Year: 2024

MinnPost: Greater Minnesota cities seek funding for EMS delivery, infrastructure in ’24 session

EXCERPT: “Two organizations that represent Minnesota cities outside the Twin Cities region hope the Legislature will address several challenges facing their member cities, including stress on Emergency Medical Systems and infrastructure needs. The Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities and the League of Minnesota Cities, whose requests often overlap, are asking that funding for those two areas ...

What’s happening in Greater Minnesota? – Part 5, Deaths of despair

On February 7th, Sourcewell hosted the Center for Rural Policy to broadcast a presentation and discussion highlighting the Center’s most recent research. In part 5, Director of Research Marnie Werner provides a preview of upcoming research highlight suicide and deaths of despair in rural Minnesota.

What’s happening in Greater Minnesota – Part 1, Changes in the labor force

On February 7th, Sourcewell hosted the Center for Rural Policy and Development to broadcast a presentation and discussion highlighting the Center’s most recent research. In part 1, Senior Researcher Kelly Asche presents data highlighting the low unemployment rates and the decline in people participating in the labor force which is leading to all-time high job ...

North Star Promise: A few tweaks to consider

Kelly Asche January 2024 The last legislative session produced an interesting program to help make post-secondary education more affordable for low-income students – the North Star Promise. From the Minnesota Office of Higher Education: “Beginning in fall 2024, the North Star Promise (NSP) Scholarship program will create a tuition and fee-free pathway to higher education ...

Axios: Nearly half of Minnesota’s rural hospitals don’t offer labor and delivery

EXCERPT: “An estimated 45% of rural hospitals in Minnesota no longer offer maternity care, per a new report. The big picture: Challenging economics and labor shortages are forcing more rural facilities to stop providing labor and delivery services, Axios’ Jason Millman writes. The report, from the nonprofit Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform, found that 55% of ...

Interconnected: An update on Minnesota’s child care challenges

The Center for Rural Policy & Development and the Citizens League are excited to continue our discussions on topics important to both rural and urban audiences. In February 2021, the Center for Rural Policy & Development released a report looking at the state of child care in Greater Minnesota. That report examined why it’s harder to ...