Policy Blog
May 11, 2012
Why did it take a stadium to bring bipartisanship back to the Capitol?
End-of-session statement from Executive Director Sean Kershaw:
As the Minnesota Legislature adjourns for the year, the Citizens League is asking Minnesotans whether what they've just witnessed is the best we can do as a state, or an indication that better results next year are possible.
"Will our state's economic health improve as a result of this session? Did legislators' actions make Minnesota a more livable place for future generations?" asked Sean Kershaw, the Citizens League's executive director. "Nobody is surprised that our political institutions are not delivering the results that we need. The question is whether the bipartisanship and hard work we saw at the end of the session - whatever you think of the stadium deal - can be applied to issues that really matter to our future economic health and quality of life."A herculean effort at session's end managed to assemble enough lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to pass the Vikings stadium bill and a bonding bill, but another chance to deal with the priorities Minnesotans identified through our Common Cents state budget and tax reform workshops over the last two years has slipped through our fingers, Kershaw said. Hundreds of Minnesotans around the state have told the Citizens League the outcomes they want from state government - reforming K-12 education, making sure higher education delivers better outcomes, creating fairer and more transparent tax structures, and finding spending cuts where possible but not relying on them exclusively - yet they appear farther away with each session, he said. The Citizens League believes we need an entirely new approach to policy making to achieve those outcomes. Current public policy discussions fail to utilize what the Citizens League refers to as Common Ground Principles, which require everyone with a stake in the outcome of an important decision to be involved authentically in its making. They derive from our unique civic policy-making approach, which emphasizes that every organization and individual has a role in solving public policy problems, not just those in the halls of power and not just those on one side of the political aisle or another. Kershaw is available to discuss why this session was so ugly, which important questions about our economic health and quality of life went unaddressed, and why nobody should be surprised at the outcomes. He can also address some of the more modest successes of this session and where people should look for solutions in the future (hint: it's not inside the Capitol). Contact Communications Manager Larry Schumacher at lschumacher[at]citizensleague.org or 320-492-7747 to arrange an interview.
Posted by lschumacher at 1:37 PM | Comments (0)
Can stadium success be a lawmaking model?
Can stadium success be a lawmaking model?, Star Tribune, May 11, 2012
Citizens League, Sean Kershaw mentioned. Could the process used to enact the Vikings stadium bill be a model for more lawmaking success stories in the future?
Posted by juventino at 9:48 AM | Comments (0)
May 9, 2012
Teens speak out on student achievement
From Kim Farris-Berg, Students Speak Out director.
In a 2011 online project with teens from around the nation, the Citizens League's Students Speak Out asked, "Should we broaden our nation's predominant definition of student achievement?"
Teens are frequently exposed to the predominant definition of student achievement. It is part of their daily lives in their schools. But Citizens League wondered: What would teens say if they were exposed to some of the lesser-known ideas in today's dialogue? This week we released the answer to this question in a new report: Teens Think Deeply About Student Achievement.
Through May 31, we are inviting reactions and feedback on the project Web site, located here.
This project evolved out of the Citizens League's participation in dialogues about achievement and assessment around Minnesota. There is some disagreement regarding what students should know and be able to do when they graduate from high school, even as our state currently requires its young people to meet high standards in order to graduate. Some citizens and organizations are on-board with current policies, while others deeply question whether the policies will increase student achievement and maximize use of limited resources.
Students' voices are a rarely heard voice in this mix. With their futures at stake, the Citizens League believes students' thinking must be a part of the dialogue. Our purpose in taking on this project was to learn from teens' insights and experiences.
Over a nine-week period, a diverse group of teens answered questions from adults with outside-the-mainstream perspectives about student achievement and went on to dialogue with other project participants about each topic - digging deeper into one another's ideas. There were six primary findings:
Finding 1: Teens agreed that reading, writing and math are important. But mastering these subjects - especially as they are taught today - is not all that is important when it comes to student achievement.
Finding 2: Teens said that as long as knowledge can be legitimately demonstrated, students should be awarded credit for what they have learned both inside and outside of schools.
Finding 3: Teens said that individual progress should be acknowledged as achievement, even if a student's highest-level of achievement in high school does not meet what her state has defined as 'high standards' or does not qualify her for a four-year
college.
Finding 4: Teens said they need and want a lot more information about the array of higher education opportunities as well as counseling services that would help them as they determine their own best choices for success.
Finding 5: Some teens were comfortable with current cultural expectations of adolescents, but others wondered if they might achieve more if they were expected to take on greater levels of personal responsibility.
Finding 6: Some teens reported their belief that a major cultural shift will be required for there to be any change in our current approach.
We encourage you to read Teens Think Deeply About Student Achievement, and invite your feedback on this topic as it relates to your own work or experience.
Also, please email us at ssoachievement[at]citizing.org if you'd like us to share this paper with someone specific.
Posted by lschumacher at 1:28 PM | Comments (0)
May 7, 2012
Teen citizens wanted for health conversations
Teen Citizen Solutions is an effort to engage Minnesotans ages 13-19 in an online conversation about what's important to the future of health and health care in our state.
Teens are already developing lifestyle choices and habits that could affect your heath and how United States health care works (including its cost) for generations to come. Teens also stand to inherit the long-term impacts of any decisions made about health care today. That's why it's critical that they are involved in the larger Citizen Solutions project. Please spread the word to teens you know about this effort geared specifically toward them, and--if you like--join teens in the discussion. All are welcome.
There are three things teens can do right now:
- Join the discussion: Lauren Gilchrist, Special Advisor to Governor Dayton on Health Reform, has kicked off the discussion by asking teens how they define health, and if Minnesota teens are healthy.
- Apply to be a lead panelist: Teens selected as lead panelists get a $150 stipend for sharing their insights and experiences and spreading the word about the project. Move fast! We’ll be accepting applications through May 21.
- Spread the word: Tell your friends about the project and share the project link: http://health.studentsspeakout.org. Also, like us on Facebook, and tell your friends to join.
Posted by Annie Levenson-Falk at 4:15 PM | Comments (0)
April 16, 2012
Support MnPASS expansion at crucial hearing
The Minnesota Legislature is facing an important decision to expand the innovative, cost-effective and popular MnPASS program to the I-35E corridor.
Residents in the east metro deserve the same choices and congestion reduction benefits that residents in the west metro currently enjoy on I-394 and I-35W.
A bill that would do that faces a key hearing in the Senate Transportation Committee at 9 a.m. Tuesday, April 17.
If you are represented by any of the following Senators along the I-35E corridor or by members of the Senate Transportation Committee, let them know that you support MnPASS as a key element to providing the greatest number of choices to all commuters.
- Sen. Roger Chamberlain, R-Lino Lakes
- Sen. Ted H. Lillie, R-Lake Elmo
- Sen. Dave Thompson, R-Lakeville
- Sen. Ray Vandeveer, R-Forest Lake
The Citizens League sent a letter to all legislators earlier this session regarding the expansion of MnPASS.
Posted by lschumacher at 12:03 PM | Comments (0)
April 12, 2012
Support FAIM at the Legislature
As part of our Pathways to Prosperity Project, the Citizens League has found that conditional cash transfers are a key way to directly support productive decision-making by low-wealth families.
The Family Assets for Independence in Minnesota (FAIM) program is Minnesota's most functional and successful form of conditional cash transfer. We need to develop and expand FAIM as part of a key series of actions designed to support prosperity rather than react to poverty.
This year the Minnesota Legislature is considering re-funding FAIM after cutting it in the deal made during the state shutdown in July 2011.
With a small appropriation ($250,000 annually), FAIM represents an emerging policy direction that encourages savings, promotes financial literacy and directly supports activities that we know are good for family independence and society as a whole: owning a home, pursuing a degree, or starting a business. The effort is supported with a matching grant from the federal government.
In addition, FAIM has a presence statewide and is an effective approach in all our communities.
Authors for the bill are Rep. King Banian (R-St. Cloud) in the House (HF 2062) and Sen. Michelle Benson (R-Ham Lake) in the Senate (SF 1720) and both bills have a bipartisan group of co-authors.
Provisions for FAIM are included in the House Health and Human Services omnibus bill. The Senate does not have a FAIM provision in its omnibus bill, but it was discussed on the Senate floor, providing an opportunity for it to be included in conference committee deliberations.
Contact your legislators in support of FAIM, particularly if they serve on the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.
