Despite S.23’s good intentions, the reality is there are too many unintended consequences and we cannot grow the economy or make Vermont more affordable by arbitrarily forcing wage increases. I…
The following article originally appeared in Reason. Baltimore County residents’ have had their perceptions about where their glass ends up shattered. Over the weekend, news broke that the county—which does not include…
How big should the bonding bill be? What should the state government do with the forecast $1.3 billion surplus? With all 201 House and Senate seats up for grabs in…
Advocates of light rail transportation for the Twin Cities imagined a clean, sophisticated, modern mode of transit that would enhance Minnesota’s reputation as a progressive bastion. Unfortunately, that is not…
From stricter school discipline policies to shifting perceptions on teacher salary increases, the opinions of the general public are getting less attention from presidential candidates than they deserve.
The suburb of Victoria would become the first Minnesota city to withdraw from the controversial GreenStep Cities program overseen by the state Pollution Control Agency under a resolution Mayor Tom…
We may never truly know if Bernie or Mayor Pete won the Iowa caucuses, but thanks to our friends at the Clear Energy Alliance, we do know that the energy…
Good public policy will be based on the best facts and data we have, not just the facts and data we find politically convenient.
Authored by American University’s Seth Gershenson, "Great Expectations: The Impact of Rigorous Grading Practices on Student Achievement" investigates how the grading standards of an Algebra I teacher affect content mastery—as…
A round-up of the last week’s economic news stories in Minnesota.
We all accept that Minnesota imposes high taxes. Some argue that that's a fair price to pay for all the absolutely necessary stuff the state government does for us in…
Last year, I wrote about how the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy (MCEA), a group that opposes mining and reliable natural gas and coal-fired power plants, sued the Minnesota Pollution…
Just like any subsidies, housing subsidies will not make housing cheaper; it will push cost on to tax payers without addressing the root cause of the problem.
The frigid weather on Saturday, January 18 did not deter participants and spectators from the annual Autonomous Snowplow Competition held this year at Dunwoody College of Technology in Minneapolis. The…
A response to our Monday op ed in the Star Tribune highlights the pitfalls of replying to things before reading them.
It appears Governor Walz is accelerating his push to circumvent the legislative process by using the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) to impose unpopular California car mandates on Minnesota. These…
Tomorrow the United States House of Representatives is expected to vote on the PRO Act (H.R. 2474), a bill that would eliminate workers’ rights to choose to join a union. Catrin…
It may not exactly be an open checkbook of public funding for the arts in Rochester, but close enough. Last year the city doled out more than $850,000 in taxpayer…
The link between wages and productivity is currently one of the most hotly contested issues in political economy. The evidence shows, in fact, that the link holds. To raise wages,…
This testimony before the Minnesota Senate Education Committee was delivered on February 5, 2020. Madam Chair and Members of the Committee, my name is Mitch Pearlstein and it’s an honor…
On Monday, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) voted in favor of three key approvals for the Line 3 oil pipeline replacement project, a revised environmental review, a certificate of…
Public criticism and concern continues to mount over the dangers of riding the Twin Cities’ light rail system and lax enforcement by local authorities. Serious crime has shot up by…
Tomorrow, the U.S. House of Representatives will hold a hearing on a bill that would permanently ban mining for precious metals in more than 200,000 acres in Northeastern Minnesota. The…
In response to National School Choice Week, the #ILovePublicSchools Twitter hashtag was scheduled to evoke support for public schools, according to Choice Media. But the top tweets under the #ILovePublicSchools…