A century ago, British author and commentator G.K. Chesterton made an observation that time has neither corrected nor contradicted: “I’ve searched all the parks in all the cities and found no statues of committees.”
In Minnesota, the lack of public homage paid to committees is not a result of poor work by previous efforts of those who came together to hash out solutions to thorny public problems. Visionary solutions to emerging challenges ranging from the politicalization of court elections to drawing new boundaries for legislative districts to overhauling the state’s tax system have been advanced by committees. They died not for lack of innovative and bold ideas, but for lack of political will and leadership.
So, with apologies to Chesterton, this is a recommendation to go where others have traveled before but with the hope that in today’s divided political world, enough people will see opportunity.
The partisan chasm that grows deeper by the day is reflected in the voices of both parties. Republicans argue that Minnesota’s high taxes drive out entrepreneurs and businesses. They point to the analyses like the 2026 Minnesota Chamber of Commerce Business Benchmarks study, “Our state has fallen behind on nearly every measure of growth. From 2019 to 2024, Minnesota ranked 33rd in GDP growth, 39th in job growth, 40th in labor force growth and 46th in growth of (real median) household income. Meanwhile, more people are leaving our state than moving here.”
Meanwhile, DFLers defend high taxes by saying they are the price to be paid for living in a successful, compassionate state. They cite indices like WalletHub which says Minnesota is the fifth best state in which to live. But, say Democrats, new challenges are on the horizon. The state’s rate of people without health insurance jumped from its all-time low of 3.8% in 2023 to 5.8% last year. Most concerning is a 72% increase in those 18 and younger who lack health insurance, a total of 62,000 children, according to data from the Minnesota Department of Health.
Oddly enough, there may be common ground in these divergent perspectives. The most thoughtful of both Democrats and Republicans – and there are more than social media and political advertising would ever acknowledge – recognize that Minnesota is a state in the midst of a massive transition. The tax system is a mess and the social services important to the state’s quality of life aren’t keeping pace with the need.
Finding the solutions that bridge the partisan and policy gaps is made more difficult in a legislative body losing its grey-haired experts. Minnesota Star Tribune editorial columnist Rochelle Olson hit the nail on the head when she wrote recently, “Passing bills is a messy business, but there’s a gnawing sense that there’s no one at the Capitol willing or able to provide the leadership to get anything of substance done.”
While stalemate often is the reality of an election year, the leadership gap is making things worse today and much worse for the future. Many of the longest-serving legislators have left in recent years and many more will depart after this session. With them go the knowledge and skills needed to forge the collaboration that leads to bold reforms.
The challenge of good public policy that looks to the future can be told in one critical proposal moving through the legislature today. Hennepin County Medical Center is a critical statewide asset. But it is losing money at an unsustainable rate for reasons that just about anyone can understand. HCMC is forced to provide most of its services for less than they cost. About three-quarters of all patients entering HCMC either are uninsured or rely on public health programs. Federal law obligates all hospitals to at least stabilize those who show up in emergency rooms without regard to whether they can pay. And government – unwilling to raise taxes to pay the true cost of health care – reimburses providers below the actual cost of the services.
The legislative proposal is to stem HCMC’s flow of red ink by increasing the Hennepin County sales tax created to pay the construction costs of Target Field from its current .015% to 1%. It’s bad policy for many reasons, but mostly because it doesn’t address the underlying causes of HCMC’s financial woes. HCMC has some of the state’s most sophisticated and advanced care units. The demand for those services is increasing. Short of cooking the books, there is no strategy in which HCMC can lose a little on every sale but make it up on volume.
HCMC is not alone among hospitals facing economic tsunamis and the proposed increase in the Hennepin County sales tax is not unique. The Minnesota Hospital Association estimates that one-third or more of hospitals have operating deficits.
Meanwhile, more counties and communities are turning to sales taxes to bail out their budgets while trying to manage increases in rapidly-rising property taxes. More than 300 local tax jurisdictions now add an average of 0.925% to the state’s rate of 6.875%. In many communities, the total tax is nearing 10%; in two communities, Onamia and Garrison, the tax is 13.375%.
Minnesota faces these kinds of spending and tax dilemmas throughout local and state public policy. Too often, they are resolved by plugging one hole even if doing so creates others for the future. Taken together, they add to taxes, the complexity of government and the on-going erosion of core systems, including education, health delivery and infrastructure. That is, bit by bit these decisions – Republican and Democratic – make Minnesota less competitive and a less desirable place in which to live, work and raise a family.
The state needs another Minnesota Miracle. It needs a committee of big thinkers – policymakers and representatives from academia, business, labor and nonprofits – to start with a clean slate and identify big, bold proposals that would have the greatest impact on restoring Minnesota’s competitiveness and enhancing its quality of life.
This isn’t a commission asked to produce a 10-point plan. Quite the contrary. Force one or two, maybe three, transformative ideas to the top of the list and stop there. The motto should be the old joke about how does one eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
Keep the committee’s work transparent and open to the public. Discussions about innovation often are as valuable as the final recommendation. Give the group sufficient funds to promote its work and publicize its final report. Make this Minnesota Miracle a product of a Minnesota Conversation.
This is the perfect time for such a blue-ribbon committee. Gov. Tim Walz has no re-election agenda hanging over his head. He can ask Republican leaders to join in naming committee members and in committing to giving their recommendations honest and thorough consideration.
The legislature returns to session in January 2026 with a new governor and the election of every member of the House and Senate. It would be great for Minnesota if they also had an agenda that promised a bold future for the state. Who knows? Maybe it would even send sculptors to their studies to prepare to meet the demand from parks around the state for new statutes.
