Monday, September 11

In many northern Minnesota counties, the state and federal governments own large amounts of land and keep acquiring more. It's done for the best of reasons: often to create parks, or conservation and wildlife management areas. But the land acquisitions also create problems for county governments, by taking large areas off the local tax rolls. Counties have unsuccessfully tried to get the State Legislature to limit public land holdings. The simmering dispute is coming to a boil in Roseau county, where commissioners are trying in the courts to stop a land purchase by the Department of Natural Resources. Minnesota Public Radios Dan Gunderson reports.

Differences in healthcare and farm policy were among the distinctions the four major DFL candidates for U.S. Senate drew as they met for one last debate before the primary elections. On stage Sunday at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, the candidates voiced agreement on many issues, continuing a trend of consensus in this year's campaign that has made differences between the candidates hazy. Odds are long on Tuesday for the candidate with the least funding, Jerry Janezich, who used the debate to make an impassioned appeal for campaign finance reform. Minnesota Public Radio's Amy Radil reports.

The Minnesota Primary election is taking place tomorrow. The biggest race voters will cast ballots on is the U.S. Senate seat now held by Republican Rod Grams. More local races will also be on the ballot. Joining us to talk about the process of elections is Minnesota's Secretary of State, Mary Kiffmeyer.

Two Republicans are vying for the chance to take on Democratic Congressman Jim Oberstar in Minnesota's 8th district, stretching from the Iron Range down to the northern Twin Cities suburbs. Oberstar has held the seat for 26 years. But so far, much of the Republican attempt to unseat him has centered more on an internal dispute on who should control the party. Minnesota Public Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports.

Governor Ventura wants to change Minnesota's tax system dramatically so the state would pay all costs of basic education for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The state now pays 70 percent of those costs and the school districts cover the rest through local property taxes. Ventura says his proposal is intended to simplify the tax system. Joining us now with his reaction to the proposal is Minnesota Speaker of the House Steve Sviggum.

A group of national experts hired to review the state's Profile of Learning graduation standards will soon release its findings. The nonprofit organization Achieve Incorporated has been studying Minnesota's standards for several months and comparing them to other states. The report could lead to further changes to Minnesota's controversial show-what-you-know system in the next legislative session. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper threw for 355 yards as the Vikings defeated the Miami Dolphins 13-7 yesterday at the Metrodome. Culpepper connected with Cris Carter nine times and threw the first touchdown pass of his career to Randy Moss. Culpepper was also intercepted three times. Joining us now is Sean Jenson who covers the Vikings for the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

Business on Lake Street, one of Minneapolis' busiest commercial thoroughfares, is booming - with one glaring exception. The sprawling 20-acre site formerly occupied by a Sears retail and catalog business is nearly vacant, and the ambitious plan for it's reuse, funded with a big dose of taxpayer dollars, is at a standstill. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson reports.

British Airways has confirmed that it is talking to Northwest Airlines about a possible partnership, or alliance, most likely following the pending merger between BA and Dutch carrier KLM. BA is waiting for federal approval for that deal. Most analysts expect BA will dump its alliance with American and replace it with Northwest, if the merger is approved. Darryl Jenkins is the executive director of The Aviation Institute at The George Washington University. He's on the line now.

The University of Minnesota is suing the only basketball coach to take the Gophers to the Final Four. The lawsuit against former men's coach Clem Haskins stems from the academic fraud scandal that led the university to dismiss Haskins and several other athletic department officials. Now the university is trying to recover some of the $1.5 million paid to Haskins in a contract buy out. Minnesota Public Radio's William Wilcoxen reports.

One of Clem Haskins' attorneys, Ron Meshbesher, joins us now to talk more about the suit that has been filed. Meshbesher says he's dismayed that the suit has been brought at such a late date.

Governor Ventura made what he said was a welcome stop home in the Twin Cities Monday as part of his nationwide book tour. He signed copies of his newest book, "Do I Stand Alone?," for approximately an hour and a half and greeted a long line of admirers. Ventura says his latest book is about his political philosophy, while his first book, "Ain't Got Time to Bleed," was more autobiographical. Five days into his book tour, the governor says he's been well received around the country. Minnesota Public Radio's Amy Radil reports.

Software developer Jim Gibson says as the Independence party candidate for U.S. Senate, he can chart a centrist path between incumbent Republican Rod Grams and the winner of Tuesday's DFL primary, Mark Dayton. Gibson, the Independence party's endorsed candidate for the senate, easily beat his opponents to clinch his party's nomination. But Gibson says he faces an uphill challenge both in raising the money he needs to compete, and in getting equal treatment among Republicans and Democrats. Minnesota Public Radio's Amy Radil reports.

Mark Dayton easily won yesterday's DFL U.S. Senate primary. Dayton got over forty percent of the vote, nearly twenty percent more than second place finisher Mike Ciresi. DFL-endorsed Jerry Janezich was right behind Ciresi with twenty-one percent. Rebecca Yanisch was forth with fifteen percent. Joining us now is the chairman of the DFL party, Mike Erlandson.

Betty McCollum, Linda Runbeck, and Tom Foley have advanced to the November general election in the race to succeed retiring Fourth District Congressman Bruce Vento. DFL endorsee McCollum won a hotly contested primary last night. But a couple of her party rivals are upset about negative campaigning in the primary and are not sure they'll work for McCollum. Meanwhile, Republican and Independence Party candidates see the DFL rift as a chance to take a seat the Democrats have held for 52 years. Minnesota Public Radio's William Wilcoxen reports.

Joining us now for analysis of last night's primaries is Steven Schier, chair of the Political Science Department at Carleton College.

Residents in around Green Bay, Wisconsin voted by a six percent margin last night to approve a half cent sales tax increase. The tax will be used to fund nearly $300 million in improvements to Lambeau Field, the home of the Green Bay Packer football team. Joining us now is Green Bay Mayor Paul Jadin.

Veteran's hospitals across the country are facing a huge increase in the number of patients seeking care. Aging veterans and a change in eligibility requirements means VA hospitals are swamped. Patients can face three-month waits for appointments and long lines in the waiting room. In Minnesota, hospital officials say they are doing the best they can in the face of smaller staffs and smaller budgets. Mainstreet Radio's Tim Post reports.

This summer the U.S. Department of Agriculture unveiled new safety requirements for meat distributed through the nation's school lunch program. Additional regulations that target salmonella and e-coli have caused meat packers to revolt and beef prices to soar. While some school districts will save money by limiting the days beef is on the lunch menu, two states have decided to forgo their share of beef from the school lunch program altogether. Wisconsin is one those of rebel states that has opted instead to purchase all of the meat for the current school year on the open market. Minnesota Public Radio's Erin Galbally has this Mainstreet report.

The third place showing of the DFL's endorsed Senate candidate in this week's primary is causing some in the party to again reexamine whether the endorsement process works. Although the endorsement didn't propel Jerry Janezich to victory, it appears to have helped nearly every other Democrat further down the ticket. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports.

The price of prescription drugs has emerged as a big issue in this year's political races. Senate candidate Mark Dayton has even taken groups of seniors on a ride to Canada, where they can buy drugs at cheaper prices than they can get here. Those price differences are the topic of a news conference later today in Washington D.C. where Senator Paul Wellstone, a Democrat, and Congressman Gil Gutknecht, a Republican, will call for the passage of the Prescription Drug Reimportation bill. Joining us on the line is Minnesota's first district congressman, Gil Gutknecht.

Governor Jesse Ventura plunged wholeheartedly into the fall campaign season Thursday, making good on his pledge to help build the Independence Party after the primary election. Ventura stumped for the party's congressional candidates in the morning, and by evening he was working a crowd in Fridley, trying to help the city's DFL mayor become an Independence Party legislator. Ventura will make appearances on behalf of three more Independence Party candidates this weekend, as part of his effort to get some legislative allies at the State Capitol. Minnesota Public Radio's Amy Radil reports.

One of the important functions Veteran's hospitals have assumed in recent years, ongoing research has been to find clues to the chronic health problems afflicting the veterans of the Gulf War. Minnesota Public Radios Bob Reha reports.

You might soon see ads that tell you to "Just Say No" to antibiotics. At the Minnesota Medical Association convention this morning in Duluth, members will consider a resolution calling for a publicity campaign urging patients to stop leaning on their doctors for antibiotics. Doctors say this is one part of a much larger effort to fight the spread of antibiotic-resistant disease. Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Julin reports.

Mark Seeley's weather commentary.

The first post-primary debate between Minnesota's DFL, Republican and Independence Party candidates for U.S. Senate will take place on Monday morning. Minnesota Public Radio will broadcast the event live on our Midday program, but the sponsoring organization is the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. Like in any debate, the Chamber faces the challenge of deciding whom to include. DFL candidate Mark Dayton, Republican candidate Rod Grams, and Independence Party candidate James Gibson will be on stage Monday morning. Four other candidates are also on the ballot, but were not invited to participate. Bill Blazar is the senior vice president at the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. He's on the line now.

Parts of Quetico Provincial Park will be closed starting today so Ontario park officials can conduct a controlled burn. The 1.2 million acre Canadian park borders the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness to the north. Part of the park was hit by the same windstorm that downed millions of trees in the Boundary Waters last summer. Debbie McLane is a fire information officer for the northwestern region of Ontario, which includes the park. She joins us now.

The Minnesota Department of Health is planning an effort to identify anyone who has worked a Minneapolis Vermiculite plant, and will survey almost 3,000 homes around the plant. The W.R. Grace and Company processing plant has been open since 1938. The vermiculite there is believed to have contained asbestos fibers. To identify all the people who worked there, Attorney General Mike Hatch has written a letter to the company to get rosters of employees. Joining us on the line now is Attorney General Mike Hatch.