28, the state Public Utilities Commission (PUC) will take up the proposal by Amazon for 600 MW of diesel backup generators to serve their massive, planned data…
Yesterday, I testified on H.F. 1311 before the Energy Finance and Policy Committee. H.F. 1311 would allow utilities to only profit from the reliable portion of an energy asset. This…
In the Winter 2025 edition of our magazine, Thinking Minnesota, I wrote about the dire effects of years of “progressive” governance on the economy of Lowertown in St. Paul. A…
Starting this fall for the 2025-26 school year, Minnesota’s public schools will be required to teach third-graders how to use non-binary gender pronouns in writing sentences. The Minnesota Department of…
Your humble, hometown think tank is now being studied at the university level. No, really. As he documents on his PowerLine website, our president, John Hinderaker, received an email purportedly…
Less than a year out from implementation of the paid family and medical leave program, the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce warns many small businesses face economic turmoil unless lawmakers…
In this episode of the American Experiment Podcast, we bring Bill Walsh back to the studio with Grace and Kathryn for the second installment of STOP THE TAPE!! In this…
According to jail records, Abdinasir Abshir was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals on Friday and is being held in the Sherburne County jail. Abshir made a brief appearance…
What should be the guiding principle of federal lands management? The House Subcommittee on Federal Lands heard from witnesses about just that last week. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages 245 million…
“Better late than never” may be the best that can be said for the Metropolitan Council’s announcement it’s finally pulling the plug on the failed Northstar commuter rail line, following…
President Trump’s nominee to head the FBI, Kash Patel, was confirmed by the Senate in a 51-49 vote late last week. He was sworn into the office on Friday, for…
Minnesota’s paid family and medical leave (PFML) scheme is a study in irresponsible governance. When the legislation was introduced in 2023, I wrote “it will mean a new 0.7% payroll…
A new peer-reviewed research study developed a measurement of material usage that suggests from 1970 to 2020, the U.S. is using less of most materials overall — with the important…
Gov. Tim Walz unilaterally raised the payroll tax paid by every employer and employee in Minnesota this week from .7% of wages to .88%. The legislature gave Walz the power…
State and local taxes and spending KROC: Minnesota Started 2025 With Lower Than Forecast Tax Collections Minnesota Reformer: Minnesota county officials criticize Walz’s human services budget, warn of high property…
On Tuesday, the Minnesota House Education Policy Committee passed a bill that would suspend the implementation of the controversial 2021 K-12 social studies standards and repeal the ethnic studies mandates…
The effort to standardize state election procedures by banning approval and ranked choice voting continues to move forward in the state legislature. The North Dakota House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted…
Back in November, I told the story of former Minnesota Governor Wendell Anderson: Elected in 1970, the 37-year-old former Gopher and Olympic hockey player from St. Paul’s East Side faced a Legislature controlled…
The “good” news is that the state’s largest electric utility, Xcel Energy, will be meeting Minnesota’s mandate for 100% “carbon-free” electricity five years early. The better news for consumers is…
On Wednesday, electric vehicle maker Nikola filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and said it plans to “wind down operations.” The company is also seeking approval to hold an auction…
The vote took place today in the Minnesota House Energy committee and the tally was 8-7 in favor, with all Democrats voting “no.” The bill was HF 845, captioned with…
Back in 1994, the economist Paul Krugman wrote: Productivity isn’t everything, but in the long run it is almost everything. A country’s ability to improve its standard of living over…
With a looming $5 billion deficit, the Minnesota state budget is on an unsustainable path. Spending reform is essential in the 2025 legislative session. Unfortunately, the numerous proposals to increase…
D.C. is in a titter about permitting reform these days, but what is just as important to most businesses is achieving the permits needed to operate on the state level.…