Here is your InForum Minute for Monday, March 14.
FARGO — The economies of the Fargo and Bismarck metropolitan areas are being forecast to grow in 2022, as part of a general upward trend for North Dakota’s economy, according to a report released Thursday, March 10.
The Economic Outlook Quarterly report, released by The Center for the Study of Public Choice and Private Enterprise at North Dakota State University, uses data available from the St. Louis Federal Reserve as of Feb. 25.
Key points from the report, which is based on data available so far for January, February and March, are included here.
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Payroll tax hikes could come next week as impasse stalls Minnesota jobless fund repayment, hero pay
ST. PAUL — Minnesota business owners are set to see payroll tax hikes next week as legislative leaders continue negotiations about a path forward for a plan to repay the state's jobless fund and send out hero checks to front-line workers.
But whether business owners will be expected to pay those taxes or could later see some of the money returned remained at issue this week.
Minnesota has to pay back the federal government more than $1 billion after the state borrowed the money to pay out unemployment claims during the pandemic. An unprecedented number of Minnesotans — almost one in five workers — pulled down jobless benefits in 2020 and 2021 due to state mitigation efforts and altered consumer demands. Full story here.
Online cat scams claim to originate from small town outside Fargo
FARGO — The Cass County Sheriff’s Office is warning the public about internet scams in which victims pay for cats of specialty breeds but don't receive them.
The sheriff’s office has taken reports from a total of four victims in Washington state, Michigan, New York and Florida, who bought cats from websites where breeders purport to be based in the Cass County town of Leonard, but never got them.
The prices of the cats have ranged from $550 to $2,000, the sheriff's office said. The specialty breeds have included munchkin, Maine Coon, Scottish Fold and Scottish Fold munchkin cats. Full story here.
