How to Succeed in Tax Rankings Without Really Trying

by | Sep 29, 2016

The conservative Tax Foundation just released the 2017 version of its State Business Tax Climate Index (SBTCI) and once again, Minnesota is purportedly in terrible shape. Minnesota policymakers need only follow a simple strategy to improve its ranking on the SBTCI:...

Impact of 2013 Legislation on 2014 Rankings is Modest

by | Jul 12, 2016

A pair of recent North Star articles demonstrated that Minnesota was fairly typical of other states in terms of the size of government. Total state and local government expenditures per $1,000 of personal income* in Minnesota were modestly below the national average,...

A Closer Look at IRS Migration Data

by | Jul 8, 2016

Earlier this year, the conservative Center of the American Experiment (CAE) released a report based on Internal Revenue Service Statistics of Income (SOI) that purported to show significant migration of high income households from Minnesota due to the state’s tax...

Minnesota State & Local Revenues About Average

by | Jul 5, 2016

The preceding article in this series demonstrated that in terms of state and local government spending per $1,000 of personal income, Minnesota is slightly below the national average based on fiscal year (FY) 2013 data, ranking 31st among states. An examination of...

Minnesota in the Middle in Terms of Government Spending

by | Jun 30, 2016

Minnesota has a reputation among conservatives as a high tax, big government state. However, based on some of the better metrics, total state and local government expenditures in Minnesota are about equal to the national average, with Minnesota ensconced in the middle...

Minnesota GDP Growth Above Average Since 2013 Tax Act

by | Jun 29, 2016

Minnesota conservatives have complained loudly and repeatedly that tax increases in general—and the tax increases enacted in 2013 in particular—will ruin the state’s economy, as businesses flee in response to an “uncompetitive” business environment. However, a recent...