Publications

To expand the diversity of voices that speak with authority in state policy debates, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP)… Continue reading Apply for a two-year state policy fellowship with the Minnesota Budget Project

Minnesota has experienced a fairly strong economic recovery since the Great Recession, with low overall unemployment and a growing economy.… Continue reading State of Working Minnesota: Low-wage workers still struggling in the economy with stagnant wages

The long election season that just concluded shone a spotlight on the economic insecurity facing many across our state and… Continue reading Tax credits for working Minnesotans an important area of common ground

Refugees come to this country because they face persecution in their homelands, and the United States provides a safe space for… Continue reading Refugees revitalizing Minnesota by contributing to economy and our communities

Minnesota’s economy has a number of strengths. Incomes are rising, poverty is falling, and unemployment is back to pre-recession levels. Minnesota… Continue reading Many workers being left behind in economic recovery

Monday’s October Revenue and Economic Update gave us some unwelcome news. The quarterly report from Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) showed that while… Continue reading Four takeaways from the October Economic Update

It’s a good time to visit public finance expert Peter Fisher’s comprehensive work over at Grading the States, which digs deep… Continue reading What matters more for competitiveness: Rankings or results?

From Governor Mark Dayton’s State of the State address to the final bills put together at the very end of… Continue reading Policymakers’ equity work makes strides, but much more to do

In 2012, President Barack Obama introduced a landmark executive action that allowed unauthorized immigrants who came to the United States… Continue reading Better jobs, higher education are 2 of 4 reasons to wish DACA a very happy 4th birthday

A healthy budget reserve is a two-for-one deal for states, according to a new report from the Center for American Progress.… Continue reading Building a strong budget reserve is a no-brainer

When parents have consistent, nurturing care for their children, families are more likely to prosper. Unfortunately, child care is getting… Continue reading What 13 years of decreased funding for affordable child care looks like across Minnesota

According to the latest Census data, Minnesota families brought home bigger paychecks in 2015 than they did in 2014. Minnesota’s… Continue reading Census data: More work to do to address racial disparities

According to Census data released today, Minnesota retained our status as a national leader when it comes to the share… Continue reading New Census data highlight Minnesota’s health care gains

Income inequality between Minnesota’s richest and poorest households continues to widen and is bad for the economy, according to a report from… Continue reading Income inequality rising in Minnesota and U.S.

Looking back on my childhood, I see that I was blessed. Whenever I was sick, my mom was able to take… Continue reading Lack of earned leave hurts Minnesota families

Today many Minnesota workers will receive a raise. That’s due to the final scheduled minimum wage increase to $9.50 for large… Continue reading Workers across the state get a raise today, but often still can’t make ends meet

Final negotiations over the Health and Human Services (HHS) budget ended without the inclusion of an important proposal that could have addressed one… Continue reading Missing MinnesotaCare provision could have moved the needle on one of the state’s glaring racial disparities

Expanding access to a more stable legal status to eligible undocumented immigrants would benefit both the families involved and our… Continue reading Deferred action for parents would improve income and well-being of children and families

Most people believe that full-time work should empower somebody to fill their fridge, fill their gas tank and start putting some… Continue reading In Minnesota, full-time workers of color three times as likely to be poor

The state received a note of caution – with revenues on track but lower projected national economic growth – in the… Continue reading Five takeaways from state’s July Economic Update

A report from the National Low-Income Housing Coalition, Out of Reach 2016, shows that workers need to earn almost twice the minimum wage to… Continue reading New report shows how out of reach housing costs are

Today’s disappointing decision from the U.S. Supreme Court halts proposed actions to expand opportunity for an estimated 3.9 million unauthorized immigrants… Continue reading U.S. Supreme Court decision halts expanded economic opportunity for immigrants

When researchers looked at mortality rates of younger Americans across the country, they found that policy choices are shrinking the health-based inequities that exist… Continue reading Smart policy interventions can shrink racial disparities: National mortality rates edition

While the House and Senate put forward very different visions around how to use the projected $900 million surplus this session, legislators put… Continue reading Jobs, economic development top supplemental spending

Sunday morning, the Supplemental Budget Conference Committee approved House File 2749, which spells out the near future of Minnesota’s Health and Human Services… Continue reading Net-zero HHS agreement invests in some vulnerable Minnesotans; misses opportunity to help many more

This legislative session, we’ve made the case that policymakers should take the opportunity to invest in broader prosperity, including by… Continue reading 2016 tax bill provisions focus on working Minnesotans

This session, Minnesota policymakers are considering bills to bring our state’s driver’s licenses up to required federal Real ID standards.… Continue reading House version of Real ID costly, contains unnecessary language

Minnesota’s Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) reimburses child care providers so that parents with low wages can leave for work… Continue reading Updating child care assistance reimbursement rates important for parents

Recently, “local interference” laws, which prevent local governments from setting higher standards than state law, have popped up in a… Continue reading Local interference restricts local governments’ ability to meet needs of their residents

This is another story in a series that shares why small business owners believe it’s important to reinvest our budget surplus back… Continue reading Duluth business owners call for strengthening workforce with education investments

The Minnesota Senate’s 2016 supplemental tax bill released this week includes provisions that would make strong strides toward more Minnesotans being able… Continue reading Provisions in Senate tax bill make everyday Minnesotans the priority

The Minnesota House Health and Human Services budget includes a proposal that would add a counterproductive, complex layer of bureaucracy… Continue reading Asset tests for health care: A solution in search of a problem

With their conference committee about to begin, the House and Senate have put together their omnibus supplemental budget bills, which… Continue reading House and Senate have very different priorities in their supplemental budgets

This session, I’ve been hearing from some small business owners about their perspectives on what course state policymakers should take… Continue reading ‘Small business’ tax cuts miss the mark, would prevent investments in durable prosperity

The economic recovery has taken hold in Minnesota, but that’s news to the many Minnesotans who are not sharing in… Continue reading Some Minnesotans continue to struggle in the workforce

Last week, the Senate and House passed their plans for the Health and Human Services (HHS) portion of Minnesota’s budget,… Continue reading Breaking down the three health and human services proposals

It’s time to update a critical support for our state’s poorest kids that has been deteriorating for 30 years: the Minnesota Family Investment Program… Continue reading What’s missing in this chart?

Where are workers of color unemployed at over 2.5 times the rate of white workers? Where are households of color living… Continue reading Senate equity proposal strives to create more economic opportunity

Policymakers can build on Minnesota’s historic progress in increasing access to affordable health care by restoring eligibility for MinnesotaCare for a group of… Continue reading Two facts that make the case for restoring MinnesotaCare eligibility levels

A report from the Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED) finds Minnesota does well on many aspects of its Assets & Opportunity… Continue reading Assets and opportunity not reaching all communities in Minnesota

Holly Hatch-Surisook lives one mile from the successful restaurant she owns with her husband, Joe, in Northeast Minneapolis. Built from… Continue reading Creating a durable Prosperity: Why small business owners call for state investments

Today the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on the lawsuit concerning President Barack Obama’s 2014 executive action which,… Continue reading Economic opportunity for unauthorized immigrants on trial today

This is the second story in a series that shares why small business owners believe it’s important to reinvest our budget surplus… Continue reading An entrepreneur’s take on Minnesota’s budget debate