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05/11/2001 Tax Plan Passes Senate The Minnesota Senate has passed a $600 million tax bill on a largely party-line vote. Republicans mocked the bill as a puny attempt to throw crumbs at taxpayers, while DFLers say they wanted to balance tax relief with new spending on education, transportation and health care.
05/11/2001 Abortion Waiting Period Passes in House The Minnesota House has voted 89-43 for a $6.3 billion health and human services funding bill, that includes a 24-hour abortion waiting period. Gov. Jesse Ventura says he'll veto the entire bill if it arrives on his desk with the abortion provision. His veto would cut off state funding for programs ranging from nursing homes to welfare on July 1. Supporters of the waiting period say Ventura should reconsider his threat.
05/04/2001 Property Taxes Emerge as Favored Target The Minnesota House has overwhelmingly approved a $1.5 billion tax bill. The bill picked up 39 DFL votes, because many Democrats like its emphasis on cutting property taxes and eliminating the so-called 'sick tax.'
05/03/2001 Politics on a Three-Legged Stool Minnesota lawmakers have spent the past week passing major spending bills funding higher education, transportation, agriculture and other priorities. Now comes the hard part: getting the House, Senate and governor together on the major budget issues.
05/01/2001 Standoff Over Abortion Looms at Capitol Abortion politics played out in the Minnesota Senate as an abortion waiting period, vetoed by Gov. Ventura last year, was added to a massive health-spending bill. The abortion provision prompted the bill's sponsor to set the spending package aside before a final vote. Abortion opponents call the move an abuse of power, but supporters of legalized abortion say they're not willing to put an $8 billion bill at risk of a gubernatorial veto.
04/25/2001 Differences in Human Services Bills Focuses on Abortion Provision HeAlong partisan lines, a House committee approved a wide-ranging $6.3 billion health and human services funding bill. Democrats say it neglects children's health, teen pregnancy prevention and welfare recipients. It also includes an abortion provision that Gov. Ventura has threatened to veto.
04/19/2001 Low High-Tech Ranking Gives Legislators Ammunition The Twin Cities' shaky 10th-place showing in rankings of metropolitan areas' New Economy strength served as ammunition Thursday for a trio of DFL lawmakers seeking more money to bolster the state's high-tech sector.
04/19/2001 Biodiesel Debate Pits Farmers Against Transportation Industry A bill working its way through the Legislature would make Minnesota the first state to mandate the sale of biodiesel, an alternative fuel made from vegetable oil or animal fat. The bill, which gets a hearing in the House Transportation Finance Thursday, pits farmers against the trucking industry. Opponents say there are too many unanswered questions about biodiesel, while supporters say the proposal is something the state can do to help farmers.
04/06/2001 Handgun Bill is Down, Not Out A 'concealed carry' handgun bill, that was picking up steam at the Capitol, was dealt a major blow Friday. After two hours of debate, a key Senate committee defeated the bill, making it much trickier to get the bill through the Legislature. But supporters say the proposal is far from dead.
04/03/2001 Legislature-Lobbyist Relations Strained Last week's unusually angry outburst against lobbyists by a key legislator has many state Capitol insiders wondering what set it off. House Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Davids called the successful effort to kill wine sales in grocery stores 'the most disgusting, underhanded, unethical, pathetic, dishonest, dishonorable show of lobbying' that he's ever seen.
03/28/2001 Abortion Waiting Period Bill Passes First Test Just days before the first legislative committee deadline, abortion bills are gaining strength at the Capitol. A bill to create a special Choose Life license plate, and one to require a 24-hour waiting period before a woman could get an abortion cleared their first legislative hurdle. But Gov. Ventura says he'll veto both bills if they land on his desk.
03/21/2001 A Simmering Feud Gov. Ventura says he's considering asking for legislation to bar Minnesota teachers from striking. The suggestion is the latest in a developing feud between Ventura and educators.
03/19/2001 Lessons from a Legend Minnesota's eldest former governor addressed the Senate Monday March 19th, one of only two times in recent memory a former statesman has been invited to speak on the Senate floor. Elmer Anderson, 91, used his half-hour speech to reminisce about politics and criticize Gov. Ventura's budget.
03/14/2001 A State-Run Casino? Leaders of Minnesota tribes that run casinos are urging Minnesota lawmakers to stay out of the casino business. Although a casino bill remains a long shot to pass this session, the issue is gaining momentum.
03/08/2001 Emotional Testimony at 'Concealed Carry' Hearing Emotional testimony from victims of gun violence marked a hearing on a concealed handgun bill. Two women whose parents were shot in front of them told their stories to lawmakers. But the two took different sides in the gun debate.
03/07/2001 Internet: The Tax Target Gov. Jesse Ventura has announced an effort to simplify the state's sales tax system. The move represents a first step toward taxing Internet sales. Ventura says it's not fair to impose sales taxes on Main Street businesses, but not e-commerce.
03/05/2001 Students, Educators Rally for Increased Funding As many as 1,000 students, parents, and educators rallied at the Capitol Monday for more education spending.
02/28/2001 Lawmakers Prepare Battle Over Shrinking Budget Surplus Minnesota lawmakers will have about $600 million less than expected for tax cuts and spending increases over the next two years. For the first time in nine years, the state's revenue forecast shows a drop in projected revenues.
02/26/2001 The Art and Science of Budget Forecasts The governor and state lawmakers find out this week whether they still have a big budget surplus to carve up, or whether the slowing economy will lead to less money than expected for tax cuts and spending increases. Nearly everyone at the Capitol expects the earlier projection of a $3 billion dollar surplus to have shrunk when state finance officials release the latest revenue forecast on Wednesday.
02/14/2001 Ventura Ready for Budget Fight In an interview with Minnesota Public Radio, Gov. Jesse Ventura says he's the only one who 'can stand up to the education lobby.' Ventura says he's not backing down from his budget proposal, despite increasing pressure from lawmakers and educators.
02/13/2001 Poll: Some Backlash from Wellstone's Decision to Run Again An MPR poll shows half of Minnesotans support Democratic Senator Paul Wellstone's decision to seek a third term next year. In the first poll since Wellstone announced his re-election plans, Wellstone's job approval is the highest it's been since he took office, but Republicans say he's still vulnerable.
02/08/2001 Legislature Ready to Crack Down on Drunk Driving A bill toughening penalties for chronic drunk drivers has passed its first legislative hurdle. While most lawmakers support making repeat drunk driving a felony, the bill has stalled in previous years because of its price tag. But the bill's sponsor is predicting the bill will make it through the Legislature and be signed into law.
02/08/2001 Campaign 2002 Already Underway The 2002 election is still 21 months away, but potential candidates for governor are already testing the waters. While no one has officially announced an intention to run, more than a half-dozen potential candidates are exploring the idea.
01/31/2001 Legislators Warming to Stadium Idea The Minnesota Twins are back at the Capitol talking about a new stadium. This time, team officials are taking a go-slow approach, listening to legislators and floating ideas. Some lawmakers are warming to one idea that doesn't involve a direct taxpayer subsidy, but they say funding a new ballpark won't be a top priority during a busy budget session.
01/25/2001 Let the Lobbying Begin The governor began taking his case to the public in St Paul. Meanwhile, the lobbying has begun in earnest as groups that feel short-changed by the governor's budget are starting to rally their supporters.
01/23/2001 A Budget with 'A Republican Look' Gov. Jesse Ventura is proposing a two-year, $27 billion budget that focuses on tax cuts and limited spending. Initial reaction at the Capitol ranged from Republican glee over the size of the tax cuts to DFL concern that there's not enough money for education, transportation and the environment.
01/17/2001 Wellstone Breaks Pledge; Will Run Again Minnesota Sen. Paul Wellstone ended months of speculation by announcing he will run for a third term in 2002. Wellstone says the political climate has changed since he pledged to serve only two terms. Wellstone's decision was praised by Democrats and panned by Republicans.
01/09/2001 Reformers Poised for Campaign Finance Assault Supporters of campaign finance reform say the 2001 session may be the best chance in years to pass significant changes. Gov. Jesse Ventura and leaders in both parties say they want to reduce the amount of money flowing into politics.
01/05/2001 Ventura's Tax Plan: Dead on Arrival? The reaction at the Capitol to Gov. Ventura's proposal to expand the sales tax to services has been almost universally negative from both sides of the aisle, although economists say the idea makes sense.
01/05/2001 Ventura Highlights Tax Reform in State of State Address Gov. Jesse Ventura used his second State of the State address to call for major tax cuts and government reform. Ventura wants to cut property, income and sales taxes, and change the way the Legislature does business. The governor has his work cut out for him to sell a bold agenda.
