Minneapolis Fed’s Inflection on Equity The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis is the latest influential institution in Minnesota to pivot toward equity in its mission statement and focus. An email announcing a “new mission and a new look’’ for 2020 was headlined “Pursuing an economy that works for all of us’’ and “How We’re Working for All’’ (bold italics ad... Read More
Minnesota accelerates “Clean Cars’’ effort Minnesota Gov. Tim. Walz this week unveiled new plans to reduce carbon emissions in Minnesota through a new “Clean Cars” initiative that would require manufacturers to offer more “low-and-zero” emission choices to auto buyers. While low-emission and electric vehicles are a part of the way forward towards a cleaner and more equitable future, the Minnesota ... Read More
Retaining Newcomers in Rural The efforts of Greater Minnesota communities to attract and retain newcomers can sometime feel like a constant uphill battle. While several towns have put forth welcoming initiatives that have been successful in attracting newcomers, the next question is how do those towns encourage their children and grandchildren to keep their roots firmly planted in the community? Recently, the Sahan Journal profiled the town of ... Read More
Faster Climate Change in Minnesota An important new study and interactive map by the Washington Post shows how Minnesota, particularly our northern regions, are among the places in the United States that have warmed the fastest (by more than 2 degrees Centigrade) over the last century. The trend represents a long-term threat to all of our state but especially to our northern rural economies and ways of life, in myriad ways, from ret... Read More
SEAT Program Success This past legislative session Growth & Justice endorsed the Increase Teachers of Color Act – which invests significant resources into attracting, developing, and retaining teachers of color in Minnesota. Recently, MinnPost published an article that clearly shows the importance of these efforts across our state. In an article entitled, “Pipeline to develop ethnic teachers has scholarships, an affinity group, ... Read More