During the pandemic, numerous Minnesotans lost their jobs for pandemic-related reasons. Because of that, the unemployment insurance trust fund was depleted. Minnesota had to borrow from the federal government. That…
Earlier this month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released figures showing that, over the previous year, prices had risen by 7.5 percent, the fastest year-on-year rate since February 1982. Because…
In this mini-series, we have been exploring the role played by S&S Catering, one of three primary food vendors implicated in the alleged Feeding Our Future scandal. Not one person…
The current budget debate is shaping up much like the debate in 1999, albeit with exponentially more money involved. Jesse Ventura had just shocked the world with his election as…
Minnesota’s craft brewers have been an economic success story over the last decade. From 2011 to 2020, Brewer’s Association data shows the number of craft breweries increased by 520% statewide,…
The free food scandal involves at least three distinct groups of alleged fraudsters. Not one person has been arrested or charged, to date. In Part 1, we introduced the group…
On Monday, Minnesota Management & Budget announced that the state’s forecast budget surplus had grown to $9.3 billion. This is a staggering amount of money the state government is forecast…
Chad Helton’s tumultuous tenure as head of the Hennepin County Library system from afar in sunny California may be over, but not before one last departing bout of controversy. As…
An already historic surplus just got bigger. Earlier today the Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) released their updated economic forecast. And According to the new numbers, Minnesota is now expecting…
Much of the attention in the Feeding Our Future scandal has focused on the role of Safari Restaurant. The Safari group is just one of three networks within Feeding Our…
The number of students enrolled in Minnesota public schools for the 2021-2022 school year has dropped again, while online school, charter school and private school enrollment continues to increase, according…
Minnesotans are feeling the pinch from higher prices, and the price of gas is one of the main culprits. Lawmakers in St. Paul are anxious to ameliorate this — especially…
Mask-optional policies in cities and businesses are becoming more prevalent, but many children continue to face mask mandates in school, leaving them with more restrictions than their parents. Based on…
Economic development Duluth News Tribune: Local View: Mining isn’t Minnesota’s future; natural resources are Finance & Commerce: Rochester-area fund looks to spur development Star Tribune: Counterpoint: We must welcome investment…
Members of the Senate Education Finance and Policy Committee recently approved an Education Savings Account (ESA) bill that would provide more Minnesota families access to K-12 education services and learning…
Americans are dying. More specifically, non-college-educated, middle-aged white Americans are dying at higher rates compared to older generations of non-college-educated white Americans when they were at the same age, as…
According to Morning Take, several DFL representatives, including Zach Stephenson, Kaela Berg, Dave Lislegaard, Jessica Hanson, and Dan Wolgamott, will propose a gas tax holiday between Memorial Day and Labor Day using the budget…
Yesterday, Gov. Tim Walz’s tax policy proposal got its first hearing of the session in the Minnesota House. The tax policy plan, which is part of a broader spending package,…
Two Chinese companies stand to benefit from millions of dollars in local tax breaks being offered to locate or expand their operations in Grand Forks and Duluth. No one evidently…
This morning, Congressman Tom Tiffany of Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District asked me to help him introduce new legislation known as the Future Agriculture Retention and Management Act of 2022, or…
They say to always follow the money. The fallout from the alleged free-food scandal has claimed another Minneapolis official. This time it was the chair of the city’s public housing…
Today, Minnesota’s Senate Republicans released their plan for what to do with the state’s forecast budget surplus. They propose to reduce the first-tier income tax rate from 5.35 percent to…
Starbucks’ brand as a proudly progressive company continues to take a beating among those who know the high-priced coffee corporation best — its employees. The organizing drive that led to…
Minnesota leaders often boast about the state’s high business survival rate. Indeed, Minnesota ranks well when it comes to how many of its new businesses survive. According to the Bureau…