Tax, Revenue, Spending Rankings in Perspective

by | Dec 29, 2017

Americans love rankings. We rank everything from Division 1 college football teams to states with the worst winters. (Without much trouble, you can probably guess which one Minnesota leads the nation in!) Policy nerds (like me) and politicians often talk about tax...

Medical Billing: A Primer

by | Dec 28, 2017

In preparation for an upcoming article, we’re returning to the Safety Net Series to discuss the incredibly odd world of medical billing. This article will take a quick look at how prices are set, along with how the users of medical care interact with this system. The...

Minnesota: the Best Run State in the U.S.

by | Dec 27, 2017

Minnesota progressives can tout a new achievement: the state was recently ranked the best run state in the nation, according to a 24/7 Wall Street report published by USA Today. This report is not based on an ideologically skewed methodology designed to prefer blue...

When Equal Unemployment Rates Are Not Equal

by | Dec 15, 2017

Minnesota and Wisconsin currently enjoy low unemployment rates relative to the rest of the nation. In addition, both states enjoyed an above average decline in unemployment rates since the beginning of the Great Recession. However, this does not mean that the...

State Deficit Worse Than It Appears

by | Dec 6, 2017

True to expectations, the condition of Minnesota’s finances has deteriorated from what was projected at the end of the 2017 special session. Based on the November forecast released earlier today, a modest deficit is now projected for the current fiscal year (FY)...

Low-Tax Wisconsin Losing More Income Tax Filers than Minnesota

by | Nov 29, 2017

In recent years, there has been a small net migration of income tax filers from Minnesota to other states. Conservative think tanks have argued that this net export of tax filers from the state is due to Minnesota’s tax climate—a claim debunked in a previous North...

St. Paul Spending Isn’t “Out of Control”

by | Nov 18, 2017

The City of Saint Paul is confronting a potential 24 percent increase in its levy in 2018, based on a preliminary budget proposal. The increase is largely the result of a Minnesota Supreme Court decision handed down last summer, which stripped the City of its ability...