Author

Chuck Johnson

Chuck Johnson

Chuck Johnson is a former deputy commissioner at the Minnesota Department of Human Services.

COMMENTARY

Public policy gets all the attention, but operations can make or break a policy

By: - September 20, 2023

A former colleague recently recommended I read “Re-Coding America,” by Jennifer Pahlka. Pahlka is the founder of Code for America, a non-profit that aims to help all levels of government make it easier for people to use government services. Pahlka also spent several years working in California state government and the federal government.  As the […]

COMMENTARY

Solving the long-term care crisis would be a good Boomer legacy

By: - June 30, 2023

Among the issues tackled by the 2023 Minnesota Legislature was a crisis in long-term care — a workforce crisis. While workforce is an issue across most sectors of the Minnesota economy, long-term care is particularly dependent on people — staff — to provide care. The crisis is real. Without adequate staffing, people suffer, families take […]

COMMENTARY

Work alone is not enough to lift children out of poverty

By: - April 19, 2023

The Minnesota Legislature — and let’s hope the U.S. Congress — is considering expanding the child tax credit. The CTC is a proven tool for reducing child poverty; the federal expansion in 2021 reduced child poverty by a third, moving 3.7 million children out of poverty.  The debate on CTC expansion will almost certainly feature […]

COMMENTARY

Medicaid is crucial to the health and well-being of 1.4 million Minnesotans

By: - March 13, 2023

It is difficult to overstate the importance of Medicaid for low-income people across the country, particularly in states like Minnesota that fully leverage coverage and benefit options under the federal/state program. About a quarter of Minnesotans — 1.4 million people — are enrolled in Medicaid, including over 650,000 children, 125,000 people with disabilities and about […]