Minnsights Blog

Recently, the Minnesota Chamber continued its return to in-person events with another chapter of the Women in Business series. The event held at the St. Paul Hotel featured President and CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, Dana Erickson, in her first public event in her new role. Dana shared how her community-oriented upbringing led to a career in health care as a registered nurse and now the first female CEO in Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota history.

Research from the Minnesota Center for Employee Ownership (MNCEO) and Project Equity shows that roughly half of employer businesses in Minnesota have owners over the age of 55, reaching an age of likely ownership transition. Concerningly, however, an overwhelming majority of businesses (85%) do not have succession plans. 

Guidance on changes to employment and labor policies.

Last week, the Minnesota Chamber kicked off the 2022 legislative session with the annual Session Priorities event. We laid out the business community’s top issues for the year and heard from leaders of the House and Senate what they hope to accomplish. Governor Tim Walz highlighted the program with an interview with KSTP's Tom Hauser. Topics ranged from a Chamber priority, a fix for the UI Trust Fund deficit, to legalizing sports betting and cannabis use to do with the $7.7 billion surplus. 

During the crowd favorite “lightning round” questions, the leaders shared their thoughts on issues ranging from preventing a huge UI payroll tax increase on employers and returning the budget surplus to tax payers to recreational marijuana and sports betting. Here are their answers: