Over the decades, MPR has presented the many different perspectives of Minnesota politics and politicians. This collection is home to a multitude speeches, interviews and debates on the issues of the day. Important topics of civil rights, environment, crime, budget, legislation, and campaigns are addressed.
Click on link to these well-known figures to see audio segments directly related to them: Michele Bachmann Arne Carlson Keith Ellison Hubert Humphrey Amy Klobuchar Eugene McCarthy Walter Mondale Tim Pawlenty R.T. Rybak Jesse Ventura Paul Wellstone
January 8, 2009 - MPR’s Tom Crann interviews R.T. Rybak, Mayor of Minneapolis about President-elect Obama economic speech. In his speech today, President-elect Obama also recognized the budget problems local governments are facing these days. Here in Minnesota, the Governor and the legislature are working to close a 4.8-billion-dollar budget shortfall. And, that has meant less aid money for cities and counties. The president-elect tried to offer local leaders some words of hope.
January 19, 2009 - MPR listeners and special guests discuss what it means on this MLK Day as Barack Obama, the the nation's first Black U.S. president, is to be inaugurated in the coming day.
February 13, 2009 - The Pawlenty administration says Minnesota is on track to meet its ambitious goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Officials reported to a legislative committee Thursday, as required by state law. Some legislators aren't so sure emissions are improving, and they said the governor should be providing more leadership. Minnesota Public Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports.
March 2, 2009 - Lawmakers at the Minnesota Capitol continue to work on the state budget, trying to solve a projected $4.8 billion deficit. Gov. Tim Pawlenty has said he expects the hole to get even bigger when a new forecast is released this week. Former Republican Gov. Al Quie and former DFL Sen. Majority Leader Roger Moe offer advice on how to deal with that deficit.
March 3, 2009 - Gov. Tim Pawlenty holds a news conference this morning to answer questions about the new revenue forecast and projected budget deficit of $4.5 billion. We have live coverage, plus analysis of the new numbers from two political observers.
March 9, 2009 - A bill before the legislature would require police in Minnesota to gather data aimed at halting racial profiling advocates say still occurs. The bill would require police to record the race of every person they pull over in traffic stops. The group responsible for police training say the change is not necessary.
March 17, 2009 - Two senior statesmen reflect on public life and civic engagement. Former Vice President Walter Mondale and former U.S. Sen. Dave Durenberger discuss their experiences in public life and the need for civic engagement.
March 26, 2009 - MPR’s Tim Post interviews various students, college administrators, and politicians on how they feel about attendees of private for-profit institutions being restricted from the State Grant Program. such institutions include business schools, truck driving schools, and barber colleges.
April 3, 2009 - Excerpt of Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak commenting on 2006 police shooting death. Rybak says city officials believe allegations of misconduct in the 2006 police shooting death of a 19-year-old man are false. Earlier this week, a lawyer representing the family of Fong Lee, filed affidavits which contradict police claims that Lee had a gun when Officer Jason Andersen shot and killed him. The documents also raise the possibility that the gun found next to Lee's body was planted by another police officer. Rybak urges people to be patient and let the legal process take its course.
April 13, 2009 - Governor Tim Pawlenty joins Gary Eichten in the MPR studio to answer questions about the state's $4.6 billion budget shortfall, and other key issues being debated in the 2009 legislative session.