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Minnesota’s numbers on renewable energy, greenhouse gas emissions, and EV uptake are across the board better than those of the United States as a whole, which speaks well of Gov. Walz.
The Democratic National Convention on Wednesday evening introduce Tim Walz, the governor of Minnesota, to the American public. It was a touching scene, with the enthusiasm of Walz’s family on full display, and his own folksy demeanor and common sense, along with a wry sense of humor, clearly wowed the audience.
I hate to get wonky in the midst of this feel-good moment, but elections are about policy. Here I want to examine a specific policy, green energy and climate. Although Walz was not thought particularly good on green energy when he was in Congress, his record as governor of Minnesota has shown real successes in these regards. I went through Uni Nexis and distilled these items from Targeted New Service on his record, which seems to me impressive.
On September 16, 2019, Gov. Tim Walz announced clean car standards in Minnesota, according to Targeted News Service. He instructed his administration to enforce a pair of clean vehicle regulations aimed at cutting down automobile emissions in the state. The low-emission vehicle (LEV) regulation mandated that car manufacturers offer passenger cars, trucks, and SUVs with reduced greenhouse gas emissions for the Minnesota market. Meanwhile, the zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) regulation compelled automakers to provide a greater number of vehicles with minimal or no tailpipe emissions for sale in the state, such as electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrids. Initial forecasts suggested that together, these two initiatives likely will have decreased yearly greenhouse gas emissions by 2 million tons by 2030.
In just the past year, Minnesota’s emissions fell 10%. EV registrations, still limited, grew by 55% since last year.
Walz remarked on this connection, slamming the pro-carbon then-President Donald Trump: “Climate change threatens the very things that make Minnesota a great place to live, from our magnificent 10,000 lakes to our farmable land and clean air. If Washington won’t lead on climate, Minnesota will. That is why we are taking bold action to reduce carbon emissions in a way that increases car options, protects public health, creates jobs, and saves Minnesotans money at the pump.”
On January 22, 2021, when Joe Biden had just come into the White House, Gov. Tim Walz and Lieutenant Gov. Peggy Flanagan unveiled a series of policy proposals aimed at achieving 100% clean electricity in Minnesota by 2040. These proposals expanded on Minnesota’s previous accomplishments in lowering reliance on fossil fuels and greater use of renewable energy to supply the state’s power needs.
Walz said: “The time to fight climate change is now. Not only is clean energy the right and responsible choice for future generations, clean energy maximizes job creation and grows our economy, which is especially important as we work to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. I am proud to announce a set of policy proposals that will lead Minnesota to 100% clean energy in the state’s electricity sector by 2040. Minnesotans have the ingenuity and innovation needed to power this future, and we are ready to pioneer the green energy economy.” (Targeted News Service)
Note that 2040 is 10 years before the Paris climate treaty’s deadline of 2050, so this was an ambitious climate plan.
On July 28, 2021 Targeted News Service reported that Walz and Flanagan ceremonially affixed their signatures to the historic Energy Conservation and Optimization Act of 2021 (ECO Act). This legislation enhanced Minnesota’s energy savings, diminished greenhouse gas emissions, and generated employment throughout the state. These jobs involved projects related to electricity, heating and cooling, ventilation, and insulation in residences and commercial establishments in Minnesota. Walz praised the bill for keeping Minnesota in the forefront of energy policy. The act helped families improve the energy efficiency of their homes and expanded eligibility of low-income families for such aid. It created jobs in housing insulation, electrical wiring, ventilation, and heating and cooling.
On Aug 12, 2021, a study was released by E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs) and nonprofits Clean Energy Trust and Clean Energy Economy MN (CEEM) showing that in excess of 55,300 Minnesotans worked in “energy efficiency and clean energy” by the end of 2020. Walz observed of the bipartisan report: “By supporting the growth of clean energy jobs, we are not only boosting our economy, but also protecting our environment and Minnesota’s future. This report proves that we can have a clean future while creating jobs at the same time. Minnesota workers have the ingenuity and dedication needed to pioneer the green energy economy and bring us into the future.” (Targeted News Service)
On August 18, 2022, Walz and Flanagan hailed the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act, which is actually green energy and climate legislation. Walz called it a “big win for Minnesota.” (Targeted News Service)
As of 2024, a third of Minnesota’s electricity now comes from wind, water, solar, and biomass. The state added 600 megawatts of wind and solar this year.
Another 21% came from nuclear power, which is low carbon, so 54%, a majority, of Minnesota’s electricity is now low carbon. Coal-fired electricity has fallen dramatically to only 19%, with somewhat cleaner natural gas at 27%.
In just the past year, Minnesota’s emissions fell 10%. EV registrations, still limited, grew by 55% since last year.
These numbers are across the board better than those of the United States as a whole, which speaks well of Gov. Walz. It is to be hoped that he can bring his climate and green energy commitments to the national stage as vice president.
The Minnesota Miracle is a slew of major progressive policies that improved the lives of all types of people in the state; here’s how to take it national.
There’s a lot to choose from in the race to define Minnesota Gov. and vice presidential candidate Tim Walz, and it seems like the Walz well will never run dry. He’s an additional jolt of energy for Democrats who felt hopeless about U.S. President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign. He’s a former small-town high school football coach with the potential to be a champion for forgotten small-town Americans. He’s folksy with a ton of Midwestern dad energy, and seems to charm nearly everyone he meets.
For us, the bigger picture isn’t about who Walz is, but about how he will govern. Because while he was governor in 2018, it was organizers and advocates for working families who pulled off the “Minnesota Miracle,” also called the “Minnesota Model.” Apply that model to the country as a whole, and you get a road map for winning popular progressive policies under tough conditions—and that’s exactly what Democrats need to defeat former President Donald Trump and Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) and to keep winning beyond November.
On paper, the Minnesota Miracle is a slew of major progressive policies that improved the lives of all types of people in the state. It came together from decades of organizing by community and labor groups who in turn organized Walz, paving the way for these wins and forming an inside-outside coalition of governance to make sure that the legislature followed through on their promises. As leaders of the Working Families Party, a political party that does just that, we know how well it works.
By following the leadership of communities and organized labor, Democrats can rebuild the coalition needed to win power—and hold power.
The Miracle’s agenda included popular policies like paid family and medical leave, a child tax credit, making breakfast and lunch free for all students, allowing undocumented immigrants to access driver’s licenses, and making record investments in public schools..
That’s a strong platform to run a presidential ticket on. Not only are these policies immensely popular, they’re popular among the coalition that Vice President Kamala Harris and Walz need to win in November. Every policy in the Minnesota Model has been the subject of a major poll—if not dozens or hundreds. Time and time again, they poll well across race, place, and class.
Much of our work focuses on electing leaders who fight for these popular policies, and there’s a growing contingent. But the majority of Democrats tend to balk at these issues, especially when trying to placate powerful corporate interests. But Walz could help break that trend. Many Democratic leaders balk at bold policies under the best conditions, but Walz and the organizers who won the Miracle did it despite the odds, turning a tight Democratic majority into concrete policy wins. Instead of going small, they seized the moment. As Tim Walz himself said, “You don’t win elections to bank politics capital. You win elections to burn political capital and improve lives.”
Imagine that approach on the federal level. Democrats can go big, opening the door to bold policies that meet the needs of this moment. By running on a proven popular agenda like the Minnesota Miracle, Democrats can win by big margins. And, perhaps most importantly, by following the leadership of communities and organized labor, Democrats can rebuild the coalition needed to win power—and hold power.
There are big lessons to be learned here, if we choose to. The Minnesota coalition did it six years ago, and we can do it again, on the federal level. But only if we organize like our future depends on it to beat Trump and flip the house.
We’re far from starting from scratch. The Working Families Party, Center for Popular Democracy Action, People’s Action, and countless other allied groups have spent decades paving the way for Democrats to run on these issues, just like organizers in Minnesota did. And while electoral wins are just the beginning of the fight, real change happens when our communities have governing power.
