Our Case

We can afford to invest in Minnesota, in fact we can’t afford NOT to.

Minnesota is a great state and we want to keep it that way.
Minnesota still ranks high in a number of areas, and many Minnesotans are doing well. But we’re slipping. Confronted with budget deficits starting in 2002, the legislature enacted considerable cuts in funding, causing Minnesota to lose ground compared to other states.

• For the first time in decades, Minnesota’s economy is underperforming the national average.
• Minnesota’s ranking among states in state funding for higher education dropped from 12th in FY 2001 to 35th in FY 2006.
• The number of Minnesota households spending more than half of their income on housing more than doubled from 2000 to 2006—the fastest growth in the nation in this measure.

For a closer look at the importance of Minnesota’s public investments and rankings, read:

• The Lost Decade
• Invest for Real Prosperity
• On Our Way to Average: Ranking Minnesota's Economic Performance

One of the core principles of Invest in Minnesota is that revenue-raising must be a significant part of the solution to resolving the state’s budget deficit.

To learn more about the importance of revenue-raising, go to:

• Tax Measures Help Balance State Budgets
• High Income Tax States Have Strong Economies
• Budget Cuts or Tax Increases: Which are preferable during an economic downturn?

For most Minnesotans, tax fairness means that people pay in proportion to their incomes.
The overall package of revenue-raising must make the tax system more fair. An increase to the state’s income tax based on the ability to pay must be a major component of a revenue-raising package. Targeted tax credits for low- and moderate-income Minnesotans are an important tool in creating a fair tax system, and should be maintained and expanded.

To learn more about tax fairness, read:

• Revenue-Raising Options to Help Close Minnesota’s Budget Deficit
• Raising State Income Taxes on High-Income Taxpayers