July 27, 2001 -
July 30, 2001 - When a new politician goes to Washington, people watch to see what friends he or she makes in Congress. Environmentalists were dismayed when Minnesota Senator Mark Dayton allied himself with Senator Larry Craig of Idaho. Craig is powerful voice for logging and mining interests. Now he and Dayton have joined in a lawsuit opposing a rule which bans roadbuilding in roughly one third of the nation's national forests. Compared with Idaho, Minnesota's stake in the issue is miniscule, but Dayton says he's keeping campaign promises he made in Northern Minnesota. Minnesota Public Radio's Mary Losure reports.
July 31, 2001 - Minneapolis officials are downplaying the decision by the investment firm Moody's to downgrade the city's bond rating. Moody's shaved the Minneapolis rating one notch from triple-A----the best rating possible---to double-A-1. Political challengers, however, regard the news as further reason voters should oust incumbent office holders. Minnesota Public Radio's Art Hughes reports.
July 31, 2001 -
July 31, 2001 - In the quest for affordable housing, five cities in central Minnesota are considering a law that could be the strongest mandate in the state to build new low and middle income homes. This winter officials in St. Cloud and the surrounding towns of Sauk Rapids, Sartell Park asked a committee to design a common ordinance that would encourage more affordable housing in the area. What they got back has city officials and citizens wondering just how progressive they're willing to be. Mainstreet Radio's Jeff Horwich has this report. Three of the fastest growing counties in the state come together in St. Cloud, and the rush has pushed housing prices up far more quickly than wages. As the one-hundred thousand dollar home becomes a thing of the past, everyone seems to agree there are dismally few affordable homes to go around. But the latest solution is making builders and developers cringe.
July 31, 2001 - Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer is praising a new report by the National Federal Election Commission. The report recommends a number of election reforms, including turning election day into a national holiday and implementing uniform voting procedures within each state. Former Presidents Ford and Carter, who led the commission, hope their recommendations will help avoid a repeat of last year's bitterly contested vote-count. Kiffmeyer says she can't find anything in the report she doesn't like:
August 1, 2001 - MPR’s Kaomi Goetz reports that some members of Minneapolis immigrant communities are asking whether they're getting undue scrutiny from city inspectors.
August 1, 2001 - U.S. Census figures released indicate the state's Hmong population grew almost 150% since the 1990 census, growing to nearly 42,000 residents. Some community leaders, though, think many Hmong people in Minnesota remain uncounted by the census. MPR’s Art Hughes interviews numerous individuals to get their reaction to government numbers.
August 2, 2001 -
August 2, 2001 -