If we can build a multiracial working-class coalition to defeat Trump and his MAGA movement at every level of government, that same coalition can fight for and win more together than we ever have.
The progressive Minnesota congresswoman said her Democratic challenger is "actively courting Republican votes and desperately seeking funding from AIPAC."
U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar on Sunday condemned a last-minute effort by pro-Israel donors to boost her Democratic primary opponent in Minnesota's 5th Congressional District following the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's successful campaigns against two other progressive Squad members.
"It is shameful that my opponent is actively courting Republican votes and desperately seeking funding from AIPAC," Omar wrote on social media in response to reporting by Jacqueline Sweet in The Intercept. "MN05 deserves someone who will champion their values, not seek support from vile MAGA Republicans like Laura Loomer and Royce White."
Sweet reported Sunday that "members of a WhatsApp group founded by wealthy pro-Israel donors coordinated to infuse cash" into the primary campaign of Don Samuels, a former member of Minneapolis City Council who fell just short of defeating Omar in 2022—a race that also attracted right-wing super PAC spending against the incumbent.
This year's primary—in which voters of any party affiliation can participate—will be held on Tuesday.
According to Sweet, members of the WhatsApp group—including "a consultant who at the time was working for the Samuels campaign as well as far-flung political donors"—recently "discussed raising six-figure sums for a political action committee, strategies for campaign phone banks, and an effort to marshal Republican voters to boost Samuels in Tuesday's open primary."
"One participant in the WhatsApp group, Michael Sinensky—a wealthy entrepreneur who on the chat justifies support for 'alt-right Christian neo-Nazis'—said he has worked with Make a Difference MN to raise over $120,000 for Samuels since July 31," Sweet reported, citing messages in the group chat. "Make a Difference MN, a super PAC, was used by AIPAC in 2022 to route $350,000 into Samuels' race."
Sweet pointed to a message posted to the group chat by Alex Minn, who was working for the Samuels campaign at the time he sent the message. Minn called Omar "public enemy #1 to Jews, Israel, and America" and wrote that "we all have the power to help get rid of" the Squad.
Minn also said "he had been in touch with AIPAC," Sweet reported. "In one case, a Samuels supporter in the group had an email to an AIPAC regional office bounce back, and Minn offered to check the address."
On July 25, Minn wrote that the Samuels campaign "is in regular and will continue to be in regular communication with AIPAC." (The Samuels campaign told Sweet that Minn no longer works for the campaign.)
Justice Democrats, an advocacy group that helped form a coalition aimed at combatting AIPAC influence in the 2024 primaries, wrote Sunday that "AIPAC, its allies, and Don Samuels are building coalitions with Trump donors and neo-Nazis to attack" Omar.
"As AIPAC becomes the single largest source of GOP donor spending in Dem primaries," the group added, "Ilhan Omar is on the frontlines of defending our democracy—the choice is easy in MN05."
Last week, Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) lost her primary against a Democratic opponent backed by millions of dollars from AIPAC's super PAC, the United Democracy Project, which also spent big to defeat Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) in New York's 16th Congressional District.
Bush, Bowman, and Omar have been among Congress' most vocal critics of U.S. support for Israel's assault on the Gaza Strip, which is now in its 11th month with no end in sight. Their criticisms of the war and calls for a permanent cease-fire—which align with the views of a strong majority of the U.S. public—have intensified efforts by pro-Israel donors and organizations to deny the progressive lawmakers another term in Congress.
Jewish Insider reported Monday that Samuels' campaign "saw an influx of contributions" in the hours after Bush's defeat.
But Omar "has significantly outraised Samuels" this year, Axios noted, and "has spent more than $2.7 million on TV and digital ads, per Ad Impact, compared to the roughly $185,000 from the Samuels campaign."
According to The Cook Political Report, Omar "looks like she's in a strong position to fend off another primary challenge."