May 6, 1975 - Reporter Dulcie Lawrence outlines the Minnesota legislative agenda for the day, focusing on the Judiciary Committee (dealing with bills on discrimination, prostitution, and cattle rustling) and the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee (dealing with workman's comp., Oleo, and minimum wage). Included is a discussion regarding the timetable for the Senate's Omnibus Tax Bill.
May 6, 1975 - Opponents to the Minnesota state legislature's gay rights speak out. The bill passed, despite the dissenting opinion. Featured are quotes and spoken testimony as to why some believed the bill is not in line with previous civil rights efforts in the country.
May 6, 1975 - Property tax inequity gets an overview by varying groups. The Minnesota Citizen's League aruges that backroom dealings and a lack of regulation on assessors is to blame, while others, including the Governor's office argue that the law places the biggest financial burdens on those who fall into the low income bracket.
May 6, 1975 - Department of Public Welfare called on the carpet to do more for welfare with food stamps. However, only 30 percent of eligible recipents of food stamps have claimed them. The department of public welfare instituted a food stamp hotline. The Senate Labor and Commerce Committee sent the minimum wage bill to the study committee, thus killing it for this session. The bill would increase minimum wage from $1.80 to $2.10 and to $2.30 in 1976. The committee turned down workmen's compensation increases. However, a bill increasing unemployment compensation was passed.
May 6, 1975 - Steve Dean says we have to remember that the first time women got the human rights act they only got it under employment, the same with the disabled, and are only now getting included in public foundations and services. A lot of time it?s a step at a time, we?re dealing with political reality. Public accommodation section was dropped. Rather than let the basic things, the most important things, of employment and housing go down the drain thought it best to delete sections of public accommodations and public services. We don?t consider adoption and marriage the highest priority of gay rights at this time.
May 6, 1975 - Steve Dean says antics that have been going on with press conferences, restrooms, hunger fasts, transvestite parades just reinforce people?s ignorance and change what is a civil rights issue into a laughing matter. Protest have endangered the legislation. Several votes who previously supported the bill now say can?t support this three ring circus. Explain to legislators that have been active in politics for some time, have been active in the DFL. The DFL state party is strongest supporter of gay rights in the state, has sent letters urging passage. Bulk of support from DFL although number of strong supporters from Republican party.
May 7, 1975 - Committee meetings, low pay, and growth of legislature are all singled out, among other issues, by the Citizen's League as to why the service life span of many legislators is markedly low.
May 7, 1975 - While the Minnesota State Senate and House of Representatives come together to discuss amendments to the year's omnibus tax bill, other committees meet to work on new DNR regulations, tax credits, and the issue of tools used in the act of shoplifting.
May 7, 1975 - The hotly contested amendments to the tax bill are discussed here, in terms of their passage in the Minnesota State Senate. Senators Perpich and Stassen addresss the closure of a state hospital, while Robert Brown pushed for maximum security status to Stillwater Prison.
May 7, 1975 - Are those who are benefitting from exempt status when it comes to property taxes abusing the system? That question is debated here in a discussion including Ramsey County Assessor William Carlson, who would like to push for stronger limits on what constitutes an 'exempt' property. On the other side is Alan Boyce of the Citizens' League who argues that exempt status increases the value of properties adjacent.