Wisconsin
Pro-Life Stance on the Rise in Minnesota, Upper Midwest
A Gallup Poll released last Friday made headlines for its finding that a majority of Americans now identify themselves as “pro-life” as opposed to “pro-choice” on the issue of abortion, marking the first time that “pro-life” has been in…
Read MoreShould Minnesota’s Corrections Budget Be Increased?
The passage of public safety legislation this week in the Senate (SF 802) and House (HF 1162) included a reduction of approximately $100 million of the base budgets across more than a dozen departments – the largest being a $34.2…
Read MoreIowa Least Affected by Unemployment Increases in the Upper Midwest
Although the unemployment numbers released during the past week by Iowa Workforce Development find the Hawkeye State with its highest seasonally adjusted jobless rate since December 1987, Iowans are not losing their jobs at the rate endured by other Upper…
Read MoreWisconsin Unemployment Rate Eclipses Minnesota for First Time Since Summer 2007
For those wondering why Wisconsin’s evaluation of the job performance of President Barack Obama, its Governor, Jim Doyle, and its U.S. Senators, Herb Kohl and Russ Feingold, has been quite critical in recent months, one may only need to stop…
Read MoreUpper Midwestern States Bearing the Brunt of Rising Unemployment
Although the majority of Upper Midwestern states are currently experiencing some of the lowest unemployment rates in the country, the rate of increase, particularly during the last four months, has hit this region of the country particularly hard. Overall, three…
Read MoreIs Minnesota the Most Democratic-Friendly State in the Midwest?
Smart Politics recently examined Governor Tim Pawlenty’s approval rating and highlighted its remarkable strength and stability in the face of the current economic crisis. But Pawlenty’s popularity is also noteworthy when viewed in the greater partisan environment of the Gopher…
Read MoreObama Sustains Early Support in Minnesota; Falters in Wisconsin and Iowa
SurveyUSA’s latest round of approval ratings for President Barack Obama have been released for a dozen states across the country, in polling conducted March 20-22 of 600 adults in each state. Although the President has had a consistently higher job…
Read MoreJobless Claims Rate of Increase Slowed Across Upper Midwest in February
Preliminary seasonally adjusted unemployment data for the month of February 2009 was released on Wednesday and Thursday for three Upper Midwestern states, with each showing a reduction in the rate of growth of jobless claims. While unemployment rates continued to…
Read MoreUpper Midwest House Members Vote 18-5 in Favor of TARP Bailout Bonus Tax
On Thursday, Upper Midwestern U.S. House Democrats unanimously supported a bill that would impose an additional tax on bonuses received from certain Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) recipients. The measured passed 328 to 93 in the lower chamber. The bill…
Read MoreMinnesota Legislature Ranks Near Bottom in Proportional Representation of African-Americans
Although Minnesota has the 4th highest percentage of women serving in state legislatures nationwide, the Gopher State only ranks 40th in the country in terms of proportional representation of African-Americans in St. Paul. Out of the 201 legislators in the…
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