May 8, 2001 - The Minnesota Senate approved a Health and Human Services funding bill with an abortion provision that Governor Jesse Ventura has promised to veto. Supporters of legalized abortion say funding for essential state services is being held hostage to abortion politics and possibly creating a deadlock or forcing a special session. But abortion foes say their plan to create a 24-hour waiting period for abortions is moderate and deserves the governor's signature.
May 8, 2001 - The National Park Service is beefing up its effort to stop the spread of zebra mussels in the St. Croix River. Since 1994, the federal agency has restricted access to boaters traveling north of Stillwater. Park Service officers monitored boat traffic from a houseboat near the Arcola sandbar 6 miles upstream. Now the Park Service is moving its checkpoint closer to Stillwater. Zebra Mussel Prevention Coordinator Byron Karns says the Park Service is trying to tighten up the checkpoint.
May 8, 2001 -
May 8, 2001 - MPR’s Andrew Haeg reports on trade dominating Governor Jesse Ventura's agenda. Ventura met with a Chinese trade delegate and local businesspeople to push for closer economic ties between Minnesota and China. He also visited the Canadian Consulate where he announced an upcoming trade mission to Canada.
May 8, 2001 -
May 9, 2001 - On his third day in Minnesota, the Dalai Lama addressed a joint meeting of the Minnesota Legislature, touching on his constant themes of human rights, faith and each person's responsibility to make personal change. He also met with Governor Ventura, and made his third public speech at the University of Minnesota.
May 9, 2001 - (FOR WED. M.E.) Lawyers expect a full day of testimony in St. Cloud today , in a trial for a misdemeanor driving offense that has been complicated by allegations of racial profiling. Minnesota Public Radio's Jeff Horwich has this Mainstreet report.
May 10, 2001 - The state House will take up a six-point-three billion dollar health and human services spending bill today. The bill includes a 24-hour abortion waiting period, which is also in the Senate bill. Governor Ventura has pledged to veto the entire bill if it arrives on his desk with the abortion language included. If that happens, it could shut down the Health and Human Services department. Joining us on the line is Chris Gilbert, Political Science Professor at Gustavus Adolphus.
May 11, 2001 - < William Moyer, president of the Johnson Institute Foundation based in the Twin Cities. It's a think tank that promotes greater understanding of alcohol and drug addiction and recovery issues. 7:00 CT (8:00 ET, he's in D.C.) will call 6000. 202.974.4146 rm. 1001. PERRY NOTE: He went to the Rose Garden event where president Bush just named his drug czar today (5/10). He leans to the treatment and recover side of the drug war. Bush was thought to be on the interdiction and criminalization of users side, and in fact named a drug czar, John Walters at the event that also leans that way. Moyers went through his own alcohol recovery. He says he was totally surprised they invited him. He was one of 2 Minnesotans there. He says he expected the assembly to be decidedly interdiction oriented. But he was surprised by what happened. He says there were plenty of advocates for rehab and recover there, besides himself. He says the president himself talked about the need to reduce demand, and Walters did the same. Moyers went up to Bush after the event and told him who he was and that he is a recovering alcoholic. He says Bush looked him right in the eye and said that the two of them had something in common. Moyers says that the event, and that exchange really changed his view of the administration, and how they may approach the drug problem. He says the jury is still out. The administration has sent mixed signals. Ashcroft is pro-interdiction and criminalization. Defense secretary is NOT keen on using the military to interdict drugs (according to Moyers). Moyers hopes that Bush himself will talk about his own story (Bush's), and that Bush is in a position to de-politicize the drug war a bit. (sort of a nixon goes to china thing, that bush would seem to be the typical Republican who's tough on crime and very pro-interdiction and criminalization, and therefore can be more inclined to promote treatment and demand reduction). here's some wire copy of Bush's announcment yesterda
May 11, 2001 - Jane Ranum, author of the state senate's racial profiling bill INTRO: The Minnesota state senate has developed a compromised plan to combat racial profiling. The Senate Finance Committee approved the plan where the state offers law enforcement agencies money for video cameras for their squad cars. But to get the money, law enforcement agencies would have to have their officers collect data about traffic stops. Joining us on the line is Senate Finance Committee Chairwoman Jane Ranum of Minneapolis. -- How much money is involved? -- How would it work? -- How many law enforcement agencies want to participate in this? -- What about the House? How will the two sides come to an agreement on a plan? What could that agreement look like? -- Why didn't the state senate agree to have mandatory data collection?