Testimony on CAE Income Migration Report

The following is an excerpt from the testimony of North Star’s Tax & Fiscal Policy fellow, Jeff Van Wychen, regarding the Center for the American Experiment’s recent report alleging massive income migration as a result of Minnesota’s tax climate....

State Property Tax: A Good Deal for Businesses

Since 2002, property taxes on Minnesota businesses have been growing less rapidly than taxes on most other classes of property. As with all things pertaining to the property tax system, the explanation for this trend is varied and complicated. However, the state...

Minnesota to Expand Its Broadband Grant Program

Broadband Internet access has been one of the main policy discussions in Minnesota for the past few years. Governor Dayton’s Broadband Task Force has recommended the state use public dollars to jumpstart broadband infrastructure investment. For FY2016-2017, Governor...

2015 Tax Proposals: a “What If” Analysis

The legislature failed to pass an omnibus tax bill during the 2015 legislative session. But what if the Governor’s 2015 tax proposal had been enacted in 2015? Or what if the Senate’s 2015 omnibus tax bill had been enacted? Or the House’s? The analysis below will...

A Better Way to Reduce Tax Regressivity

According to business lobbyists, one of the benefits of the elimination of the state business property tax is a reduction in Minnesota tax regressivity. In the long run, though, business property tax breaks are an inefficient way to do this, especially in comparison...

Governor’s Budget Focused on Fiscal Stability

Governor Mark Dayton released a cautious supplemental budget yesterday, leaving significant unspent resources on the bottom line both in the current FY 2016-17 and the upcoming 2018-19 biennia. While being careful not to break the bank, Dayton does designate a portion...

Minnesota Renewable Energy Goal is On Track

In 2007, the legislature passed a bill, called the Next Generation Energy Act, that aimed not only to reduce electricity use from fossil fuel by 15 percent by 2015, but also to increase electricity from renewable sources to 25 percent by 2025. A recent report from the...

Wage Theft in Minnesota

Wage theft is a serious issue affecting the entire nation, including Minnesota. Millions of American workers have had their wages stolen by their employers, and according to a report from the Department of Labor, wage theft disproportionately affects low-wage workers....

Majority of Business Tax Break Leaves Minnesota

The elimination of state business property tax is projected to reduce state revenue by nearly $1.9 billion by the time it is fully phased-in. However, the amount of net tax relief received by Minnesotans will only be about $0.9 billion. What happened to the missing...

No Evidence Taxes are Driving People Out

A new report from the right wing Center of the American Experiment (CAE) contends that Minnesotans are leaving the state in droves—a phenomenon referred to as “income migration.” The culprit—according to the report—are those hateful Minnesota taxes. A recent post from...