On the Record
This election cycle, we’re asking candidates for public office to tell us where they stand on issues that matter most to manufacturers.
For the first time ever, Enterprise Minnesota has reached out to candidates on the Nov. 3rd ballot for the Minnesota Legislature, Governor, and Congress, and asked them to respond to a manufacturing-specific questionnaire.Many manufacturers have learned in recent years that they don’t have the luxury of guessing whether elected officials understand their industry. The questionnaire aims to change that.
The 16 questions cover the economy, workforce, taxes, regulation, and the skilled-trades pipeline, among other issues that keep our state’s manufacturers running. We’re not asking candidates to endorse any policy position — we just want them to state what they believe, in writing.
Before joining Enterprise Minnesota, I worked at the senior-staff level in state and federal policy and politics. I know that the gap between campaign rhetoric and legislative behavior can be significant. Candidates invariably pledge support for ‘a strong economy’ or ‘good jobs.’ That’s not information a manufacturer can use.
So, we’re asking for specifics: How do you feel about the state’s competitiveness on energy costs? Do you think Minnesota’s new Paid Leave law recognizes that a machinist can’t just log in from home when they’re out? Will you talk to manufacturers in your district before you vote on something that changes their cost structure overnight? Those are relevant questions, and manufacturers deserve answers.
The timing of this effort is driven by recent events. Manufacturers are now operating under Minnesota Paid Leave, which took effect in January. At the same time, manufacturers across Minnesota — and particularly Greater Minnesota — continue to report difficulty finding qualified workers, a challenge that touches everything from housing and childcare to transportation and technical education. Enterprise Minnesota’s questionnaire treats those two realities — a new employer requirement and a persistent labor shortage — as part of the broader question of whether Minnesota is becoming more or less competitive as a place to make things.
This isn’t a gotcha exercise. We’re not trying to trap anybody or manufacture a controversy. What tends to happen, honestly, is that a lot of candidates haven’t been asked these questions in this level of detail. Their answers can be clarifying for them, too.
In short, the questionnaire is a modest attempt to change the dynamic for an industry that spends most legislative sessions on the receiving end of policy rather than at the table shaping it. Manufacturers often tell us that they feel invisible in these conversations, even though they’re the ones creating the jobs and paying the taxes that fund the initiatives others are debating.
This is one way of trying to break this cycle. Look for more information on the questionnaire in upcoming issues of Enterprise Minnesota magazine. In the meantime, for those who know candidates running for office this fall, please take this opportunity to engage with them and encourage them to respond.
Industry News
Gubernatorial candidates to meet with business community at Chamber forum
September 25, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce
Waseca County breaks ground on new Workforce Development Center
September 25, KEYC News Now
Building Skills for What Comes Next
September 25, Twin Cities Business
‘Coolest thing made in Minnesota’ reveals top 8 contenders
September 22, Yahoo! News
Minnesota-based cooperative to spend $700M to build soybean processing plant in Evansville
September 20, Leader Telegram
