Posts by ennelson@flaherty-hood.com
MN DEED: Governor Walz announces millions in workforce training grants
As the 2026 legislative session comes to a close, key bills the GMNP is still watching Content from Minnesota Department of Employment & Economic Development. Click here to read the full press release. [ST. PAUL, MN] – Governor Tim Walz and the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) today announced the recipients of $8.8 million…
Read MoreRFP open for Greater Minnesota Small Cities Housing Aid
As the 2026 legislative session comes to a close, key bills the GMNP is still watching The application materials for the Greater Minnesota Small Cities (Tier II Cities) Housing Aid Grant Program are now available on the Minnesota Housing website. The RFP application will be open until Friday, January 23, 2026, and grant recipients will…
Read MoreMinneapolis Federal Reserve Bank announces Child Care Capacity report
As the 2026 legislative session comes to a close, key bills the GMNP is still watching Late last month, the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis released its Child Care Capacity Report detailing the results of its child care tracking initiative. The report compares Minnesota child care capacity trends with those of other states in the…
Read MoreFirst Children’s Finance – Annual child care supply/demand gap analysis released
As the 2026 legislative session comes to a close, key bills the GMNP is still watching First Children’s Finance (FCF) recently released its annual Child Care Need Summary. A key takeaway from this year’s report is that the Greater Minnesota child care shortage remains dire, with the region being short of 42,581 child care slots as of June 2025. It is not the worst…
Read MoreFunding available through Rural Child Care Innovation Program
As the 2026 legislative session comes to a close, key bills the GMNP is still watching First Children’s Finance (FCF), in partnership with the MN Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), is now accepting applications for funding from the Rural Child Care Innovation Program (RCCIP). The RCCIP program is an innovative community engagement process designed to…
Read MoreNovember budget forecast: Down, up, then down again
As the 2026 legislative session comes to a close, key bills the GMNP is still watching Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) released its November forecast this morning, providing an updated look at the state’s fiscal situation in the current biennium as well as the 2028-29 biennium. The forecast shows both good and bad news. The…
Read MoreMMB seeking feedback to inform 2026 capital budget recommendations
As the 2026 legislative session comes to a close, key bills the GMNP is still watching Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) is seeking feedback from the public to inform the development of the Governor’s 2026 capital budget recommendations. What is the capital budget? Minnesota’s capital budget provides funding for infrastructure projects for state-owned capital assets…
Read MoreMinnesota Housing will host forum focused on regional housing resources
As the 2026 legislative session comes to a close, key bills the GMNP is still watching Join Minnesota Housing for the agency’s Central and East Central Regional Housing Forum on Wednesday, November 19 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Park Event Center in Waite Park. The Central and East Central Regional Housing Forum will feature…
Read MoreApplications open for MPCA brownfield grants
As the 2026 legislative session comes to a close, key bills the GMNP is still watching Abandoned gas stations, former dry cleaners or old manufacturing spaces exist in every community. Properties like these—called brownfields—can be a challenge to redevelop and often sit idle for years due to risks of perceived contamination. This can lead to…
Read MoreNorth Star Promise report provides insight into potential student workforce development in Greater MN communities
As the 2026 legislative session comes to a close, key bills the GMNP is still watching Recently, the Office of Higher Education released a preliminary report about the North Star Promise program from the 2024-25 school year. The North Star Promise program served 53,567 students during the 2024-25 school year. The North Star Promise provides…
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