As a decades long staple to the listening audience, Morning Edition combines a host program in St. Paul and NPR hosts in Washington and Los Angeles, bringing news from overnight and information throughout the state and world. Programming includes reports and interviews.
January 24, 2001 - MPR’s Michael Khoo reports on reaction to Governor Ventura’s released budget plan which tightens the fiscal reins. When Governor Jesse Ventura took his first stab at the budgeting process two years ago, he acknowledged many of his proposals were based on former-Governor Arne Carlson's work, but Ventura is describing his latest effort as entirely his own. The plan calls for more than a billion dollars in tax relief and holds spending to about the level of inflation.
January 24, 2001 - MPR's Patty Marsicano reports that Governor Ventura's proposed budget for higher education has stunned the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Systems. They say they won't even be able to keep up with inflation, let alone proceed with their plans for vital growth.
January 24, 2001 - MPR's Elizabeth Stawicki reports on that Minnesota's judiciary fared better than many other departments in Governor Jesse Ventura's budget plan. Still, the Governor's budget doesn't fully fund the state court system's major initiative for this legislative session, known as Crimnet. It is an integrated computer system that would allow law enforcement and courts from different jurisdictions to easily share information on criminals.
January 24, 2001 - Corina Eckl, policy director for fiscal affairs at the National Conference of State Legislatures, states that Minnesota is one of many states to have extra money in recent years. The NCSL conducts an annual survey of year-end balances or surpluses. Right now the state's surplus is projected at three billion dollars over the next two-and-a-half years.
January 25, 2001 - MPR’s Chris Julin reports on speech event by Governor Jesse Ventura at University of Minnesota in Duluth. The Governor is traveling around the state, trying to sell Minnesotans on his proposed budget. Some of the loudest criticism of the budget plan is coming from university and college administrators who say the governor's proposal will make them lose good professors, and raise tuition.
February 5, 2001 - MPR’s Chris Julin reports from Cloquet High School, “checking” the growing popularity of high school girls hockey. In 2001, 120 Minnesota high schools have girls hockey teams and two-thirds of the girls playing high school hockey in the entire country live in Minnesota.
February 9, 2001 - MPR’s Art Hughes provides a summary report on Minneapolis Mayor Sharon Sayles Belton’s 2001 State of the City address. the mayor highlighted successful city initiatives, lower unemployment and crime, downtown construction, and a strong arts in downtown.
February 15, 2001 - Morning Edition’s Cathy Wurzer talks with DFL State Representative Betty Folliard, a supporter of Displaced Homemaker Program, which a Senate committee has unanimously approved a bill that would continue funding. The 23-year-old program is designed to help stay-at-home moms who are widowed, divorced, or abandoned and Folliard says the program is still necessary.
February 23, 2001 - LaVelle Neal, who covers spring training of the Minnesota Twins for the Minneapolis Star Tribune, gives his hopeful appraisal of the team. The Twins' front office has been busy signing their best young players, which has the team thinking about reaching the .500 mark this year.
March 21, 2001 - MPR’s William Wilcoxen previews the first Women's Hockey Final Four. Wilcoxen interviews players and fans about their feelings on the first NCAA Women’s Hockey Championship, which is being hosted at the University of Minnesota’s Mariucci Arena.