Posted by lschumacher at 12:16 PM | Comments (0)
April 11, 2012
What does Citizens League membership mean? Part 2
What does it mean to be a member? Member Andy Cook authored this blog post to explain why he joined the Citizens League and what membership means to him.
I am a member of the Citizens League because...
This is a question I encourage all of us to answer and share. I am a member because I believe that the work of the Citizens League--from citizen engagement to policy recommendations--is crucial in solving our state's most pressing issues. The Citizens League provides a voice of common sense and consensus-building, and offers a home for people of diverse backgrounds to learn, connect, and impact policy change.
My first exposure to the Citizens League came as a staffer at the Minnesota House of Representatives. I was organizing a press conference for legislation supported by a number of Minnesota think-tank and organizational leaders, including Sean Kershaw of the Citizens League. Wanting to know all I could about the participants in our event, I began my background research.
Of all the groups involved, the Citizens League was unique in the level of regard and support of its work from both sides of the political aisle. And when the most far right/left people I knew said they thought the Citizens League was too liberal/conservative, I knew I had found an organization I wanted to become a member of; moderate, solution-focused and member-driven.
I became a member of the Citizens League, and soon found a variety of options for getting involved. I joined the communications committee and found a group of people with different political backgrounds and views, but the common goal of supporting solutions grounded in civic engagement and sound policy research. The Citizens League became a welcoming, engaging community to learn, connect and make an impact.
As politics continue to become more partisan, more divisive, and more frustrating, the value of the Citizens League will continue to rise. As a member, I know that I matter to the Citizens League; as a citizen, I believe that the Citizens League matters to Minnesota. This organization creates positive change, and as members we are part of it.
In a previous post, member Andrea Drewek talked about what Citizens League membership means to her.
If you want to share your membership experience, contact Membership Manager Cat Beltmann at cbeltmann[at]citizensleague.org or 651-289-1075
Posted by lschumacher at 10:45 AM | Comments (0)
April 6, 2012
A different conversation about fixing health care
What does health reform mean to you?
The Citizen Solutions project, a joint effort of the Citizens League and the Bush Foundation, will travel the state this spring and summer to make sure Minnesotans are not left out of the discussion about health reform and how to make Minnesota a healthier place.
Register now for upcoming community conversations including:
- April 12 - Minneapolis
- April 17 - St. Paul
- April 18 - Rochester
- April 24 - Northfield
- April 26 - Eden Prairie
Posted by lschumacher at 10:33 AM | Comments (0)
April 4, 2012
What does Citizens League membership mean? Part I
What does it mean to be a member? Member Andrea Drewek authored this blog post to explain why she is a member and what being a part of the Citizens League means to her.
Andrea:
I randomly stumbled across the Citizens League last year when searching for a civic-minded organization to partner with for a class project.
As a Wisconsin transplant, I had never heard of the League despite its longevity and major accomplishments - including influencing the creation of Metropolitan State University, which I was attending at that time! - but I was immediately drawn to the community engagement approach the Citizens League uses in its work.
I admire the combination of academic/professional research with on-the-ground citizen engagement in forming policy solutions and recommendations, and I value the Citizens League's dedication to multi-partisanship and demonstrated ability to include all interested Minnesotans on issues that matter to them.
This is important to me because I believe in intelligent, well-planned, collaborative decisions made for the common good.
I have to admit, when I first joined I was skeptical of the Citizens League's assertion that "everyone is a policy maker". Now, just one year later, I am invested in advancing the Family Independence pilot projects and changing the face of public assistance in Minnesota.
I view the Citizens League as one of the most powerful tools we citizens have for making Minnesota a better place. Membership in the Citizens League is what you make of it - and I am proud to know that my individual contribution has the potential to benefit hundreds, even thousands of Minnesotans
In a follow-up post, member Andy Cook will share his thoughts on membership.
Posted by lschumacher at 11:47 AM | Comments (0)
March 7, 2012
Help solve two problems facing higher education in Minnesota today
In Phase I of our Higher Education Reform effort, a diverse group of individuals identified two key "real world" issues facing Minnesota today: low completion rates and the skills gap.
As we begin Phase II of a multi-phase effort launched in partnership with the Bush Foundation, we need your help to identify "real world" solutions to those issues - and we're seeking that help through a completely online process this time around.
