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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.


February 20, 2018

January / February 2018

Minnesota, It's Your Turn Now

The future of Minnesota’s individual income tax will be front and center in the 2018 legislative session.  A look at a few of the issues lawmakers will be grappling with.

How Sweeping Federal Tax Reform May Create Benefits (and Headaches) for Minnesota Businesses

Guest contributors Christopher Martin, Senior Manager and Sarah Durst, Senior Associate of Grant Thornton’s Minneapolis SALT practice examine the extraordinarily complicated issues surrounding Minnesota’s response to federal corporate income tax reform and offer “dos and donts” for lawmakers to consider.

“Once More Unto the Breach, Dear Friends”

The political battle to get a signed pension bill is now in its third year and has taken on the feel of a Shakespearean play.

December 14, 2017

November / December 2017

What Federal Tax Reform Means for Minnesota

A look at the Minnesota impacts of the House and Senate tax reform bills and some looming policy questions for state lawmakers in 2018.

Greatest Research Hits of 2017

From tax reform to minimum wage laws to the optimal taxation of pot, our look back on the year that was in tax and fiscal policy research.  Plus, our inaugural “Fiscal Raspberry Award” recognizing jaw-dropping awfulness in the study of fiscal policy.

Sound Tax Policy Lite

Is it possible to be an advocate for good tax policy without considering the issue of fiscal responsibility?

October 24, 2017

September / October 2017

Federal Tax Reform as Seinfeld 

As our 2017 tax panel discussed, the ongoing federal tax reform debate features convoluted story lines, awkward situations, and outrageous characters... and may well end up being a show about nothing.

Welcome to Fend for Yourself Federalism

Our 2017 fiscal policy panel examined a future in which more responsibilities devolve to states backed up by the type of uncertainty and unpredictability only the federal government can offer.

The Economic and Fiscal Consequences of Immigration

Annual meeting luncheon speaker Kim Rueben, Senior Fellow and Director of State and Local Finance Initiatives at the Urban Brookings Tax Policy Center, exposed the realities and myths surrounding this politically charged topic.