Monday, November 2

Two polls released this weekend show a close race among the three major candidates for governor. They also indicate that Reform Party candidate Jesse Ventura will be a bigger factor in the election than anyone predicted. One poll is by the Minneapolis Star-Tribune and KMSP-TV Minnesota. The other is by Saint Cloud State University. Both indicate that any one of the three candidates has a chance of being elected. Minnesota Public Radio's Art Hughes reports on how the candidates reached out to voters this weekend.

Minnesota's gubernatorial candidates have just one more day to get their message to voters, and they're using a flurry of last-minute campaign advertising. Reform Party candidate Jesse Ventura finally rolled out his first television ads last week, while Republican Norm Coleman and DFL'er Skip Humphrey have used their ads to take shots at each other. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum asked our ad analysts, plus a group of citizens, to critique the latest campaign commercials.

Minnesota has only one African American serving at the state legislature. Given that blacks make up three percent of the state's population, and the legislature has 201 members, simple math will tell you that African Americans are not proportionately represented at the State Capitol. We sent Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Roberts to examine why the dearth of black lawmakers exists.

Minnesota Public Radio's Martin Kaste analyzes the last days of the campaign.

Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik reports from Virginia, Minnesota where the Ventura caravan is courting votes.

Now that the third-quarter earnings report season is winding down, traders on Wall Street are likely to watch some important economic data that come out this week. Here's MN Public Radio's Chris Farrell.

While political observers around the country are watching the Minnesota Governor's race, the sports world has taken an interest in the season being put together by the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings lost their first game yesterday, 27-24, to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Despite the loss, they are still in first place in the NFC Central Division. Don Banks covers the Vikings for the Star Tribune.

Today is election day. The polls open at 7:00 a.m. Throughout the morning we will be giving you some information about things you'll find on the ballot. In most years, the Treasurer's race doesn't get much attention, but this year it's a little more interesting. The winner could end up dismantling the office itself. That's because Tuesday's ballot includes a proposed amendment to the state constitution which would eliminate the office entirely, a move supported by some of the candidates. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo reports.

In addition to electing city, county, state and federal office holders, voters this year are being asked whether Minnesota's constitution should be amended. There are three constitutional questions on the ballot. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik has a report on the proposed changes.

Minnesota voters will elect eight members of congress today, one U.S. Representative from each of the states eight congressional districts.

The contest that will probably inspire the most people to vote today is the Governor's race. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum has this voters guide on the candidates for Governor.

Bozo Allegro, a local nine-piece jazz band, has just released it's first CD. It's inspired by the Beatles "revolver" album, and a tribute to African and African-American influences on popular music. And one more thing - most of the musicians in the band are public-school music teachers. Minnesota Public Radio's Mary Stucky reports.

St. Paul based Green Tree Financial says company founder Larry Coss plans to retire from active management at the end of the year. In years past, Coss has been labeled the highest paid executive in the country for pay that at one point exceeded 100 million dollars. Minnesota Public Radio's Bill Catlin has more.

Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Gunderson prepared this voters guide. Secretary of State Joan Growe is predicting that just over half of Minnesota's eligible voters will cast a ballot today. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Robertson talked to some people in Bemidji about why they are voting or not voting.

Minnesota's gubernatorial candidates made their final push for votes yesterday. The three major party candidates urged supporters to get out and vote, in what's become an increasingly tight three-way race. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports.

DFL Lieutenant Governor candidate Roger Moe may have said it best - he told supporters last night the two major political parties basically got body-slammed in the Governor's race. Republicans and Democrats are trying to figure out what hit them and whether the parties need to change the way they do business. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports.

Jesse Ventura is Minnesota's new governor-elect. With 93 percent of the votes counted, Ventura won with 37 percent, followed by Republican Norm Coleman at 34 percent and DFLer Skip Humphrey with 28. Minnesota Public Radio's Martin Kaste has the story.

Republicans appear to have won back control of the Minnesota house for the first time since losing the majority in 1986. House speaker Phil Carruthers conceded the majority early this morning. At latest count, the Republicans appear to have 8 more seats than the DFL. Minnesota Public Radio's Bill Catlin reports.

Minnesotans elected another Democrat to head the Attorney General's office. Former commerce commissioner and DFL party chair Mike Hatch succeeds Skip Humphrey, who held the office for 16 years. Hatch defeated Republican Charlie Weaver. Minnesota Public Radio's Elizabeth Stawicki reports.

Lost in the all the hoopla over the Ventura victory is the news that Minnesota's Congressional delegation will return to Washington unchanged. Incumbents won their races in all eight districts. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo has more.

Carleton College Political Science Professor Steven Schier, lobbyist Judy Cook, MN Senate assistant Majority Leader John Hottinger, advertising guru Bill Hillsman and Ventura Campaign Chair Dean Barclay on the Ventura campaign.

Speeches by Jesse Ventura, Norm Coleman and Skip Humphrey.

Now that the euphoria of his victory is wearing off, Governor-elect Jesse Ventura needs to get ready for his new job. One of his first tasks will be to prepare the budget for the next biennium. Finance Commissioner Wayne Simmeneau says Ventura will know how much he has to work with when the next budget forecast comes out in December.

As Governor of Minnesota Jesse Ventura will be the highest ranking Government official ever elected by the Reform Party. But many observers say the victory was all about Ventura and had little to do with the agenda of the Party. Minnesota Public Radio's William Wilcoxen reports on what the Reform Party needs to do in the wake of this victory.

Minnesota's governor-elect has yet to outline any policy initiatives or legislative plans, but Jesse Ventura has shown signs of following in the footsteps of Republican Governor Arne Carlson. Minnesota Public Radio's Martin Kaste reports.

More voters than expected went to the polls in Tuesday's election. The Secretary of State's Office is estimating turnout at 61 percent of eligible voters. A tight three-way race for governor created greater interest...but so did Reform Party candidate Jesse Ventura. Minnesota Public Radio's Karen-Louise Boothe reports.

Although the cause of the split limbs, extra legs, missing eyes and other frog deformities reported from Minnesota and many other states is still unknown, evidence linking deformed frogs and farm chemicals continues to mount. Researchers will discuss those findings and others in San Diego this week at a conference sponsored by the National Science Foundation. Minnesota Public Radio's Mary Losure reports.

Tuesday's election results mean big changes ahead in state government, and education could be a key test for the new administration. Teachers are counting on Jesse Ventura's lieutenant governor Mae Schunk, a veteran teacher to address their issues. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.

There has been a lot of head scratching among the Jesse-Ventura-pilloried "experts" about how the reform Party Candidate came to be Minnesota's Governor elect, particularly in the face of two party-machine-groomed opponents.

The Ventura victory has been described as a protest by disenfranchised voters: but Minnesota Public Radio's Lynette Nyman reports it could be more complicated than that.

Experts say many U.S. companies face possible legal troubles and disruption of their business overseas because of the strict new data privacy law in the European union. the E.U. privacy directive gives people control over personal data collected by businesses. Ohio State university law professor Peter Swire says the directive is in stark contrast with the American notion of data privacy.

Jesse Ventura's election as governor of Minnesota may have shocked the world, but many people across the country - including those who bring us the national news - have responded with a chuckle. Jill Best from Lake Elmo, Minnesota is a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, and she's not laughing.

Just two days after Jesse Ventura's surprise victory, Democrats are taking the first step toward reshaping the party. House DFL'ers met last night to elect a new minority leader for the first time in more than a decade. DFL'ers are already focusing on how they can regain control of the House in two years. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports.

Governor-elect Jesse Ventura spent yesterday basking in the national limelight, with a photo shoots for Newsweek and Time. Ventura says he'll keep talking to the national media through Sunday, but after that he intends to focus full-time on preparing his transition into power. The fledgling Reform Party is doing what it can to share some of Ventura's newfound fame; Minnesota Public Radio's Martin Kaste reports.

The national interest in Ventura's election doesn't show any sign of abating. For the third night in a row, last night, David Letterman opened his monologue with jokes about our Governor-elect. With this kind of attention, Minnesotans suddenly find themselves having to explain to the outside world what the front page of the New York Times calls an "earth rattling political upset". People from around the country and the world are calling relatives and friends in Minnesota, and asking how it happened, and why. Minnesota Public Radio's Mary Losure reports.

DFL gubernatorial candidate Skip Humphrey is preparing to leave state government after 25 years. Humphrey is trying to figure out what Jesse Ventura's victory - and his defeat - means for Minnesota politics. Humphrey talked with Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum in his office at the State Capitol yesterday. He says the DFL party must do a better job of reaching out to Ventura voters.

The election of Jesse Ventura as Governor will impact the school segregation debate in Minneapolis and Saint Paul. The Minneapolis NAACP is suing the state, claiming segregated schools are shortchanging students. Ventura supports mediation in the lawsuit, but he also supports neighborhood schools and an end to forced bussing. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.

Farmers and producers across the nation are competing for over one-billion dollars in cash payments for land enrolled in the conservation reserve program. The program, created in 1985, pays selected farmers to stop growing crops on highly erodible land. As Mainstreet Radio's Hope Deutscher reports, the program is particularly tempting to farmers during the current farm crisis.

Weather Expert Mark Seeley joins Bob Potter to talk about the weather. The cold November we're having is helping farmers to better preserve grain. Next, they talk about DSS - dry skin syndrome and how to battle this problem. Due to low pressure zones, we could be seeing snow as early as tomorrow, but most likely a few inches early next week. Word for the week is: fair weather.