01/03/2001 Minnesota Legislature Opens Session The 2001 legislative session got underway Wednesday with Democrats and Republicans sparring in the House. Meanwhile, in the Senate, Gov. Ventura picked up his first party ally.
12/29/2000 Lawmakers Stand on Shifting Political Ground The major players are the same for the 2001 legislative session: a Republican-controlled House, a Senate dominated by Democrats, and an independent governor who answers to neither party. As Minnesota's experiment with tri-partisan government enters its third year, the political dynamics are shifting.
12/19/2000 Ventura to Lawmakers: 'Bring it On' Lawmakers at the Capitol are moving toward reigning in some of Governor Ventura's outside deals. After a hearing in Saint Paul, Ventura indicated he's ready for a fight.
12/18/2000 Gore Wins... Minnesota The balloting by the Electoral College is about as ceremonial as it gets. But with this year's Florida deadlock, even Minnesota's balloting garnered more attention than usual.
12/08/2000 Money Wins Big DFL Senator-elect Mark Dayton put $11.7 million of his own money into his Senate bid, outspending Republican incumbent Rod Grams by about three to one in the final weeks of the campaign.
11/30/2000 Minnesota's Rolling in Dough Minnesotans are likely to get another round of rebate checks next year. State officials announced a projected revenue surplus of $3 billion over the next two-and-a-half years. Finance officials are urging a cautious approach to spending the money, in case the economy slows, but the race to divy up the money has already begun.
11/01/2000 Bush Campaigns in Minnesota Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush predicted he'll carry Minnesota during a campaign stop in Minneapolis. Bush stressed tax cuts, and attacked Democratic opponent Al Gore as a big spender who's achieved little as vice president.
10/31/2000 Poll: Senate Race is Close DFL Senate candidate Mark Dayton maintains his advantage over Republican Sen. Rod Grams in the latest poll for Minnesota Public Radio, the Pioneer Press and KARE-TV. The former state auditor leads Grams by five percentage points, the same margin reported in the last MPR poll in September.
10/25/2000 Ad Watch: The Ad Police Chastise the Candidates Minnesota's U.S. Senate race is the most expensive in the state's history, and much of the nearly $10 million spent by the three major candidates so far has been used on television ads. A group of citizens - the Ad Police - watched some of the latest commercials, and they're not happy.
10/12/2000 Stadium Issue Enters 4th District Race The candidates for Minnesota's 4th congressional district seat sparred during their first public debate since the primary. The hottest topic was funding for sports stadiums, despite the fact that it's not a federal issue.
10/05/2000 Attack of the Attack Ads For years, voters have said they're tired of negative TV ads from political candidates. But as the general campaign of Campaign 2000 winds down, many candidates are unleashing attack ads.
09/29/2000 MPR Poll: Gore Leads Bush in Minnesota A new poll on the presidential race in Minnesota shows Democrat Al Gore maintains a slight lead over Republican George W. Bush. Ralph Nader is barely registering in the state.
09/21/2000 Senate Candidates in Television War A week into the general election campaign, the first attack ads of Minnesota's U.S. Senate race are on the air. The Republican National Committee and Republican Senator Rod Grams are running a commercial questioning the credibility of DFL Senate candidate Mark Dayton. Dayton is out with his own ad challenging Grams on the issue of Social Security, but it doesn't rise to the level of a personal attack.
09/18/2000 The First Debate In their first face-to-face meeting since the primary election, the candidates focus on the hot issue of the primary campaign: health care. The trio also sparred over what to do with the budget surplus.
09/13/2000 Senate Race Already a Slugfest Former State Auditor Mark Dayton captured more than 40 percent of the vote to win the competitive DFL Senate primary. Dayton now faces Republican Senator Rod Grams, who came out swinging when he found out who his DFL opponent is.
09/08/2000 Political Ads Play Loose with Facts An estimated $7 million has already been spent on ads in Minnesota's DFL Senate primary race, and the candidates are increasing their presence in the final days of the campaign. The three big spenders - Mike Ciresi, Mark Dayton and Rebecca Yanisch - are running new television spots touting their various endorsements, but the ads of all three contain some misleading elements, according to an ad analyst.
09/06/2000 Ad Watch: The Fourth District Race The Fourth District Congressional candidates are competing for voters' attention in a campaign that's largely been dominated by the big-money Senate candidate ad buys.
