November 7, 2005 - Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck has been covering the Minneapolis mayor's race and has been talking to citizens for a couple of months about the city's future. We asked him to open up his reporter's notebook and give us a sense of what some of the voters have been saying about their city. Here's his report.
November 9, 2005 - MPR’s William Wilcoxen reports on current mayor of Minneapolis and the future mayor of Saint Paul meeting for lunch at local Italian restaurant to congratulate one another on their respective victories in yesterday's elections. Mayor R.T. Rybak, Mayor of Minneapolis; and Chris Coleman, Mayor-elect of Saint Paul say they expect to replace the two cities' rivalry with a new era of cooperation on issues that affect both Twin Cities.
November 10, 2005 - More than 200 people will leave for China tomorrow (FRI), as part of Governor Pawlenty's trade mission. Representatives of some of the state's premiere industries are going - medical devices... agriculture.... high technology.... and a bakery. A bakery? That's right, a Minneapolis bakery. Lynn Gordon from the French Meadow Bakery says she's considering expanding to Shanghai, and she's going on the trip to find out the best way to do it. But she also admits she's going for the experience. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum talked with Gordon and has this report.
November 11, 2005 - Seven high school seniors are heading to China today (Friday) as part of Governor Pawlenty's ambitious, six-day, four-city trade mission. These hand-picked student ambassadors will produce daily reports about their experiences and the activities of the state delegation. A special Web site will offer lessons about China to students back home. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports...
November 14, 2005 - Some commercial tax preparers have faced a barrage of lawsuits over so-called Rapid Refund programs. Rapid Refunds are short-term loans based on an expected tax refund. In Minnesota, those loans on average carry annual interest rates of more than 200%. Several non-profits say some tax preparers have taken advantage of the poor with those loans. But instead of going to court, one tax group is taking a different approach. It's setting up its own Rapid Refund program for low-wage workers.
November 14, 2005 -
November 22, 2005 - MPR’s Art Hughes reports that two Minnesota legislators are proposing a bill to guard against invasive species hitchhiking in ocean-going ships on Lake Superior. The legislation would require big international ships that travel in Lake Superior to treat ballast water before dumping it into the lake.
December 21, 2005 - Governor Tim Pawlenty and state lawmakers are pointing fingers at each other in the wake of a judges ruling that struck down a key tobacco fee. A Ramsey County Judge ruled yesterday that the 75 cent-a-pack fee violates a settlement reached with tobacco companies in 1998. That agreement brings in billions of dollars to the state from the tobacco industry to cover the costs of government health programs caused by smoking. The settlement also banned the state from making future claims on tobacco companies. Legislators approved the fee over the summer to help solve a state budget crisis, and the fee was projected to raise 400 million dollars over the current budget cycle. Governor Pawlenty is promising to appeal the decision. DFLer lawmakers say the governor's insistence that the measure be called a fee instead of a tax put it at legal risk. Minnesota Public Radio's Annie Baxter has more.
December 23, 2005 - The Minnesota trucking industry is asking Governor Pawlenty to temporarily suspend a two-month-old mandate that requires diesel fuel sold in the state contain two percent biodiesel. Truckers say they are experiencing more mechanical problems and they suspect that the fuel made from soybeans is to blame. John Hausladen, President of the Minnesota Trucking Association, says many of his members are pretty upset right now. That is John Hausladen, President of the Minnesota Trucking Association.
December 28, 2005 -