Minnesota Lawyer

On Jan. 3, the 112th Congress of the United States of America finally ended. Thank God. To properly evaluate the 112th, consider the record of its predecessor, the 111th Congress, which ran from January 2009 to January 2011.

What are Minnesota’s partisan geographical patterns in the wake of the 2012 elections? Steven Schier explores the evidence and consider its implications for the state’s electoral future.

Our state politicians do have their own individual Christmas wish lists — some of which are publicly discussed and some of which are yet to be revealed. With the 2013 legislative session starting on Tuesday, Jan. 8, it is time to make these Christmas wishes public.

Is the deficit reduction deal being negotiated by President Barack Obama and Speaker of the House John Boehner likely to be small-ball, medium-sized or a massive grand bargain that restructures the federal budget?

I had to pause and reflect this week as the Legislature in my home state of Michigan passed into law a form of “right to work” that had been promoted by Gov. Rick Snyder. The law made union dues voluntary for private-sector unions and most public sector unions.

If you want a concrete example of the unanticipated harm that could come from the United States going over the fiscal cliff, look no further than Build America Bonds, an efficient and alternative way to subsidize state and local investments.

There’s a problem at the heart of the fiscal cliff talks between U.S. President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner. Well, many problems, actually, but one is especially apparent.

Since 1950, federal revenue has averaged about 18 percent of gross domestic product — 17.8 percent of GDP, to be exact. A neat bit of trivia, but who cares?

While all eyes are focused on what is happening in Washington, D.C., Minnesota is facing a different type of fiscal dilemma, a mountain of new spending.

You say you want a revolution? Well, last week’s election was not quite that, but Nov. 6 gave Democrats joint control of the Minnesota Legislature and the governor’s office for the first time since 1990; they occupy all the constitutional offices as well.