08/25/2000 The Money Trail DFL Senate candidate Mark Dayton spent nearly $3 million dollars on his campaign in the past seven and a half weeks. That's nearly twice the spending of his nearest financial competitor among the DFL Senate candidates. Dayton used the bulk of the money on television ads that have been saturating the airwaves and may have led to his recent bump in the polls.
08/25/2000 Dayton Leads in Latest Senate Poll DFL Senate candidate Mark Dayton has developed a solid lead over his primary opponents, according to a statewide poll for Minnesota Public Radio, the St. Paul Pioneer Press and KARE-TV. Dayton continues to have the highest name recognition of the DFL candidates, and is as well known as Republican Senator Rod Grams.
08/23/2000 Ad Watch: The Value of Humor As more and more campaign ads fill the airwaves this election year, a couple of candidates are trying different approaches to cut through the clutter. A commercial created by Minneapolis adman Bill Hillsman for Green Party presidential candidate Ralph Nader parodies a popular MasterCard ad campaign, and Fourth District Congressional candidate Cathie Hartnett makes fun of herself in a series of humorous radio ads.
08/23/2000 Ad Watch: DFL Candidates Prepare for the Primary With less than three weeks left until the September primary, DFL Senate candidate Rebecca Yanisch is out with a new television ad. She joins DFLers Mike Ciresi and Mark Dayton, whose campaigns have gobbled up huge chunks of television airtime over the past few weeks.
08/16/2000 Courting the Black Vote Both Republicans and Democrats are aggressively courting African American voters this year, from the national conventions to outreach efforts in Minnesota's central cities. But it's clear from several recent events that bridging the gap between politicians and urban voters is no easy task when the topic is race.
08/14/2000 Senate Candidate Profile: Mike Ciresi The lawyer who led Minnesota's successful lawsuit against big tobacco is tackling what some may see as an even bigger challenge, Minnesota's U.S. Senate race. Mike Ciresi hopes to win a competitive four-way DFL Senate primary and go on to beat Republican incumbent Rod Grams.
08/11/2000 The Dividing Issue in the Senate Race DFL candidates in the U.S. Senate race are looking for ways to distinguish themselves from one another. An MPR debate suggests they've found it: health care.
08/03/2000 Ventura Rips Major Parties As Republicans wrap up their national convention in Philadelphia and Democrats prepare to hold theirs in another week, Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura ratcheted up his criticism of the two major parties.
08/01/2000 Senate Candidate Profile: Mark Dayton Recent polls have found more people recognize former State Auditor Mark Dayton than any of the other DFL U.S. Senate candidates. Dayton is a politician who has run in five statewide elections, but perhaps more importantly, his name calls to mind the department store his family founded. MPR chronicles the career and campaign of Senate candidate Mark Dayton.
08/01/2000 Ad Watch: Where Are the Issues? The DFL's endorsed U.S. Senate candidate Jerry Janezich, has finally joined his major primary opponents in running ads. Janezich is starting with radio ads. In the latest in our series of Ad Watches, Minnesota Public Radio asks analyst Dean Alger to review the Janezich and Ciresi ads.
07/14/2000 Poll: Most Favor Social Security Privatization A new poll shows most Minnesotans worry Social Security won't be there for them when they retire, and many want to use the federal budget surplus to shore up the program.
07/13/2000 Ad Watch 2000: TV Ads from Mark Dayton and Rebecca Yanisch Minnesota Public Radio asks analyst Dean Alger to discuss new TV ads from DFL U.S. Senate candidates Mark Dayton and Rebecca Yanisch.
07/11/2000 MPR Poll: Grams Running Strong in Senate Race With nine weeks to go until the September primary, DFL voters are still undecided and divided about the U.S. Senate race. None of the four major DFL candidates captures more than one-fourth of the likely Democratic voters polled.
07/04/2000 Candidates Make First Impressions at Summer Parades The Fourth of July meant fireworks, parades, and - in an election year - politicians. Minnesota candidates worked the crowds at parades around the state Tuesday. Many of them could be seen at one of the state's biggest parades in Forest Lake. The primary is 10 weeks away, and although voters may not be paying attention yet, that's not stopping the candidates in Minnesota's U.S. Senate race.
06/23/2000 Candidate Profile: Pam Ellison Two years ago, Jesse Ventura took the political establishment by surprise, defeating two well-known politicians with a campaign that was heavy on blunt talk and short on money. The governor's former volunteer coordinator is hoping to do the same this year in the Fourth Congressional District, which includes St. Paul and surrounding suburbs. Pam Ellison of St. Paul, endorsed by the Independence Party to run for retiring Congressman Bruce Vento's seat, is banking on the district's block of independent voters. But Ellison doesn't have two of the governor's advantages: the name Jesse Ventura and state campaign funding.
