News & Updates
Paid Family Medical Leave and Earned Sick and Safe Time: Myths and Facts
In 2023, Minnesota passed Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) and Earned Sick and Safe Time (ESST) to ensure workers could retain their wages and jobs when confronted with serious family and medical issues, including the birth of a new child or taking care of sick relatives. In response, opponents have falsely claimed these programs will damage Minnesota’s businesses and economy. In fact, at a time when businesses are struggling to find workers, this is the exact right time for the state to embrace PFML and ESST. Doing so will not only help workers, but also bolster businesses and expand Minnesota’s economy.
Progress and Protection: Aligning AI Innovation with Worker Welfare
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is poised to transform the workplace, offering opportunities for innovation while presenting significant challenges for Minnesota’s workers. A recent survey highlights the disconnect between employer expectations and worker experiences:...
Constructing Success: Minnesota’s Divergent Path in the Upper Midwest
Since 2010, five states in the Upper Midwest have been the subject of a political experiment. Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin have generally handed control of state government over to the Republican Party in their effort to recover from the Great...
Red State, North Star State
The Minnesota DFL has held control over the Governor’s office and both chambers of the Minnesota legislature since 2023. During that time, it has passed several historic policies seeking to improve the lives of all Minnesotans.
The Minnesota GOP claim they would do better if given the chance to run the state’s government. This argument raises an important question: what would the GOP do differently if given control? The easiest way to answer this question is by examining what the GOP has done when given control in other states.
On issue after issue, we show what has been accomplished by the Minnesota DFL over the last two years, as compared to what has been done by Republican-controlled states.
Safety Net Snags: The Effect of Payroll Fraud on Minnesota Workers and Taxpayers
The employer-employee relationship is foundational in the US. Labor protections begin with being recognized as an employee. Funding for many social safety net programs comes from employer and employee contributions. That...
The State of Working Minnesota 2024
Prevailing Wage Policies: Preventing Workplace Abuses Before They Happen
Digging into Danger: Broadband Installation Damage in Minnesota
In 1998, a crew installing broadband cable for high-speed internet in downtown St. Cloud struck a gas line. The resulting explosion killed four people, destroyed six buildings, and caused $400,000 in damage.[1] More than 25 years later, too little has changed. In...
Striking a Balance: The Role of Unemployment Insurance in Supporting Minnesota Workers
Minnesota's economic landscape is marked by a growing disparity between corporate profits and workers’ wages. Between 2009 and 2021, corporate profits grew three times more than average earnings. When workers take action to shrink this gap, billionaire-backed...
Powering Progress: Transforming Clean Energy Permitting for a Greener Minnesota
In 2023, Governor Walz and the Minnesota Legislature established one of the nation’s most ambitious climate change goals, committing Minnesota to 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040. While many have rightly cheered this goal,...
Stay Connected
Get the latest policy updates and action alerts from North Star. Questions? Contact us or email staff@northstarpolicy.org.

