Publications

Governor Mark Dayton’s budget makes important new investments in health and human services, largely centered on health care and families with… Continue reading Governor Dayton’s FY 2018-19 budget: HHS investments focus on Minnesota’s most vulnerable, preserves provider tax

A bipartisan task force of Minnesota legislators heard from parents, providers and employers about the challenges that a lack of affordable, accessible… Continue reading Legislative task force recommends improvements to Minnesota’s Child Care Assistance Program

The state’s Minnesota Management and Budget released the February Budget and Economic Forecast today. Here are our top takeaways: The state’s budget… Continue reading February Economic Forecast shows surpluses, but forecasters cite federal uncertainty and need for caution

Local interference bills, which prevent local governments from setting higher wage and job quality standards for private-sector employees than state law,… Continue reading Local interference bill moving through Legislature would inhibit local governments from meeting needs of their communities

The latest data on child care show that about 4,000 fewer families will have access to Basic Sliding Fee Child… Continue reading Updated analysis on growing need for investment in child care assistance

Child care helps entire families thrive by providing safe, nurturing environments for kids while allowing parents the opportunity to succeed… Continue reading National report: The past 16 years have not been kind to Minnesotans struggling to afford child care

President Donald Trump announced three executive orders last week that dramatically change federal policy related to immigrants and refugees in the… Continue reading Immigrants and refugees vital to the economy and our communities

In his release of his FY 2018-19 budget proposal Tuesday, Governor Mark Dayton outlined his priorities as an “Opportunity Agenda” that would… Continue reading Governor Dayton’s FY 2018-19 budget prioritizes investments in broader prosperity

A bill to bring our state’s driver’s licenses up to required federal Real ID standards (House File 3) is currently… Continue reading House Real ID bill includes unnecessary, harmful language

Last week’s January Revenue and Economic Update gave us some mixed news about the state’s economic and budget landscape. The quarterly report from… Continue reading January Economic Update shows lower revenues, higher economic projections

If black family wealth continues to grow at the same pace as the past three decades, it will take more than 200… Continue reading Racial wealth gap is wide and growing larger: 228 year gap for black families, 84 year gap for Latino families

Expanding economic opportunity in Minnesota should be a top priority of the 2017 Legislative Session, and two effective strategies to… Continue reading Everyday Minnesotans are the focus of Dayton 2017 tax plan

Without health insurance, broken legs or difficult diagnoses can lead to shattered finances and force families to choose between their… Continue reading Minnesota’s stake in the Affordable Care Act debate: $16.4 billion loss in federal funding and 380,000 more Minnesotans without insurance

In recent years, Minnesota has taken important steps to build up the state’s budget reserve. And thanks to this good… Continue reading Strong budget reserve is fiscally responsible, essential to support Minnesotans in next economic downturn

The Minnesota Budget Project staff is currently at a conference in Washington, D.C., but given our wonky personalities we just… Continue reading Five takeaways from the November Economic Forecast

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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