A Rural Addiction Crisis And Violent Crime A basic premise behind our thematic emphasis on "One Minnesota" is that rural and metro Minnesotans are more alike than they are different. We maintain that both will be well-served by practical and progressive policies and public investment that addresses disparities and inequality and that invest in human potential. More evidence supporting this premise surfaced this sum... Read More
Minnesota Women Leading Renewable Energy Our quest at Growth & Justice for a more equitable economy in Minnesota leads us to work on many fronts, including racial, environmental and gender justice. We call attention to injustice and look for practical solutions, but we also like to celebrate progress. An example of the latter is a series of profiles by the Clean Energy Resource Team project that honors the impressive cadre... Read More
Major Progress on Renewable Goals Evidence continues to mount showing big strides in Minnesota toward cleaner, more efficient energy. The 2018 Sustainable Energy in America Factbook listed these highlights in its Minnesota's report: We now rank 9th out of all 50 states for overall energy efficiency programs (up from a rank of 10th place last year). In 2017, annual solar capacity additions surpassed wind energy additions... Read More
In Fergus Falls, Learning About Rural Needs We traveled to Fergus Falls last week for the summer conference of the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities, delivering a presentation and gathering feedback on emerging issues for our Minnesota Rural Equity Project. We heard concerns about accessibility to child-care, transportation and mobility needs, housing shortages, health-care costs and access, and lagging broadband capacity. A strong sense am... Read More
As State Budget Biennium Begins, Big Disappointments and a Few Bright Spots Overview of 2017 Legislature’s Impact, A Look Ahead Minnesota’s two-year budget period begins this month, amid a continuing dispute between the Governor and the Legislature over a handful of important tax and immigration provisions, and an impending court battle over the governor’s line-item veto of funding for the Legislature i... Read More