Library News

State-by-state comparisons are prized at the Legislative Reference Library. They provide speedy answers to what would otherwise be time-consuming research projects. New reports added to our collection this month can quickly answer questions like: How do Minnesota's sales taxes compare to our upper-midwestern neighbors? How economically competitive is Minnesota? How much money did Minnesota appropriate to state arts agencies, compared to other states, in recent years? And on top of all that, one new state-by-state report ranks Minnesota the top in the nation.

The State of the Nation Project from Tulane University "brings together a diverse group of thought leaders—from across the political spectrum." Their recent report, The Nation's 250th Anniversary State of the States Report ranks Minnesota first in the nation across a range of metrics. Minnesota particularly stands out in this report for our voter participation, life expectancy, and volunteerism.

Two new reports examine taxation and other economic indicators, and provide quick comparisons between Minnesota and other states. In the newest issue of the Tax Foundation's long-running report, Facts & Figures : How Does Your State Compare?, you can see how Minnesota measures up on many areas of taxation, from sales tax to property tax to excise tax. The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) also has a new report out, looking not just at taxation but other economic factors like state GDP, state minimum wage, and population trends.

Summer break may be a good time to look at how Minnesota students—from preschool through high school—compare to those in other states. Rankings of the States and Estimates of School Statistics and The State of Preschool: State Preschool Yearbook each contain a wealth of data to consider before the school year starts up again in the fall.

Some state-by-state reports cover more granular policy areas and the new issue of State Arts Agency Revenues is a good example. This report provides a nation-wide view of arts funding, and then breaks down funding trends by state. This report indicates Minnesota provides strong support for the arts, ranking high for per capita spending on state arts agencies.

As Minnesota prepares to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 2026, the Library has put together a display of titles celebrating the historic date. Several new books are featured as part of the Semiquincentennial display at our Minnesota Senate Building location.

In The Pursuit of Liberty: How Hamilton vs. Jefferson Ignited the Lasting Battle over power in America, president of the National Constitution Center Jeffrey Rosen “examines the clashing visions of Hamilton and Jefferson on how to balance liberty and power in a debate that continues to define, and divide, our country. Jefferson championed states’ rights and individual liberties, while Hamilton pushed for a strong federal government and a powerful executive.” Rosen is one of six authors invited to the MN History Center’s History Forum 250: Revisiting the Revolution.

Perhaps you’re looking forward to celebrating the 250^th anniversary on the road. This Land is Your Land: A Road Trip Through U.S. History is an invitation to “experience and understand our past,” which follows road trips through thirteen key places and moments in American history. Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Beverly Gage travels the country to see the museums, historic sites, roadside attractions, reenactments, and souvenir shops from the country’s birthplace in Philadelphia to Disneyland.

In The Memory of '76: The Revolution in American History, finalist for the George Washington Book Award, Michael D. Hattem “explores the Revolution’s unique role in American history as a national origin myth” and “shows how the meaning of the Revolution has never been fixed… and how revising the past is an important and long-standing American political tradition.”

The Greatest Sentence Ever Written, by Walter Isaacson is a concise book, really more of an essay, in which he closely examines the second sentence of the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal….” For example, is “self-evident” a fancy way to say “obvious,” or is there more to unpack in that phrasing?

A few of the books on display:

• The Cradle of Citizenship: How Schools Can Help Save our Democracy, by James Traub, 2026.
• The Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America, by Jeffrey Rosen, 2024.
• We the Men: How Forgetting Women’s Struggles for Equality Perpetuates Inequality, by Jill Elaine Hasday, 2025.
• We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution, by Jill Lepore, 2025.
• We the People: The Modern-Day Figures Who Have Reshaped and Affirmed the Founding Fathers' Vision of America, by Juan Williams, 2016.
• Who is Government?: The Untold Story of Public Service, by Michael Lewis, 2025.

Come and check out the full display to see additional titles!

For over 50 years, Minnesota has grappled with nuclear waste storage. Minnesota has two nuclear power generating facilities that have been in operation since the early 1970s: the Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant (Unit 1, Unit 2) and the Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant.

According to Minnesota Statute 116C.83 subdivision 3, the Public Utilities Commission must submit their decision on “an application for a certificate of need for additional dry cask storage” for legislative consideration. In 2023, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) granted approval for the Monticello facility to build space for approximately 36 canister vaults. However, Xcel Energy anticipates only needing 14 new canisters through 2040. In August 2025, Xcel Energy announced the PUC unanimously voted to approve their application for increased storage of spent fuel at the Prairie Island facility. The PUC submitted both legislative reports for the additional storage requests:  

• Legislative Report: Report of the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission’s Decision Concerning Additional Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage at the Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (SFSI) as Required by Minnesota Statute 116C.83. December 2023.
• Legislative Report Required by Minn. Stat. 116C.83 regarding additional dry cask storage at the Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation. January 2026.

Check out the Minnesota Issues Guide on Nuclear Waste Storage in Minnesota, if you’re interested in learning more.

Winter break is over and teachers and students are back to school, busy working their way through curriculum aligned with Minnesota's Academic Standards. The standard development process as we know it today was established in 2003 to replace the earlier Profile of Learning standards. A brief history of the evolution of academic standards in Minnesota is outlined on the Library's Academic Standards Guide. The Library also collects standards documents in each of the core curriculum areas, many of which have had recent updates and are included in this month's list of new materials: 

• Current Arts Education Requirements: Standards, Credits and Courses. August 2024.
• 2020 Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards in English Language Arts (ELA). February 2024. 
• 2022 Minnesota Academic Standards in Mathematics. 2022.
• 2021 Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards in Social Studies. 2021.

Two additional reports recently added to the Library's collection look at other aspects of education in Minnesota as the second half of the school year gets underway.

The House Research Department's new report on K-12 Education Compensatory Revenue provides a broad summary of changes to the compensatory revenue formula over the past 50 years. This formula dictates how much funding schools that serve academically disadvantaged students receive each year. Compensatory revenue was also the subject of an OLA evaluation in 2020.

In 2023, the Legislature added a new reporting requirement for the Minnesota Department of Education, requiring an annual report detailing statewide class size ratios by grade. The second edition of this annual report was published in December: Class Size Ratios: Report to the Legislature. As the report notes, "class-size ratios are of public interest because research has shown there to be a relationship with student academic achievement."

Photo credit: Catherine Davis - Senate Media Services, April 25, 2025.

Property taxes are rising in Minnesota, raising concerns and questions among some homeowners. The latest estimates from the Minnesota Department of Revenue show that local governments across the state are proposing up to $948 million more in property tax levies for 2026 than owners paid this year. Five helpful data tables from the Department of Revenue show the proposed property tax levies of counties, cities, schools, townships, and special taxing districts: Preliminary Levy Changes for CY 2026 - All Jurisdictions. Local governments can still reduce their final levies before the end of December, but the early numbers are a sign of building financial pressures faced by cities and counties.

Minnesota ranks above the national average in property taxes across most major property types, according to a new report recently added to our collection from the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and the Minnesota Center for Fiscal Excellence: 50-State Property Tax Comparison Study for Taxes Paid in 2024. Published annually since 1996 and offering a unique comparison of property taxes across the country, the study includes 125 cities throughout the U.S., and each state is represented by the largest city and a small city that is outside a metropolitan area. Minnesota has two cities in the study, Minneapolis and Glencoe, and the study shows how Minnesota compares on property taxes for four different types of property – homestead, apartment, commercial, and industrial – which make up around 70 percent of taxable real property in Minnesota.

The Library recently received two additional reports from the Minnesota Department of Revenue on this topic. Property Tax Law Summary: A Summary of Laws Enacted During the 2025 Regular and Special Sessions that Impact Property Tax Administration Statewide can help property tax professionals plan for implementation of new property tax laws. Residential Homestead Property Tax Burden Report: Taxes Payable 2023 offers a summary of homestead property values and property taxes. It profiles 20 regions in Minnesota based on residential homestead property taxes payable in 2023 and income earned in 2022. The Minnesota House of Representatives' House Research Department provides additional data and analysis on Minnesota's property tax system and levies, aids and credits.

The Senate Counsel, Research, and Fiscal Analysis annual publication, Fiscal Review, is one of the most heavily used publications in the Legislative Reference Library. The Library’s paper copies are lovingly worn and the digital archive, reaching back to the first publication in 1975, is an invaluable resource. 

A new issue of Fiscal Review was published last month, and provides detailed coverage of the budgetary actions in the 2025 legislative session and allows legislators, researchers, and citizens to compare this Legislature’s work with years past. 

To celebrate the recent release of the 2025 edition of Fiscal Review, the office of Senate Counsel, Research and Fiscal Analysis and the Legislative Reference Library invite you to the Legislative Reference Library's space on the third floor of the Senate Building (3238 MSB) on Wednesday, December 3 at 11am. Doughnuts will be served!

The crop art competition has been part of the Minnesota State Fair since 1965 and has grown in popularity both in the number of entries and the level of interest by Fair visitors. In 2025, there were 451 pieces submitted to the Fair and it’s not unusual to have to stand in a substantial line to see the entries. You may not know that several people affiliated with the Legislature have contributed entries in the last few years.

The Library invites you to our space on the third floor of the Minnesota Senate Building (room 3238) for a chance to view crop art up-close, and with no line! 

A current legislator and several current and former legislative staff have selected works on display: 

• Charlotte Ferlic, House Research Department
• Rep. Athena Hollins
• Joel Alter, former evaluator at the Office of the Legislative Auditor
• Jennifer Nelson, MMB and former House staff
• Elaine Settergren, Legislative Reference Library

The exhibit is open now and runs through early January 2026. Current hours are posted on the library's hours and locations page.

The image seen here is a piece by Charlotte Ferlic in 2024.

Tribal casinos in Minnesota operate under a combination of federal, state, and tribal laws. In 1988, the United States Congress passed the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, to regulate gambling on Indian land while promoting tribal economic development, self-sufficiency, and strong tribal governments.

In 1989, Minnesota Statute 3.9221 was passed authorizing the Governor to enter into gambling compacts with the eleven sovereign tribal nations. These eleven compacts detail operational aspects such as game types, regulatory oversight, and enforcement provisions. However, the state does not receive a share of casino revenues. Minnesota Statute 3.9221 also mandates a Report to the Legislature on the Status of Indian Gaming containing “information on compacts negotiated, and an outline of prospective negotiations.”

Minnesota has also expanded this cooperative model beyond gaming to include medical and recreational cannabis commerce on tribal lands.  Minnesota Statute 3.9224 authorizes medical cannabis compacts, while Minnesota Statute 3.9228 addresses adult-use recreational cannabis. So far, three tribes, the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, the Prairie Island Indian Community, and the White Earth Nation have negotiated cannabis tribal-state compacts.

These compacts reflect a trend of acknowledging tribal sovereignty while building collaborative regulatory frameworks between the state and tribal nations.

Please contact us with questions, for research assistance, or to borrow any books and reports: library@lrl.mn.gov or 651-296-8338.

Martin Sabo may be best known for his long service in the U.S. House of Representatives, or for being one of the founders and leaders of the National Conference of State Legislatures. But a new book by Lori Sturdevant, Martin Sabo: The Making of the Modern Legislature, focuses primarily on his time at the Minnesota Legislature. Sabo was first elected in 1960, went on to serve as House minority leader from 1969-1972, and then served as Speaker of the House from 1973-1978. This period of time saw dramatic and lasting changes at the Legislature.

The period between 1967 and 1975 are often regarded as the beginning of the modern era at the Minnesota Legislature. It was a time of new openness in government, more complete committee record keeping, and the return of party designations. The Legislature as an institution expanded and professionalized, and this era saw the creation of the House Research Department (1967), Senate Counsel (1968), the Legislative Reference Library (1969), and the Office of the Legislative Auditor (1973).

Many state laws that we take as givens were established during this era as well. For example, in 1973, the Legislature established a state minimum wage, created data privacy standards, and set up environmental requirements for large-project developers. And in 1975, Minnesota passed the Clean Indoor Air Act, the first state in the nation to pass such a law, despite Sabo’s habit of smoking heavily, including at the Speaker’s rostrum!

If these fundamental changes to the Legislature as an institution and formative changes to state law had a founding father, Sturdevant asserts that it is Martin Sabo. She argues that we have him to thank for our modern legislative era, with his humble leadership strategies, his interest in working across the aisle, his shoe leather campaign style, his “keen mind and good heart,” and his pursuit to professionalize the institution.

The Library has several other books related to this time of legislative and public policy changes:

Minnesota’s Miracle: Learning from the Government that Worked by Tom Berg, University of Minnesota Press, 2012.

Minnesota Standoff: The Politics of Deadlock by Rod Searle, Alton Press, 1990.

Please contact us with questions, for research assistance, or to borrow any of these books: library@lrl.mn.gov or 651-296-8338.

Each year, the Legislative Research Librarians staff section of the National Conference of State Legislatures recognizes excellence in state government publishing through the Notable Document Awards. Legislative librarians and others are invited to submit documents from their states for consideration. Minnesota's strong publishing reputation - from all three branches of government - means that Minnesota documents are often recognized for their excellence and contribution to the public policy publishing landscape. This year two Minnesota documents received a Notable Document Award, including one from the Legislature's own House Research Department, an office with a robust publishing history.

Major State Aids and Taxes: A Comparative Analysis from the House Research Department, along with its supplemental interactive tool, was recognized this year for its excellence in presenting a comparative analysis of the major state aids and taxes in Minnesota. Published regularly since 1982, the report is rich in charts, graphs, and numbers. The supplemental interactive tool significantly enhances its usefulness, allowing legislators to use the data lookup tool to create clear data visualizations comparing their legislative district or county with other parts of the state. The report was recognized for creating a resource that might serve as a good model for other policy areas where legislators rely heavily on data and policy analysis in their work. Congratulations to House Research for this recognition!

Another report recognized by the Notable Document Award team this year came from the legislatively-created Psychedelic Medicine Task Force. As cities and states have been considering decriminalization of psychedelic and other recreational drugs in recent years, the Legislature convened this task force in 2023 to study these policy questions, and specifically whether to allow the use of psychedelics as medicine to treat conditions like PTSD, alcohol use disorder, depression, and others. The group issued their heavily researched report in 2025: Psychedelic Medicine Task Force: Legislative Report.