## The Topline: Minnesota Numbers January 27, 2025
This week’s Topline examines key numerical trends shaping Minnesota’s news landscape, from major lobbying expenditures to the impact of undocumented immigrants’ tax contributions.
Lobbying Powerhouses: A MinnPost report revealed Xcel Energy as the state’s top lobbying spender, investing $1.4 million to influence state and local governments. Education Minnesota, the state teachers’ union, was the only other entity exceeding $1 million in lobbying expenditures. Xcel’s spending largely focused on Public Utilities Commission cases, particularly rate-setting. Education Minnesota’s efforts centered on legislative bills concerning education funding and teacher pensions. Other significant spenders included the pharmaceutical industry (opposing single-payer healthcare), labor unions, and FairVote MN (advocating for ranked-choice voting).
Corporate Tax Rates: While Minnesota held the highest corporate income tax rate nationally last year (9.8%), New Jersey’s recent tax increases have surpassed it, reaching over 11%. Nevertheless, the Tax Foundation’s analysis shows Minnesota remains among the four states with a top corporate income tax rate exceeding 9%, significantly higher than the majority of states, many of which have rates below 5% or no corporate income tax at all.
Billionaire Influence on Politics: Research by Stanford political scientist Adam Bonica indicates a record-breaking trend in 2024 Republican campaign fundraising. Over half of Republican funds originated from just 100 donors, a stark contrast to Democrats, who received less than 20% of their funds from their top 100 donors. Bonica attributes this disparity to the Citizens United Supreme Court decision, which facilitated virtually unrestricted election spending. He further argues that the Republican party’s reliance on billionaire donors exacerbates the influence of oligarchy and urges the Democratic party to reject similar funding strategies.
Executive Orders: A Historical Perspective: USAFacts data highlights that President Trump signed a record-high 26 executive orders on his second term’s first day, surpassing even the number signed by President Biden (9) and all previous presidents since at least the Nixon administration. This contrasts sharply with President Biden’s overall record of 160 executive orders during his four years—a modern-era low, even less than some one-term presidents. Historically, Republican presidents have tended to utilize executive orders more frequently than Democratic presidents.
Undocumented Immigrants and Tax Revenue: A July 2024 report from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy suggests that President Trump’s executive orders targeting undocumented immigrants could significantly reduce tax revenue. The report estimates that undocumented immigrants in Minnesota contributed over $220 million in state and local taxes in 2022, comprising $80 million in sales and excise taxes, $59 million in property taxes, and $75 million in personal and business income taxes. Nationwide, this figure approaches $100 billion annually, highlighting the significant tax contributions of this population despite their limited access to government benefits.
About the Author: Christopher Ingraham covers greater Minnesota and reports on data-driven stories across the state. He is the author of “If You Lived Here You’d Be Home By Now,” and formerly a data reporter for the Washington Post. This article was published by the Minnesota Reformer, January 27, 2025.