06/19/2000 Wild Names Lemaire Head Coach The Minnesota Wild have named Hall of Famer Jacques Lemaire as its first head coach. Lemaire coached the New Jersey Devils to the Stanley Cup championship in 1995, and won eight Stanley Cups as a forward with the Montreal Canadiens. Lemaire is charged with building the expansion hockey franchise into a winning team.
06/09/2000 Power Play With Minnesota's three-party sharing of government, the first party to control an additional branch, reaps enormous power. Republicans are hoping to hold off a DFL assault on their share of power in the Minnesota House.
02/28/2000 Ad Watch The first television ads for the U.S. Senate race and presidential campaign have begun airing in Minnesota. DFL Senate candidate Michael Ciresi is running statewide spots until the March DFL caucuses, and Democratic presidential hopeful Bill Bradley bought airtime in Minnesota earlier this month.
02/24/2000 Senate Wins Showdown with Ventura For the first time in several decades, the Minnesota Senate has rejected a governor's cabinet appointee. Steve Minn was Governor Jesse Ventura's choice to head a merged Commerce and Public Service Department.
02/15/2000 Two Strikes Against Ventura Nominee Governor Ventura's commerce commissioner appointee suffered another setback Tuesday. The Senate Commerce Committee became the second Senate panel to vote against confirming Steve Minn as head of a newly-merged Commerce and Public Service Department.
02/04/2000 Ventura Proposes Rebate; Defends Commissioner The checks aren't in the mail yet, but it seems certain that Minnesota lawmakers will pass another sales tax rebate this year. Governor Ventura used his weekly radio show to propose his rebate plan, and to rail against lawmakers who voted against confirming one of his top agency heads. Although legislators are showing their willingness to challenge Ventura this session, everyone appears to be onboard with his idea of giving taxpayers another one-time rebate.
02/03/2000 Stalemate Looms over Profile's Future Minnesota's largest teachers union and the state's education commissioner are calling for a moratorium on requiring students to meet the Profile of Learning graduation standards. There seems to be universal agreement at the Capitol that the standards aren't working in their current form, but some observers fear a repeat of last session, when legislators deadlocked over the issue and no changes were made.
02/02/2000 On the Road for a Fight? Governor Jesse Ventura touted his transportation funding package before the Senate Transportation Committee Wednesday. Many Senators support Ventura's transportation initiatives in general, but lawmakers also appear far more willing to challenge the governor this session.
02/01/2000 Legislative Session Begins Minnesota lawmakers returned to the Capitol for what's expected to be a hectic session dominated by tax cuts, borrowing for capital improvements, transportation funding and several major policy initiatives. Both Republicans and Democrats have ambitious agendas for a short non-budget session, partly because the state is awash in cash, and partly because all 201 legislative seats are at stake this election year.
01/31/2000 The One House Debate Minnesota lawmakers will take up Governor Ventura's top priority: whether to put a one-house legislature on the November ballot. Ventura is staking his political clout on the issue, but its prospects at the Capitol are far from certain.
01/27/2000 Time for Reform? A report shows lobbyists and political action committees spent nearly $10 million to influence Minnesota politics in 1998. The study's author says most of that money is unregulated, and virtually impossible for the public to track. The report is prompting calls for restrictions on campaign spending, but party officials and special interests are already lining up to oppose any limits.
01/26/2000 Money Rules Minnesota Politics A report to be released finds an explosion of special-interest money in Minnesota politics over the past few years. The study gives ammunition to campaign finance reform supporters, who argue the 2000 elections are likely to be the most expensive in Minnesota history.
01/18/2000 Rural Minnesota Getting Legislative Attention Minnesota House Republicans are proposing a $75 million package designed to boost the state's rural economy. The plan includes farm property-tax relief, aid to rural schools and nursing homes, and money for new technology. Republicans say they're trying to help outstate communities that haven't benefited from the state's economic boom, but some Democrats say the plan amounts to a Band-Aid approach to the rural crisis.
01/12/2000 Dean Johnson Defects to DFL Prominent state senator Dean Johnson of Willmar has joined the DFL party, after more than two decades as a Republican legislator. Johnson has often sparred with the Republican party over abortion, gay rights and other issues, and Republican leaders say they're not surprised by his switch.
01/11/2000 Non-Partisan Privacy Minnesota DFL leaders traveled around the state to push the issue of consumer privacy protection. Democrats are planning to introduce a package of privacy initiatives in the upcoming legislative session, and appear to be positioning their party to be at the forefront of a growing citizen concern. Several Republicans say they, too, are interested in the issue, and they hope it doesn't turn into a partisan debate.
01/10/2000 Katie's Law Highlights Crime Package Minnesota House Republicans are joining the growing call for tougher sex-offender laws. Republicans detailed a crime prevention package that includes a law named after Katie Poirier, the Barnum teenager who was kidnapped and believed killed last year. DFL legislators and the Ventura administration also support better tracking of repeat sex offenders, but some lawmakers worry the governor won't approve money for a stronger system this session.
01/07/2000 Trump Holds His Cards Donald Trump says there's a very good possibility he'll run for president as a Reform Party candidate. Trump was in Minnesota to speak to business leaders and address Governor Ventura's first post-election fundraiser. Trump says if he decides to run, he'll ask for Ventura's endorsement.
12/28/1999 Attorney General Sues MPR The Minnesota attorney general's office is suing Minnesota Public Radio, alleging improper use of donor lists. The lawsuit claims MPR exchanges names with other organizations without full disclosure to its members. MPR says it will vigorously fight the lawsuit. The company says it has done nothing wrong and that its practices are in line with those of other non-profits.
12/24/1999 A New Year's Strike? Negotiators for the state and its second-largest employees union return to the bargaining table to try to avert a strike. Members of the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees, or MAPE, could walk off the job as early as Tuesday at midnight if the talks are unsuccessful.
12/17/1999 Should Cyberspace Be Tax Free? A panel on electronic commerce, which met this week in San Francisco, has yet to tackle the question of whether to tax Internet purchases. As online shopping increases, states are beginning to ask whether an important source of revenue - the sales tax - will be eroded. There's no concensus among lawmakers, retailers or industry experts on the issue.
12/09/1999 Ad Watch The 2000 election is 11 months away, yet campaign ads have already begun hitting the airwaves. DFL Senate candidate Mike Ciresi has been running radio spots on the Iron Range, the Republican Party has countered with an attack ad, and the first of what promises to be an explosion of so-called "issue ads" challenges Congressman Bill Luther.
12/02/1999 A Boatload of Money For the 15th consecutive time in seven years, state officials have propjected a surplus for the state budget. The nearly $1.6 billion dollar surplus stunned legislative leaders, who are calling for tax cuts and more spending. But Governor Ventura and budget experts are urging a cautious approach.
11/03/1999 Billboard Battle is Just Starting Voters in St. Paul have rejected an attempt to eliminate about half the city's billboards. About 53 percent of voters rejected a measure that would have removed billboards from city streets and prohibited new signs. The billboard industry says the vote shows people don't want to get rid of a legal form of advertising, but billboard opponents say they're not giving up.
11/01/1999 Private Politics Privacy advocates say privacy is the civil rights issue of the new millennium. Perhaps not coincidentally, Republicans and Democrats are jumping on the issue in Minnesota.
10/25/1999 The Billboard Capital The big issue driving St. Paul voters to the polls next week may be the stadium, but there's another contentious measure on the ballot. Residents will vote on whether to ban about half the city's billboards, a proposal the outdoor-advertising industry could end up spending half a million dollars to try to defeat.
10/12/1999 On Your Own In the second installment of his "Big Plan," Governor Ventura outlines his vision for a self-sufficient Minnesota.
10/06/1999 Putting Out The Fire: The Teen-Smoking Comeback When Minnesota lawmakers created anti-smoking endowments with money from the state's tobacco settlement, they gave the health department an ambitious goal: Cut teen smoking rates by 30 percent in the next five years. Because the endowments won't generate interest until January, so far all officials have been able to do is plan. Health officials are hoping to learn from states that have successfully reduced youth smoking, and plan to involve teens every step of the way.Description all on one line. Part three of a series
10/04/1999 Putting Out the Fire: The Tobacco Money Earlier this year, Governor Ventura and state lawmakers agreed to set aside nearly a billion dollars of the state's tobacco settlement for smoking prevention, public health and medical education. Since then, there have been a series of news reports about Minnesota falling behind other states in its efforts to prevent teens from smoking. Eventually the state will have $25 million a year in endowment interest to spend on anti-smoking efforts. But for now, all state officials can do is plan for the money.
