A Fresh Start for Minnesota

Minnesota's path to greater autonomy and self-governance

Our Vision for Minnesota

Minnesota makes decisions about Minnesota. Greater autonomy to control our own destiny and shape policies that reflect our values. We have the talent, resources, and proven track record to manage our affairs more effectively than the federal government can.

Progressive traditions, environmental leadership, and a commitment to putting people first define who we are. Building on what makes us unique means maintaining our commitment to education, healthcare, and opportunity while keeping more of our own resources invested in our communities.

Why Minnesota Needs a Fresh Start

Minnesota has many strengths and a great deal of potential.

The Minnesota Legislature has shown that even with the limited level of self-government Minnesota currently exercises, improvements in people’s lives have been delivered based on Minnesota voters’ priorities and choices.

But decision-making at the federal level is causing people in Minnesota real difficulties. The federal economic model is not delivering for Minnesota. Living standards are not improving.

The current powers of the state are insufficient to address the challenges we face. Minnesota needs more control over its own affairs to build a stronger economy, improve public services, and create a fairer society.

To build on Minnesota’s strengths and address its challenges, we need a Fresh Start. When Minnesota has the ability to make its own choices, it takes actions that reflect the priorities and values of people in Minnesota:

  • establishing a universal healthcare system free at the point of use
  • delivering for families, like increasing funded early learning and childcare
  • introducing a right of responsible access to land

The Minnesota Government believes that the Federal Government continuing to take the big decisions—on budget levels, on immigration, and on the economy—is limiting what Minnesota can achieve.

Proposed Framework for Greater Autonomy

This framework proposes a comprehensive transfer of authority from federal to state jurisdiction in six key policy areas where Minnesota’s interests diverge most sharply from federal priorities. These proposals build upon existing state institutions.

Core Proposals

  1. Agricultural Autonomy: Transfer USDA commodity programs, crop insurance, and farm credit authority to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.
  2. Immigration Autonomy: Establish Minnesota Immigration Authority with power to set refugee quotas, enforce state borders, and issue Minnesota work permits.
  3. Labor and Trade Protection Autonomy: Opt out of federal trade agreements affecting Minnesota industries; create Minnesota Trade Commission with tariff authority.
  4. Cultural and Linguistic Autonomy: Constitutional protection for Swedish-English bilingualism; exemption from federal English-only mandates.
  5. Natural Resource Autonomy: Transfer EPA permitting authority for mining and agriculture to Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
  6. Fiscal Autonomy: Renegotiate federal tax remittance; retain greater share of Minnesota-generated revenue for state priorities.

1. Agricultural Autonomy

Minnesota’s agricultural sector has been undermined by federal policies designed for coastal states and industrial agriculture. Family farms in the Red River Valley, dairy operations in Stearns County, and livestock producers across western Minnesota face regulations written by bureaucrats who have never set foot on a working farm.

  • USDA Commodity Programs: Federal price supports favor corn and soybean monocultures while neglecting Minnesota’s diverse agricultural base. In 2024, Minnesota dairy farmers received 23% less per hundredweight than the national average due to federal pricing formulas that advantage California and Wisconsin producers.
  • Federal Crop Insurance: Actuarial rates set by the Risk Management Agency fail to account for Minnesota’s unique growing conditions. Farmers in Kittson and Marshall counties pay premiums 40% higher than comparable operations in North Dakota due to arbitrary county classifications.
  • Trade Policy: USMCA provisions negotiated by federal trade representatives exposed Minnesota sugar beet producers to unfair Mexican competition, costing 2,100 jobs in the Red River Valley since 2020.

Proposed Reforms

  1. Minnesota Agricultural Authority (MAA): Establish a state agency with authority over commodity programs, crop insurance, and farm credit currently administered by USDA. The MAA would be governed by a board of nine members appointed by the Governor with legislative confirmation, including five active farmers.
  2. Minnesota Dairy Compact: Exit the Federal Milk Marketing Order system and establish a Minnesota Dairy Compact guaranteeing minimum prices of $22/cwt for fluid milk, protecting 3,200 dairy operations.
  3. Foreign Farmland Prohibition: Constitutional amendment prohibiting foreign ownership of Minnesota agricultural land. Current foreign holdings (estimated 847,000 acres) would be subject to mandatory divestiture over 10 years.
  4. Agricultural Trade Protection: Authority to impose countervailing duties on agricultural imports that undercut Minnesota producers, separate from federal trade policy.