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, 2010 - Republican Senate Minority Leader Dave Senjem and Republican House Minority Leader Kurt Zellers preview their priorities to solve the state's budget crisis and address key issues in the 2010 legislative session opening February 4th.
January 11, 2010 - MPR’s Steven John interviews U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar about China’s use of cadmium in children's items. The chair of the Consumer Product Safety Commission is warning Asian manufacturers against the use of cadmium in children's items. That's after lab tests found that Chinese manufacturers were substituting the heavy metal in place of lead in cheap charm bracelets and pendants being sold in this country. Cadmium is known to cause cancer, and, like lead, it can hinder brain development in the children. Senator Amy Klobuchar led the fight to ban lead from toys manufactured in China. She's traveling in southern Minnesota today and we caught up with her.
February 3, 2010 - On the eve of the 2010 legislative session, Gov. Tim Pawlenty joins Gary Eichten in the MPR studios to answer questions about the state budget and the issues that will be the focus of the upcoming legislative session. He talks about the legislature, government spending, unallotment, GAMC, teacher unions, mortgage foreclosures
February 26, 2010 - A day after President Barack Obama gathered top lawmakers in Washington for a bipartisan summit on health care, former U.S. Sen. Dave Durenberger, chair of the National Institute of Health Policy at University of St. Thomas, assesses the ideas and accomplishments of the all-day session.
March 1, 2010 - As part of the Meet the Candidates series, Midday”s Gary Eichten interviews three Independence Party candidates for governor to discuss issues facing the state and take questions from listeners. Guests are Rob Hahn, Tom Horner, and John Uldrich.
March 15, 2010 - How the Minnesota Supreme court rules on the budget unallotment question hangs over current budget wrangling. A look at what's at stake in the upcoming ruling and analysis of today's arguments. Gov. Tim Pawlenty announced last December that he will appeal a Ramsey County judge's ruling that he overstepped his authority to unilaterally cut spending from the state budget, a process known as unallotment.
March 15, 2010 - The Minnesota Supreme Court hears a case that tests the extent of a governor's authority to cut the budget without oversight from the Minnesota legislature.
March 22, 2010 - Morning Edition’s Cathy Wurzer talks with U.S. Representative Tim Walz about his ‘yes’ vote on healthcare reform bill, known as the Affordable Care Act. Walz had been targeted by Republicans hoping he would change his mind.
April 15, 2010 - Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann is brushing off criticism of her voting record from an environmental group. The League of Conservation Voters says Bachmann achieved a two-percent rating -- nearly the lowest possible -- and the group plans to work against her re-election. Bachmann campaign director Gina Countryman says it's a fringe group that won't influence Minnesota voters.
May 12, 2010 - Tim Pawlenty is not the only Minnesota Governor to face a budget crisis. In 1980.... Republican Al Quie was the first governor to make unilateral budget cuts through the unallotment process. Quie held the state's top office during the difficult economic period from 1979 to 1983. MPR's Cathy Wurzer spoke with Quie on Wednesday about the budget problems he dealt with in the '80s and about his take on the current negotiations.