June 3, 2003 - Minnesota Republicans and Democrats are traveling the state telling their side of the legislative story. Governor Tim Pawlenty says budget cuts were necessary to balance the budget. Democrats say the cuts were too deep. Local officials are still trying to filter the facts from the rhetoric. But many in rural Minnesota feel unfairly targeted by budget cuts. Mainstreet Radios Dan Gunderson reports.
June 3, 2003 - Minnesota businesses and some environmental groups have launched a plan to cut smog and ozone in the state's air. They hope to take action now to stave off federal sanctions that could be imposed within the next few years if Minnesota's air quality continues to deteriorate. Minnesota Public Radio's Mary Losure reports.
June 4, 2003 - City leaders across Minnesota are preparing to tighten their fiscal belts. DFL lawmakers say the newly passed state budget means cities -- mostly in Greater Minnesota -- will see a 25 percent average cut in state aid payments. Some say the cuts will result in fewer services and higher property taxes. Officials in Bemidji are hoping to avoid cuts to essential services like police and fire protection. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Robertson reports... {
June 5, 2003 - Many cities and towns across Minnesota will be getting less money from the state in coming years. The Legislature cut aid to cities to help balance the state budget. But cities on the Iron Range say they're getting a double dose of cuts from the Legislature -- just when the Range is facing more mine closures. But the lawmakers and the Pawlenty administration says the Iron Range has been getting more aid than it deserves for years. Chris Julin has this Mainstreet Radio report.
June 6, 2003 - One of Saint Paul's longest-running neighborhood disputes moved back onto the front burner today (Fri) when Mayor Randy Kelly revealed his short-term plans for Ayd Mill Road. The road was opened to traffic from Interstate 35-E last summer in what Kelly described as a one year experiment. Now, the city has decided to keep that connection open, while it resumes a study looking at the road's long-term future. Minnesota Public Radio's William Wilcoxen reports...
June 6, 2003 - A Hennepin County District Court judge has issued a restraining order saying churches don't have to comply with parts of the new concealed carry gun law. The Edina Community Lutheran Church and several other religious organizations have filed a lawsuit against the state. The churches contend it's unconstitutional for the state to require religious organizations to follow certain parts of the lawin order to ban guns on their property. The judge, however, denied other parts of the church's complaint. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports..
June 9, 2003 - MPR’s Mark Zdechlik interviews Rick Kahn, who reflects on his controversial eulogy at Paul Wellstone memorial service and the political fallout.
June 10, 2003 -
June 10, 2003 - About 47-hundred Minnesota families with disabled children have until July 1st to decide whether to continue participating in a state-sponsored supplemental insurance plan. The Department of Human Services is sending out letters to families notifying them that rates could go up as high as a thousand percent as a result of state budget cuts. Proponents of the new law say the fees are based on a family's ability to pay. But several families say they can't afford the increase. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports...
June 10, 2003 - Federal education officials have approved Minnesota's plan for complying with the No Child Left Behind law. President Bush announced today Tuesday that the remaining 17 states, including Minnesota, had completed plans to determine whether schools and school districts are making adequate yearly progress. The president described the approval as a historic milestone for accountability. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports...