Capitol Watch is taking a break from all the negativity and polarization in state government to bring you four positive developments we’ve observed in St. Paul. Next week we will…
State and local taxes and spending Minn Post: Walz sales tax proposal hits consumers, while sparing business-to-business transactions Duluth News Tribune: Local View: Paying the tax piper doesn’t always jibe…
More schools and students will be negatively impacted if Gov. Tim Walz’s proposed education cuts for the next biennium get incorporated into the Minnesota Legislature’s state budget. (I previously wrote…
An audio recording of MN Attorney General Keith Ellison was included on the exhibit list of Feeding Our Future’s Aimee Bock in the recently concluded trial. It was not introduced…
As states across the country expand educational freedom through policies such as Education Savings Account (ESA) legislation, some in the homeschool community have raised concerns and are actively opposing ESA…
There is an agreement in St. Paul that the state budget is out of control. Gov. Walz and both chambers of the legislature have proposed lower spending in the next…
In American Experiment’s 2021 report, “The State of Minnesota’s Economy: 2020 — A focus on economic growth,” we wrote: What matters for economic welfare is per capita income. This is…
Support Thinking Minnesota to support a freer, more prosperous future. In June 2015, we celebrated 25 years at Center of the American Experiment by publishing the first issue of Thinking…
Do you know where your tax dollars are? It’s a sorry state of affairs when Minnesota — long the gold standard of forthright Midwest values and decency — is now…
It’s difficult to get a handle on the scope of the federal budget cuts coming down from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). But the cancellation of billions of dollars…
You may have heard Minnesota’s Governor Tim Walz say recently that he wishes there was a “shadow government.” Grace and Kathryn react on the latest episode of the American Experiment…
The message sent For years, several progressive-led cities, counties, and campuses in Minnesota have had “sanctuary” policies that have prohibited sharing information with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Recent ICE activity…
Last week, I wrote about how the growth rate of per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) can be broken down into the share that comes from growth in human capital,…
The state Public Utilities Commission (MPUC) is on the brink of approving two massive new electric transmission line projects. Next week (April 10) the Commission will meet to take up…
Thank oil and gas for concrete, fertilizers, and plastics. The New York Post’s Dec. 9, 2024 article contained exclusive polling taken in November of that year showing that most Americans…
Affordable housing and the tyranny of local government. The separation of powers between the federal and state governments not only serves as an important check to federal encroachment on individual…
No three-eyed fish here! Homer Simpson, patriarch of the Simpson family and the eponymous, long-running animated sitcom “The Simpsons,” is the ineffective safety inspector in Sector 7G of Springfield’s nuclear…
A St. Paul foundry fought the environmental bureaucracy — and won. For more than a century, Northern Iron & Machine foundry has been a fixture in St. Paul’s traditionally blue-collar…
Judging by their actions, ‘tolerant’ is false advertising. The Minnesota House Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee scheduled a meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 21, to kick off the 2025 legislative…
American Experiment Update: Center events, initiatives, and policy work. Staff updates Peter Nelson, senior policy fellow at Center of the American Experiment, has been named by Pres. Donald Trump to…
Legislation introduced in both the Minnesota House and Senate would bring flexibility and innovation to students’ K-12 education journeys. Under H.F. 19 and S.F. 244, Minnesota would establish an education…
Shortly before Election Day last November, Gallup reported that “The economy ranks as the most important of 22 issues that U.S. registered voters say will influence their choice for president.” Crucially, given…
Gov. Walz was under the false impression that the rules don’t apply to him. Gov. Tim Walz added drama to the already-chaotic start of the 2025 legislative session when he…
We’ve got mail! Lowertown’s descent Sadly, I echo John Phelan’s sentiments on the demise of St. Paul’s Lowertown district (“Gone But Not Forgotten”). I lived in Lowertown, both times after…