March 19, 1997 - The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is making a concerted effort to increase the number of dairy cows in the state. The Ag Department says Minnesota needs nearly 60,000 more cows for the state's dairy processing plants to run at full capacity. But family farm proponants say encouraging dairy farmers to expand their herds could come at the expense of small farms. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports.
March 19, 1997 - Expansion of the Minneapolis Convention Center is on the legislature's plate again following the governor's veto of a convention center appropriation last year. The House Economic Development and International Trade Committee takes up the bill today. Minnesota Public Radio's Karen-Louise Boothe reports.
March 20, 1997 - Minneapolis-based First Bank announced today it would acquire one of the largest and oldest banks in the Pacific Northwest, U.S. Bancorp, for about $9 billion dollars in stock. The new entity will be the 14th largest banking firm in the U.S., and will take the name U.S. Bancorp. Officials say some 4,000 positions will be eliminated, the majority in the Portland area. Analysts say the announcement has relatively little bad news for Minnesota. Minnesota Public Radio's Bill Catlin has more.
March 21, 1997 - A SENATE COMMITTEE HAS DEALT A BLOW TO THE MINNESOTA TWINS EFFORT TO GET A TAXPAYER PAID STADIUM BUILT FOR THEM. MINNESOTA PUBLIC RADIO'S BOB COLLINS REPORTS AFTER MORE THAN 3 HOURS OF TESTIMONY AND DEBATE...AND WITH SOME MEMBERS WANTING TO CALL IT A NIGHT TO WATCH THE GOPHERS PLAY BASKETBALL, THE SENATE METROPOLITAN AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE DECIDED TO TAKE NO ACTION ON THE MEASURE TO SPEND OVER 400 MILLION DOLLARS ON A NEW BASEBALL STADIUM. THE LEGISLATION ISN'T DEAD BY A LONG SHOT, BUT THE COMMITTEE FACES A DEADLINE OF NEXT WEEK TO TAKE ACTION ON THE MEASURE AND THERE APPEARS TO BE PLENTY OF WORK YET TO BE DONE ON IT.
March 24, 1997 - Legislation to have the state subsidize a new Minnesota Twins stadium made some progress at the Legislature, despite lawmakers' misgivings. MPR's Martin Kaste reports that the fate of the Twins Stadium bill had fallen into the hands of the members of the Senate Local and Metropolitan Government Committee…and they were none too happy about it.
March 26, 1997 - Midday discusses the U. S. economy with author and well-known economist Lester Thurow, a professor of economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Topics include interest rates, inflation, stock market, health care, labor market, and monetary policy. Thurow also answers listener call-in questions.
March 26, 1997 - A key Minnesota house committee today approved legislation that would require snowmobile owners to have liability insurance on their snowmobiles. This bill is one of many this year fueled by the 32 snowmobile related deaths this year in Minnesota. The House Financial institutions and Insurance Committee passed the requirement after hearing tearful pleas from the mothers of two children killed by snowmobilers this year. Minnesota Public Radio's Bill Catlin has more.
March 28, 1997 - The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says an increase in fishing license fees is critical to maintaining quality fishing in the state. The DNR wants to add three dollars to the cost of a fishing license. Frank Snyder is co-founder of the Minnesota Sport Fishing Congress. He says anglers will support higher fees..if the DNR uses the money more efficiently.
April 3, 1997 - State Representative Todd Van Dellen wants to use slot machines to plug a loophole that would let the Twins break their Metrodome contract. The Plymouth Republican would allow slot machines at Canterbury Park, and would use about 21-million dollars of the money they bring in to buy around 800-thousand Twins tickets and cover some Twins operating losses. The Twins' contract says they can only leave the Metrodome before 2013 if they don't fill a certain number of seats or post losses for the '95 through '97 seasons. Van Dellen would also use some of the slot revenue to bring a hockey team to the Twin Cities and help cities change their property tax system. Twins officials say they're not interested in the proposal, to say the least. I asked Van Dellen what he makes of Twins President Jerry Bell's assertion that the Van Dellen plan would constitute inappropriate interference and would probably be illegal. | D-CART ITEM: 5057 | TIME: 3:21 | OUTCUE: "...THAT THEY SIGNED."
April 3, 1997 - A House Committee has withdrawn provisions of a bill that would tax monthly access fees to the Internet, following a veto threat by the Governor. Minnesota Public Radio's Karen-Louise Boothe reports.