Yesterday, the state House of Representatives passed HF 2442, the Energy omnibus budget bill for FY 2026-27. As passed, the bill runs less than 6 pages of text. The bare-bones…
If first-term North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong wanted to make an impression right out of the gate, his controversial vetoes of school choice legislation and a bill protecting minors from…
With three weeks left until the end of the 2025 legislative session, the conversation at the State Capitol on what to do about the budget has shifted to tax hikes.…
There are three full weeks left in the 2025 Minnesota legislative session. The House, Senate and Gov. Walz each put forward budget proposals that rely on surplus dollars to meet…
A lot has been written about the polarization of American politics in the era of Pres. Donald Trump. The left suffers from Trump Derangement Syndrome, or TDS, and the right…
It is refreshing to see that the Senate has advanced an energy omnibus bill, SF 2393, which faces some budget realities and energy realities at the same time. The bill…
The DFL deficit In February 2023, Minnesota Management & Budget (MMB) forecast a state government budget surplus of $17 billion for the 2024-2025 biennium. In that “historic” session, the DFL trifecta blew…
Fargo became the first city in North Dakota to adopt so-called approval voting for local elections in 2018, and the way things look now, it will be the last. North…
The money and power wielded by the state's teachers' union is the reason we don’t have school choice in Minnesota. It's time to connect the dots between union dues, campaign…
Rep. Jeff Backer, Chairman of the Health Finance and Policy Committee in the Minnesota House, moved House File 2604, which would stop payments to managed care organizations (MCOs) that pay…
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…
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…
Last week we wrote about Gov. Walz’s budget proposal to the legislature and how it remains unbalanced. If adopted, his budget would spend $1.838 billion more than it takes in…
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz continued his national “town hall” tour yesterday in Houston, TX. Local affiliate Fox 26 reported beforehand: You may recall that Robert Francis “Beto” O’Rourke’s most recent…
The DFL deficit In February 2023, Minnesota Management & Budget (MMB) forecast a state government budget surplus of $17 billion for the 2024-2025 biennium. In that “historic” session, the DFL trifecta blew…
Governor Walz made news last week traveling around the Midwest holding tightly controlled town meetings in front of friendly audiences. It feels like he’s searching for the meaning of life…
The Republican Last Tuesday, Republican state Senator Justin Eichorn was “arrested on suspicion of soliciting a minor for prostitution.” His Republican colleagues in the state Senate immediately called for his…
The dust finally settled on the November 2024 election as the House DFL candidate won the special election in Roseville and Shoreview last week. That means the House is now…
State and local taxes and spending Pioneer Press: Letters: The taxing cost of living in Minnesota Star Tribune: Minnesota faces a projected $6 billion budget deficit down the road. Here’s…
For more than a decade, members of Congress were banned from slipping spending requests for pet projects in their districts, known as earmarks, into spending bills. But as MinnPost points…
I was asked to submit written comments on Senate Concurrent Resolution 2 (SCR2) to the Ohio legislature. SCR2 requires the Ohio Assembly to consider adopting legislation to invest in the…
State and local taxes and spending Minnesota Reformer: Minnesota’s paid leave program will launch with 0.88% payroll tax, state agency says KAXE: Senate Majority Leader Murphy talks state budget, federal…
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…
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…