We'll be testing the conclusions reached in Phase I through two issues:- The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system recently initiated a "Graduate Minnesota" campaign aimed at getting 20,000 Minnesotans who are over age 30 and have some college credits to return to school and get a degree. We're going to design a policy, program or tool to achieve this.
- Minnesota manufacturers are having difficulty finding workers with needed skills. We're going to design a policy, program or tool to help close this gap, likely focusing on CNC machinist and welding trades.
Posted by lschumacher at 10:45 AM | Comments (0)
March 2, 2012
Make your voice heard on health care reform
As noted in a March 2 Minnesota Public Radio news story, the Citizens League is teaming up with the Bush Foundation to ensure that the public has a meaningful say in health care reform in Minnesota.
We're creating a series of statewide workshops to run this spring and summer to gather that input in person and online through CitiZing.
Our results will inform a state Health Care Reform Task Force in August.
But before that effort gets under way, we need your help to make sure we get it right.
Join us for a test workshop from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, March 14 at the Wilder Foundation in St. Paul, during which we'll run through our presentation.
You can register for the test workshop here.
We know from experience that this test run is important to ensure we are getting the best input possible.
If you would like more information, contact Annie Levenson-Falk at alevensonfalk[at]citizensleague.org or call 651-289-1072.
Posted by lschumacher at 1:27 PM | Comments (0)
February 13, 2012
Citizens League 2012 legislative priorities
The Citizens League is supporting many policy reforms up for consideration before the 2012 Minnesota Legislature. The following is a synopsis of our priorities this session.
Impartial Justice Act
The Citizens League supports a constitutional amendment to improve the way Minnesota's judges are selected, giving voters a real choice based on judicial performance. The proposal would create a system of gubernatorial appointment with retention elections and performance evaluations of judges that is more accountable to the public. Read more
Family Independence pilot projects (Asset limit removal)
The Citizens League is engaged in developing pilot projects in several communities that will demonstrate a new approach to policies that govern public assistance for the poor. These pilots will reward groups of families who:
- Set goals together
- Are accountable to each other for the goals they set
This approach has demonstrated increases in earnings, savings, leadership, academic achievement, and healthy behavior, while reducing use of public assistance in a two-year period in Oakland, San Francisco and Oahu. Boston just began in 2010. As is the case currently with FAIM law (see below), asset limits must be removed for this approach to be effective in setting the foundation for long-term independence.
Prize-linked savings
Minnesota, like the rest of the U.S., faces a crisis in personal savings. Couple this with policies for public assistance and long-term care that punish those who do save, and the effect will be unsustainable and potentially devastating to government budgets in the years to come. This year we are moving forward with legislation to enable savings promotion raffles that would allow financial institutions to offer a new savings product that offers drawings for monthly prizes and a grand prize for those who make regular deposits. Michigan's Save to Win program has demonstrated a profound ability to promote savings amongst those who are financially vulnerable, non-savers, and the unbanked. We think this has potential to encourage savings for long-term family prosperity, but must also be supported by other policy changes.
FAIM (Family Assets for Independence in Minnesota)
Minnesota can still retain federal funding for FAIM (pdf) if we act in 2012 and restore the appropriation ($250,000 annually) that was eliminated last year. This is Minnesota's most effective conditional cash transfer program and rewards goal-oriented saving. Over 1,500 assets have been obtained by FAIM participants over the last 10 years as they follow through on their goals to:
- Buy a home
- Go to college
- Start a business
Regional MnPASS
MnDOT is currently seeking approval to add capacity for MnPASS lanes along I-35E in St. Paul and its suburbs to the north. The bill (HF1588/SF1072) is also intended to (1) broaden and clarify MnDOT's ability to implement MnPASS lanes, and (2) streamline the accounting and revenue rules to a single MnPASS system approach rather than a corridor by corridor approach. The Citizens League supports both of these efforts as part of a regional MnPASS system to support free-flow and choice for all commuters. Read more
Fiscal Disparities
The Citizens League will not support any change that attempts to use the Fiscal Disparities (pdf) pool as a source to fund projects or offer special exemptions. The effect of such activity is to raise taxes on all the businesses that contribute to the pool.