09/30/1999 Whose Problem Is Teen Smoking? A Minnesota Senate panel considers the problem of illegal cigarette sales to minors. Minnesota stands to lose more than $8 million dollars in federal funding for failing to reduce underage tobacco sales. There's plenty of blame to go around; some officials say retailers, law enforcement and local communities are at fault.
09/23/1999 The Honeymoon Is Over, Now Comes the Divorce The honeymoon between Governor Ventura and the Capitol press corps ended the night he joked about drunken Irishmen in St. Paul. Now it appears Ventura has concluded he doesn't need the local media anymore. Reporters are worrying that he may be right.
09/20/1999 Jesse's Clout For a person who was swept into office on the basis of an anti-professional-politician platform, Governor Ventura is starting to look like a political kingmaker in the maneuvering over a Reform Party presidential candidate.
09/17/1999 Bauer Stakes Conservative Ground Republican presidential hopeful Gary Bauer brought his conservative campaign to Minnesota. Bauer touted vouchers and local control of schools at Stillwater High School, and picked up the endorsement of the conservative wing of the state Republican Party.
09/16/1999 Bradley Stumps in Minnesota Democratic presidential candidate Bill Bradley stumped for campaign volunteers and money in Minneapolis yesterday. Some recent polls show the former New Jersey senator neck-and-neck with his only other Democratic rival - Vice President Al Gore, and Bradley has picked up the backing of some prominent Minnesota DFLers.
09/14/1999 Is Ventura Violating Ethics Guidelines? An internal memo written by a state ethics officer concluded if Ventura were a typical state employee, he would be violating the law.
08/19/1999 No Conflict for Ventura A judge ruled that Governor Ventura's upcoming stint as a WWF referee does not violate conflict of interest laws, clearing the way for him to continue his private interests.
08/18/1999 Ventura's Conflict of Interest Common Cause Minnesota has filed a complaint against Governor Ventura, alleging his guest-refereeing stint for the WWF presents a conflict of interest.
07/30/1999 Ventura Should Reimburse State, Says Auditor The legislative auditor says governors should reimburse the state when their private business dealings create extra costs for the state. A legislative audit prompted by Governor Ventura's book tour, which cost taxpayers $16,000, recommends that governors reimburse the state for expenses from private business dealings. But where should we draw the line?
07/27/1999 Hatch Has Them Nervous Attorney General Mike Hatch has taken an office that traditionally has concerned itself with crime, and shifted its focus to consumer protection. In the process, he's alienated powerful interests - interests he may need if he has ambitions for higher office, as some critics suspect. Second of a two-part series.
07/26/1999 Turmoil at the Top Some say Mike Hatch is micromanaging the attorney general's office. They say he's created an atmosphere of fear in the office. MPR's Laura McCallum looks at the man who replaced Skip Humphrey.
07/09/1999 Olson Admits She's Soliah Minneapolis isn't rolling over when it comes to pushing a new stadium plan, even though the Minnesota Twins have pledged to work only with St. Paul.
06/26/1999 A Cushioned Fall Few are surprised Haskins is leaving. Some are shocked at what he's taking with him.
06/19/1999 A Fugitive's Life An alleged former Symbionese Liberation Army fighter remains in jail while two states negotiate her extradition. Meanwhile, Governor Ventura and a DFL legislator battle over whether she should be prosecuted.
06/03/1999 Do State Subsidies Work? A new report says businesses which get state money, are creating more jobs than expected.
05/28/1999 Ventura Hits Nixon Country In California to promote his book, Governor Ventura finds an audience at the Nixon Library doesn't want to kick him around.
05/19/1999 Who Won? All political sides claim victory in legislative scorecard.
05/13/1999 How to Spend the Money Budget deal calls for endowments for tobacco money, but where will it go?
05/07/1999 When? How? How Much? Grab the calculator! Here's a comparison of the Senate and House tax-cut plans.
04/26/1999 The Campaign Begins Minnesota's few electoral votes aren't much to sneeze at for a candidate trailing a vice-president in the race for the White House.
04/16/1999 Gridlock at the Capitol? An abortion amendment attached to a major bill raises the possibility of last year's stalemate over the perennial issue.
04/14/1999 Ventura's Style Want a glimpse of the governor's management style? Just look to his commissioners.
