Minnesota’s Falling Price of Government

by | May 8, 2017

Dubbed as “an index of what taxpayers can afford” by the business community, Minnesota’s “price of government” is projected to reach an all-time low before the end of the state’s current budget planning horizon, according to non-partisan staff at Minnesota Management...

Minnesota Taxes Much Less Regressive

by | May 4, 2017

Minnesota’s state and local tax system remains regressive, with lower- and middle-income households generally paying a larger percentage of their income in state and local taxes than higher-income households, although the degree of tax regressivity is modest and...

On the Disadvantages of Switching to the Federal Exchange

by | May 3, 2017

MNsure, Minnesota’s state-based health exchange, has been a target of conservatives since its founding in 2013, including several attempts to transition to a federally-administered exchange. This raises the question of whether or not a federal exchange is in any way...

City LGA Differences Among Various Plans

by | May 1, 2017

Governor Dayton’s city Local Government Aid (LGA) proposal increases the LGA appropriation in the upcoming two year budget, while the House freezes the appropriation and the Senate cuts it, as noted in the preceding North Star article. Knowledge of the appropriation...

AHCA: Huge Losses in Premium Aid for Minnesotans

by | Apr 25, 2017

Earlier this year, conservatives attempted to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and replace it with the American Health Care Act (AHCA), otherwise known as Trumpcare. These efforts were stymied by the rivaling factions within the Republican party, but had the bill...