May 20, 1998 - In December, the Minnesota Supreme Court delivered "the Stone decision," a ruling on a case brought by members of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe. They claimed the state lacks authority to enforce civil laws, such as traffic regulations, on reservations. The high court agreed and as a result Tribal authorities now face big decisions over how to provide their own law enforcement... and how to pay for it. Minnesota Public Radio's Amy Radil reports from Duluth. Most Minnesota reservations are covered by what's known as Public Law 280, which has allowed the state to provide law enforcement on reservation land since 1953. With the Stone decision, the court clarified that the state ONLY has criminal jurisdiction. So reservations are stepping in to en
May 20, 1998 - MPR’s Bob Kelleher reports on Obertstar-Vento compromise over motor use in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wildnerness. Northern Minnesotans hope the compromise will settle long standing disputes over the region. Congressman Jim Oberstar's proposal to allow trucks on two wilderness portages has been entered into the transportation bill now under consideration by a Congresional Conference Committee. It has Congressman Bruce Vento's reluctant support after the addition of a provision removing some lakes from motor access.
May 21, 1998 - Andrew Latham of Macalester College, and Joe Dowling, Artistic Director of the Guthrie Theater and a native of Ireland, discuss the upcoming Northern Ireland peace accord vote, known as the “Good Friday” agreement. Lathan and Dowling also answer listener questions.
May 21, 1998 - A Duluth agency which has insulated homes and paid heating bills for low-income people for twenty years, is shutting down this week. The Community Action Program, or CAP, has been in trouble for months. CAP board members, management and union members are bitterly divided over the elimination of programs. As a result, low-income people in Duluth could lose an agency that helps them survive the winter. Minnesota Public Radio's Amy Radil reports from Duluth. For months, board members at Duluth's Community Action Program have complained that the agency's management has not provided complete financial information. Last Friday, however, board members learned CAP has had cost overruns of $130,000, and is suspending its energy assistance program for at least thirty days. The program helps low-income people pay the
May 21, 1998 - More than 125 Native American tribes from across the nation are represented at a tribal environmental conference underway at the Prairie Island Dakota Community. One session addressed a key issue facing Prairie Island and other tribes - the storage of nuclear waste on or near their lands. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports... One Prairie Island official says the most ominous issue facing the tribe is its nuclear neighbor. Northern States Power Company's Prairie Island plant sits less than a mile away from the reservation, along with its seven dry casks storing spent nuclear fuel. Whether tribes should accept nuclear waste for storage has been hotly debated across the country - Robert Hold
May 21, 1998 - US Attorney David Lillehaug today said he'll resign, paving the way for a likely bid for Minnesota Attorney General. Two other DFL candidates for Attorney General say Lillehaug would bring much-needed visibility to the race, but both criticized the US attorney's record. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports.
May 22, 1998 - Tobacco legislation in the U-S Senate faces a roadblock, as Senate members have signaled their opposition to limit the industry's liability from lawsuits to eight billion dollars a year. Meanwhile, Senate conservatives have attacked the bill's tax increases. The tobacco bill's chief author, Arizona Senator John McCain, says he will continue to push the legislation. Those price increases are the subject of current television ads sponsored by the tobacco industry. The ads feature portrayals of working people who smoke asking why Congress is singling them out for another tax. David Logan, law professor at Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, North Carolina says the ads are a smart strategy by the tobacco industry.
May 25, 1998 - As a special Memorial Day program, Larry Powell, photo-journalist and Vietnam veteran discusses his photo essay book “Hunger of the Heart: Communion at the Wall”. Powell shares his experience in Vietnam and perceptions of the wall. He also answers listener questions.
May 26, 1998 - MPR’s Gary Eichten presents a public reponse call-in show on the Minnesota Citizens Forum about crime. Various issues on crime, including racism, prevention, and poverty are commented upon.
May 26, 1998 - Minnesota Attorney General Hubert Humphrey III and Andrew Czajkowski of Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Minnesota addresses Minnesota Meeting. Their presentation is titled: "Minnesota vs. Big Tobacco: Now What?" Speeches are followed by a question and answer period. Minnesota Meeting is a non-profit corporation which hosts a wide range of public speakers. It is managed by the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota.