Local Majority provides research that is practical and accessible for state district campaigns. Acting as their personal research department, we distill national research studies and put together packets with specific and targeted information for candidates’ campaigns to support their efforts. Read here for some of our in-depth research reports supporting progressive campaigns.
2018
MINNESOTA
MN-HEALTH CARE
WOMEN'S ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE- MINNESOTA
4 Sentence Overview
Minnesota House Republicans have put forth 5 bills restricting abortion over the past two years. Three were vetoed and two didn’t make it to a vote. With the recent appointment of two conservative Supreme Court Justices, abortion’s legality could be left up to the states as early as 2020. The governor and state House elected in November, as well as the Senate already in place, will have the power to make the decision for Minnesota.
MN-EDUCATION
MINNESOTA EDUCATION FUNDING
To balance the budget in 2009, the Pawlenty administration withheld state aid to Minnesota's local school districts. Pawlenty’s unprecedented executive order withheld $1.2 billion in state aid. By the time Governor Mark Dayton took office, the schools were in the hole by an unprecedented amount. read more …
MN-Politics
Legislative Record for Minnesota House Republicans
A look at an incumbent's votes is crucial for understanding the legislator's priorities and positions. Their web sites and public statements can be at odds with how they actually vote. A discussion of some of the general voting themes for House Republicans follows. The GOP has become the “Anti” party (anti-environmental regulations, anti-public education, anti-affordable health care, anti-social assistance programs, anti-reproductive rights, anti-immigration, anti-gay rights, anti-gun safety and more). more …
MN-INFRASTRUCTURE
Minnesota’s ROADS TO RUIN
Minnesota’s roads are vital infrastructure that allows personal and commercial traffic to operate safely and efficiently. These same roads and highways, however, are decaying rapidly due to years of being underfunded. Ignoring a problem does not make it simply go away, yet the Republican-controlled state House seems to think it will. The Legislature controls the purse strings for the state’s transportation system. It is apparent that this goal cannot be met as long as the Republicans control the Legislature. more …
MN-BUDGET
Minnesota’s REPUBLICAN Pickpockets
For several legislative sessions, particularly the rancorous 2018 gathering, the Republican majority has been practicing a fiscal sleight-of-hand. They are doing this even though Minnesota is expected to enjoy a $329 million budget surplus. Having that 1 percent surplus hasn’t kept Republicans from trying to use special state funds set aside for a particular purpose to pay instead for basic needs.
MN-Environment
Strategic Metals Mining
Iron mining has been a prominent industry in northeastern Minnesota since the late 1800’s, but the mining of heavier metals–copper, nickel, and strategic metals such as gold, cobalt, platinum and palladium–has never taken hold. Two mining companies are attempting to get permits to mine and process those metals. Read further for the pros and cons of the issue. more ...
MN-Environment
The 3M Contamination Settlement Controversy
Minnesota sued manufacturing giant 3M for environmental damage caused by waste chemicals, known by the class name of perfluorocarbons, or PFCs, which have dispersed into a 100-square-mile plume in the groundwater. more ...
MN-Politics
Minnesota: Sold to the highest bidder
Privatization that has become increasingly common across states is a result of the outsized power that one constituency—corporate interests—has to influence legislation. But corporations, whose primary motive is profit, don't necessarily consider the societal costs of their actions. We need a society that benefits the majority, not just a few wealthy individuals and corporations.
The American Legislative Exchange Council, commonly referred to as ALEC, and controlled by a few wealthy individuals and corporations, has had a huge impact on laws passed within the states. Its impact comes from writing "model" legislation, which is then given to lawmakers who sponsor it. This has resulted in nearly identical bills being passed in many different states. more ...