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Fiscal Focus

Fiscal Focus is our bimonthly publication providing news, analysis, and commentary on tax and spending topics in the headlines.


June 14, 2019

May / June 2019

Session Reflections: About As Good As Could Be Expected

Reactions and analysis on some of the higher profile tax and fiscal issues making up the 2019 legislative session.

Minnesota Takeaways From the Payable 2018 50 State Property Tax Comparison Study

Forthcoming results from the Payable 2018 report will show 2017 state general tax changes had an impact while homeowners remain solidly average.

Yes, Minnesota, Our Commercial Property Taxes Are High Relative to Most Other States

Rehashed, rewarmed criticism of our 50 State Study still doesn’t change the fact Minnesota’s business property tax rankings are deserved.

May 07, 2019

March / April 2019

A Feeling of “TCJA Vu”

We’ve experienced this session’s tax conformity debate before.  The ending may be different this time but will likely forego an important opportunity.

The Other State Fiscal Consequence of Federal Corporate Tax Reform

The TCJA has been a very fortuitous and beneficial development for Minnesota’s struggling public pension plans but might also play a supporting role in a real state pension fix.

March 12, 2019

January / February 2019

Minnesota Tax and Spending Rankings and the Policy Questions They Provoke

Findings from our comparative tax and spending studies generate a number of questions relevant to the 2019 session.

The Case For A Bigger Standard Deduction

Love or hate the TCJA, its principal simplification effort presents an opportunity for Minnesota that shouldn’t be wasted.