The latest Minnesota budget forecast hints at progress in fighting fraud. The state Dept. of Management and Budget (MMB) issued its latest (February) forecast for the state budget yesterday (Friday).…
I’m not kidding. Earlier this month, Minnesota state budget officials presented their latest state budget forecast. Minnesota state government operates its budget in two-year cycles called “biennia.” The forecast for…
No, really. The headline from Session Daily: Working group energy agreement cuts back on funding of renewables. The good news is confirmed with the bill’s introduction this morning (HF 7).…
Yesterday, language for a 2026-27 state government energy budget (and the accompanying spreadsheet) was quietly posted to the legislature’s website. The bill primarily finances the state Public Utilities Commission and…
The state legislature is said to be working through the holiday weekend to reach an agreement on the next $66 billion two-year budget. The St. Paul Pioneer Press (PP) reported…
“You’re killing our community!” In a bizarre scene at the state capitol this morning, protestors, including sitting DFL members of the state legislature, attempted to break into the Governor’s reception…
Suddenly, the “wrong” people are doing the “right” thing. The full quote from Nobel-prize-winning economist Milton Friedman goes as follows: I do not believe that the solution to our problem…
The CEO of the Minnesota-based free-food behemoth Second Harvest Heartland announced that she will be stepping down from her position. Allison O’Toole will be leaving the organization after leading it…
Today, the state’s Department of Management and Budget (MMB) released its latest budget forecast. The news was not good. But before we dig deep into the horrific numbers, some background…
I provide a real-life example for the benefit of the incoming Minnesota legislature. Perhaps we won’t see a Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)-style effort here at the state level any…
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…
The short answer is “no” when looking at three key measures. Earlier in the week, I posted a pie chart of state government spending. The chart shows that just two…
State government in one pie chart. As we get ready for tomorrow’s reveal of the current status of Minnesota’s budget, it’s worth reviewing where all the money goes. The single…
On May 17, the Minnesota legislature announced that it had agreed on a $52 billion budget for the next biennium. As reported by the Star Tribune, The leaders of the…
Minnesota ranked among the top 5 most progressive states after comparing tax rates paid by Married-joint Return filers earning $20,000 with fillers in the same category earning a higher income.
Tax hikes on tobacco merely burden low-income smokers, and harm Minnesota businesses without significantly reducing tobacco use.
In 2018, households in the lowest income decile paid an effective rate of 2.77% on tobacco taxes compared to the 0.05% paid by those in the top income decile.
In November 2020, Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) forecasted a $636 million deficit for the 2020-2021 biennium and a $1.2 billion deficit for the 2022-2023 biennium. Things turned around in…
Last week, the Star Tribune reported: Thousands of Minnesota families living in poverty will see a boost in monthly relief payments and will no longer have to meet cumbersome paperwork…
Yesterday, I testified in the House Committee on Taxes in opposition to HF 1689, a bill brought by Rep. Aisha Gomez (DFL) which would abolish the ‘stepped up’ basis of…
Today, the Minnesota House of Representatives held a hearing session for a bill to create a fifth individual income tax bracket with a 12.45% rate. In my testimony regarding this…
Despite evidence showing how detrimental high taxes are to economic growth, Gov. Walz is calling for tax hikes. What’s more surprising? He is not the only one. A bill was…
This op ed appeared in the Duluth News Tribune on March 20th, 2021 The COVID-19 pandemic has played havoc with Minnesota’s state finances. Late last year, Minnesota Management and Budget…
Sooner or later, the not-so-rich Minnesotans will have to pick up the tab for all the increased spending being proposed when the rich leave or find ways to reduce their…