Minnesota 2020, a progressive research group started by prominent DFLer Matt Entenza, is going out of business

Minnesota 2020, a progressive think tank founded by former DFL legislator Matt Entenza seven years ago, is shutting down.

Stuart Alger, a Minneapolis attorney and Minnesota 2020 board chairman, confirmed Monday that the board decided last week to close its doors. Alger said six to eight full-time employees would be laid off — primarily writers and researchers.

"The funding just hasn't been there as it was in the past," Alger said. The organization is a 501c3 nonprofit, and Alger said it relied on private support, including donations from labor organizations and foundations.

The St. Paul-based organization delved into many policy questions facing the state, producing lengthy and deeply researched reports on taxes, the state budget, transportation, energy, education and other issues. Just last week, researchers there publicly unveiled their analysis of 2014 property tax rates.

Alger said the doors would officially close on Tuesday, though he left open the possibility that a last-minute show of donor support could revive it. Dave Colling, a veteran DFL operative who has often worked for Entenza, was brought in to help the organization close down in an orderly fashion. Steve Fletcher, the current executive director, referred all questions to Colling.

A former House minority leader from St. Paul, Entenza ran for state attorney general in 2006 but withdrew from the race after it was revealed he paid a private investigator to look into Mike Hatch, the fellow Democrat he had hoped to replace.

Entenza launched Minnesota 2020 the following summer. Widely seen as a potential launchpad to restart Entenza's political career, the organization turned out to be a prolific producer of original research. Minnesota 2020 frequently sponsored public forums featuring high-profile politicians, like an August session on racial equity in government budgeting with Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges.

This year, to the surprise of many DFLers, Entenza resurfaced with a full-force primary challenge to DFL State Auditor Rebecca Otto. This time Entenza spent nearly $700,000 of his own money on the race, but again lost resoundingly.

According to publicly available tax forms, Minnesota 2020 spent $1.9 million from 2009 to 2013. Of that, $1.4 million came from a single donor. Colling said he could not say whether the donor was Entenza, who did not respond to a request for comment.

Running against Otto provoked the ire of many in the DFL, including party chairman Ken Martin, who publicly lambasted Entenza more than once. But Alger said he had no reason to think that anger toward Entenza was responsible for a drop in donations.