April 7, 2003 -
April 7, 2003 - DFL lawmakers in the Minnesota Senate will release their plan today for the next two-year budget. The plan is likely to differ from Gov. Pawlenty's proposal, which fixes a projected 4.2 billion dollar shortfall without raising taxes. House and Senate Republicans released a plan last week that closely follows the governor's. Joining us to discuss the week ahead is Minnesota Public Radio's Capitol Bureau Chief, Laura McCallum.
April 7, 2003 - One of Governor Pawlenty's top priorities this legislative session is to bring more jobs and businesses to rural Minnesota. Pawlenty is proposing 10 tax free zones as a way to entice businesses to move into rural areas. If the governor's effort becomes law Minnesota won't be the first state to have tried tax free zones as a way to create jobs. Pennsylvania has had a similar program for about five years. Some people there say it's been a great help in bringing development to depressed areas. Others say there are different ways to create jobs that work better and give local communities more flexibility. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports...
April 8, 2003 - Governor Tim Pawlenty continues to push hard for his program of Job Opportunity Building Zones. It's known by its acronym: "JOBZ," spelled with a "z." The JOBZ program would create pockets of land outside the metro area that are essentially tax-free. The proposal is still awaiting approval by lawmakers. But communities in outstate Minnesota are already compiling their evidence to convince state officials that *they're* the ones who need the extra boost. Mainstreet Radio's Jeff Horwich reports.
April 8, 2003 - All Things Considered’s Lorna Benson talks with Professor Ronald Glossop, vice-president of the National World Federalist Association, about establishing a democratic world federation that would function much like the United States, but on a global level.
April 9, 2003 - MPR’s Dan Olson reports from the Mondale Lecture Series. A panel of Democrats, led by former Vice-President Walter Mondale, remember the so-called, "fabulous 89th", the Congressional session where many of this country's most familiar social programs became law.
April 9, 2003 - The Minnesota Senate will vote tomorrow on a bill that would require any woman seeking an abortion to get specific information and wait 24 hours before the procedure is done. A parliamentary procedure on the House floor will force the full senate to either adopt the bill or send it to conference committee. Supporters say they have the votes in the Senate to send the bill to Governor Pawlenty's desk. Critics say the parliamentary procedure is undermining the committee process and won't allow the senate to make any changes to the bill. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports...
April 9, 2003 -
April 9, 2003 -
April 11, 2003 - When Senate Democrats announced their budget plan earlier this week, the plan included a new income tax bracket for upper-income Minnesotans. Republicans immediately called the proposal class warfare, and said it would drive job creators out of the state. DFL leaders say they're simply asking wealthy Minnesotans to share the pain along with the rest of the state. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports...