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| Move Minnesota | |
|---|---|
| Name | Move Minnesota |
| Type | Nonprofit advocacy organization |
| Founded | 2006 |
| Headquarters | Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| Region served | Minnesota |
| Focus | Transportation policy, land use, sustainable mobility |
| Methods | Research, advocacy, coalition building, public campaigns |
Move Minnesota
Move Minnesota is a nonprofit advocacy organization focused on transportation policy and sustainable mobility in Minnesota. It engages in coalition building, policy research, and public campaigns to influence state and local decisions about transit, roads, and land use. The organization works alongside labor unions, environmental groups, and civic organizations to shape legislation, funding priorities, and planning processes in the Twin Cities and greater Minnesota.
Move Minnesota was formed in the mid-2000s amid debates over transportation funding and regional planning in Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Early activity intersected with campaigns around the I-35W Mississippi River bridge collapse recovery efforts, the expansion of the Metro Transit light rail network, and statewide ballot initiatives such as the Minnesota constitutional amendment proposals related to spending. Founders and early leaders drew from networks associated with Minnesota Transportation Alliance, Transit for Livable Communities, and unions like the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and SEIU Local 26. Over the 2010s the organization expanded its work to include highway funding fights at the Minnesota Legislature, advocacy around the Green Line (Light Rail Transit), and coalition efforts for climate-related transportation policy influenced by organizations such as the Sierra Club and Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy.
Move Minnesota’s stated mission emphasizes shifting investment toward multimodal transportation, equitable access, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector. Goals often reference supporting projects such as the Northstar Line, improving Metro Transit bus service, and advancing land use practices aligned with Metropolitan Council regional planning objectives. The group frames priorities using policy tools found in statutes like the Minnesota Statutes governing transportation appropriations and leverages engagement with bodies including the Minnesota Department of Transportation and county-level transportation agencies such as Hennepin County and Ramsey County.
Programs led or supported by the group include public education campaigns, legislative scorecards, and coordinating endorsements for ballot measures and candidate races. Initiatives frequently partner with groups including AARP Minnesota, Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, Fresh Energy, and labor organizations such as the Minnesota AFL-CIO. Move Minnesota has worked on promoting transit-oriented development linked to projects like the Southwest LRT and advocating funding mechanisms such as sales tax referendums used by counties including Hennepin County and Anoka County. It has produced materials aimed at voters, stakeholders, and decision-makers, interacting with civic institutions like the League of Minnesota Cities and advocacy networks such as Coalition for Greater Minnesota Transit.
The organization operates as a nonprofit entity governed by a board of directors that has included representatives from allied nonprofits, labor unions, and civic leaders. Staff typically engage in policy analysis, communications, and field organizing in coordination with consultants, law firms, and polling firms active in Minnesota politics. Funding sources include grants from foundations, contributions from allied organizations, and donor-advised support; historical funders and partners have overlapped with entities like the McKnight Foundation, Bush Foundation, and environmental philanthropies that underwrite transit advocacy in the Midwest. The group also receives in-kind support and coordination from coalition partners such as Transit for Livable Communities and labor bodies related to United Steelworkers.
Move Minnesota has run or supported campaigns at the Minnesota Legislature level, city council races in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, and county-level referenda on transit sales taxes. High-profile campaigns endorsed efforts to fund the METRO Blue Line and METRO Green Line expansions, opposed proposals perceived to prioritize highway expansion over transit, and campaigned on statewide transportation finance packages that involved the Office of Governor of Minnesota and legislative leaders in the Minnesota Senate and Minnesota House of Representatives. The organization frequently coalesces with electoral advocacy groups, labor coalitions, and environmental campaigns during statewide elections, aligning with groups such as Duluth Transit Authority stakeholders and metropolitan planning organizations like the Metropolitan Council.
Supporters credit the organization with helping secure funding for transit projects, shifting public discourse toward multimodal investment, and strengthening alliances among unions, environmentalists, and civic groups. Cited impacts include contributions to campaigns that advanced light-rail projects and county-level transit referendums affecting jurisdictions like Hennepin County and Ramsey County. Critics — including some suburban and rural elected officials, highway construction interests, and taxpayer advocacy groups — argue that its policy prescriptions deprioritize highway capacity and fiscal conservatism, and that coalition tactics can be politically partisan. Debates have involved entities such as Minnesota Transportation Alliance critics, construction unions favoring highway projects like the MnDOT-backed road programs, and fiscal watchdogs that reference State Auditor of Minnesota assessments. The organization’s role in contentious votes and ballot campaigns has prompted scrutiny of nonprofit political activity by state regulators and watchdogs including the Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board.
Category:Nonprofit organizations based in Minnesota