03/15/1999 The Balancing Act A freshman state representatives handles political duties and family responsibilities. Part three of a continuing series.
02/26/1999 City With a Sense of Humor Ventura shares laughs with St. Paul leaders.
02/18/1999 End of the "Sick Tax" Legislature ready to use tobacco money to lighten tax on health-care providers.
02/12/1999 New Legislator Makes Impact Second in Laura McCallum's series following the first term of a Minnesota legislator.
02/01/1999 House Deals Blow to Ventura Rebate Republicans push their own income tax plan.
01/29/1999 Reaction to Ventura Budget Democrats generally more supportive of proposals than Republicans.
01/29/1999 Legislature Set to Debate Tobacco Dollars Millions at stake thanks to court settlement.
01/25/1999 Residency Ruckus Some Minnesota cities require its workers to live in the community. Now the legislature may overturn the requirements.
01/21/1999 A Freshman's Education MPR's Laura McCallum follows a freshman legislator through her first year at the Capitol.
01/14/1999 Ventura Win Forcing DFL Changes The DFL lost the Minnesota House of Representatives and most of its statewide offices. What's a beleaguered party to do?
11/02/1998 Ad Watch Ventura runs his first ad of the campaign while Coleman and Humphrey go on the offensive.
10/02/1998 Ad Watch Farm fields provide the backdrop for recent Coleman and Humphrey ads.
09/17/1998 Ad Watch Republican ads attack Humphrey's legislative record from 25 years ago.
09/11/1998 Skip Humphrey: The Environment $140 million environmental initiatives; provide a temporary moratorium on feedlots.
09/11/1998 Jesse Ventura: The Environment Pollution-control measures should be implemented on a federal level; Any moratorium on feedlots should be temporary.
09/09/1998 Ad Watch An examination of the advertising put forth by Ted Mondale, Skip Humphrey, and Doug Johnson.
09/01/1998 Skip Humphrey: Crime Double the funding for the State Gang Task Force; create more prevention initiatives.
09/01/1998 Jesse Ventura: Crime Fight crime for a local level, not state level; training requirements to receive gun permits.
08/28/1998 Ad Watch An examination of the advertising put forth by Mark Dayton, Mike Freeman, and the Republican Party.
08/26/1998 Skip Humphrey: Economic Development Combine efforts with other states to draw businesses to the Midwest; stimulate growth in urban areas.
08/26/1998 Jesse Ventura: Economic Development Lower taxes to spur economic growth; use private funds for sports-team facilities.
08/20/1998 Skip Humphrey: Health Care Open MinnesotaCare to all children; use part of tobacco settlement to sponser anti-smoking campaign.
08/20/1998 Jesse Ventura: Health Care Find alternative to state-funded health insurance for general population; greater support for MinnesotaCare.
08/10/1998 Skip Humphrey: Welfare $110 million proposed child fund; more emphasis on early childhood development.
08/10/1998 Jesse Ventura: Welfare Provide benefits while working; allow middle-class access to welfare benefits.
08/05/1998 Jesse Ventura on Taxes Eliminate current property tax system; give surplus back to the taxpayers.
08/04/1998 Skip Humphrey on Taxes Cut taxes by $1.4 billion over four years; tax relief working families.
07/29/1998 Jesse Ventura on Education Encourage parental involvement; hold the line on spending.
07/28/1998 Skip Humphrey on Education Tax credits for learning-based day care; state help for needy college students.
07/20/1998 Ad Watch An examination of the advertising put forth by Mark Dayton, Mike Freeman, and the Republican Party.
07/08/1998 Jesse Ventura, Reform Party Candidate Part of the gubernatorial candidate series.
06/16/1998 Joanne Benson: Confident Before the Convention As the only Republican gubernatorial candidate who's held statewide office, and as the first woman to run for the governor's office, Benson believes she can win.
05/08/1998 Tobacco Company Documents Played Key Role in Trial Did volumes of industry papers prove tobacco companies lied to the public, or did they merely embarrass the industry?
01/23/1998 A Smoker's Story Lyman Jenson began smoking at age 10. Today he has emphysema and requires oxygen.
01/21/1998 Tobacco Case's Other Plaintiff Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is the only private health plan in the country to sue tobacco.
12/30/1997 Losing Lincoln Drive Three families from an inundated Grand Forks neighborhood tell about the 1997 Red River flood and how it changed their lives.
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