Tiered teacher licensure
The report of the state's Tiered Teacher Licensure Advisory Task Force is due to be released in early February. We anticipate the report to propose a replacing our current single class of teacher license with an approach that includes three to four stages through which teachers can advance. The Citizens League will be evaluating the task force's recommendations in February and March. Read more
Tax expenditures
Consideration of tax expenditures must become part of the biennial budget process along the lines of the February 2011 report from the Minnesota Department of Revenue. Legislators must also vote to continue tax expenditures as they do with spending bills. An ideal automatic mechanism would be that any tax expenditures that are "sunset" by the Legislature would return to "the base" for that tax and automatically lower the rate for all who do pay the tax.
Posted by Annie Levenson-Falk at 6:37 PM | Comments (1)
February 2, 2012
Fiscal Disparities report released
The Minnesota Department of Revenue on Wednesday released its anticipated report on the Fiscal Disparities Act, "Study of the Metropolitan Area Fiscal Disparities Program."
According to this Minnesota Public Radio News account, the report highlights that taxes are higher for Hennepin County residents as a result of the act, and lower for residents of six other metro counties.
Another MPR News piece explains the Fiscal Disparities Act in greater detail.
Fiscal Disparities is one of the Citizens League's most enduring accomplishments, Our 1969 report, "Breaking the Tyranny of the Local Property Tax"(pdf) led to the debate about tax-base sharing that resulted in the Act.
For an excellent primer on the benefits that the Fiscal Disparities Act has yielded for the Twin Cities metro area, we recommend an explainer we did in conjunction with the Minnesota chapter of NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, entitled "Sharing the Wealth" (pdf).
The Citizens League takes any effort to reopen the debate about the Fiscal Disparities Act seriously and will work to make sure that an accurate and complete picture is painted of what the Act does and does not do regarding property taxes.
Look for a more complete explanation of the Fiscal Disparities Act in our upcoming edition of the Minnesota Journal.Posted by lschumacher at 3:33 PM | Comments (0)
February 1, 2012
Metropolitan Council find supporters in local government
The Minnesota Legislature created the Metropolitan Council in 1967, following a 1967 Citizens League study that recommended a regional governance structure for the Twin Cities.
It hasn't been an smooth ride for the Met Council in recent years, with a 2011 report from the Office of the Legislative Auditor recommending that the Council should be reworked into a body that includes both elected and appointed officials.
Now, MinnPost's Steven Dornfeld, a Citizens League member and former director of public affairs for the Met Council, writes that it has picked up support from Metro Cities, an organization representing 79 cities that constitute 90 percent of the population within the Met Council's jurisdiction.
In a report (pdf) issued Monday, Metro Cities supports the continued mission of the Met Council to provide region-wide planning and services and argues against attempts to make the Council a group of elected officials.
The Met Council is a regional organization that represents the whole Twin Cities metro area, and works to make it stronger. This Metro Cities report is a validation of the enduring success of the concept and benefits of regional government in the face of ongoing criticism.
Posted by lschumacher at 2:48 PM | Comments (0)
January 23, 2012
Higher Education Reform: Overselling college and underselling learning
The outcomes we need from higher education are greater than ever. Yet the context in which higher education operates has changed mightily, in ways foundational to its role and how it functions.
With this in mind, the Citizens League, in partnership with the Bush Foundation, set out on a multi-phase effort to develop and advance a set of recommendations to achieve the outcomes of higher education that are needed today.
The results of Phase I of that effort have now been released, and are contained in a full report (pdf) and summary statement (pdf) of the Higher Education Steering Committee (pdf).
A diverse group of individuals from the higher education community, K-12 education community, employers and the public at large contributed to the findings, which develop a general picture of:
- The challenges to be met in higher education if it is to fulfill its role as a facilitator of economic and social advancement.
- The key areas where action is needed to bring about meaningful reform.
In Phase II, we'll be applying the Phase I framework to two "real world" issues facing higher education: completion and the skills gap.
Under the completion question, we'll be hosting a series of focus groups with people who haven't yet completed a degree to learn more about the barriers they face. The work on the skills gap will be, in part, a collaboration with the Minnesota Precision Manufacturing Association, where we'll digging into the issue of why there exists a skills gap in that industry and what steps we can take to close that gap.
There are opportunities for member involvement in Phase II; for more information go to the project website.
Posted by lschumacher at 3:37 PM | Comments (0)
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