March 15, 2006 - Currently a person is allowed to register to vote on the day of an election. All one needs is a valid utility bill or a neighbor's word. Legislation introduced by Republican Tom Emmer would change all of that. If the bill passes, a photo ID, as well as a passport, birth certificate, or naturalization papers, would be necessary to vote and register to vote in Minnesota.
March 20, 2006 - MPR’s Toni Randolph reports on a bill making its way through the state Senate that would allow recognition of Hmong cultural marriages by the state of Minnesota. The measure would give the negotiators between families in Hmong cultural weddings the authority to perform legal marriages, but the bill is getting resistance from some Hmong leaders.
March 22, 2006 - Governor Pawlenty says it's time to move on from the controversy surrounding Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson. Pawlenty, a Republican, says he'll ask GOP party officials to back off in their criticism of the Willmar DFLer. Johnson has been under heavy fire, especially from Republicans and groups that support a constitutional amendment to ban same sex marriage. He has admitted "sanding off the truth" about a conversation with a Supreme Court Justice on the issue of gay marriage. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports....
March 23, 2006 - MPR’s Tim Pugmire reports on a "People of Faith” rally at the Minnesota State Capital, where opponents of a proposed constitutional amendment to define marriage as between one man and one woman gathered at the state Capitol.
March 29, 2006 - And now the views of one of Minnesota's U.S. Senators who will vote on immigration reform legislation in coming days. Democrat Mark Dayton says he's in favor of the bill approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday. It would provide a way for undocumented immigrants to eventually become U.S. citizens. They'd first have to undergo a background check, learn english and pay a $2,000 fine. It also creates a type of guest worker program favored by President Bush, but the plan faces opposition from many of Bush's fellow Republicans, including leaders of both the House and Senate. That opposition makes the bill's future uncertain and is sure to make for heated debate on the Senate floor. Dayton says he thinks the committee's proposal is the most practical solution.
March 31, 2006 - Anyone hoping for tax relief from state lawmakers this year may be disappointed. That's because Governor Pawlenty, Senate DFLers and House Republicans appear headed for an impasse over tax cuts. A key committee in the DFL-controlled Minnesota Senate today approved a measure that would increase taxes on the wealthy and provide tax cuts to middle income households. But the governor and leaders in the Republican-controlled House say the state has enough money to provide the tax cuts without making the rich pay more. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports...
March 31, 2006 - The debate in Minnesota over gay marriage was prompted by a court decision three years ago in Massachusetts. The Supreme Court there decided the Massachusetts constitution allowed same sex couples to marry, and gay couples have been getting married there for the past two years. But that has not ended the debate over the decision and whether it should be allowed to stand. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck visited Massachusetts and has this story.
April 4, 2006 - After a killing in Uptown this week, Minneapolis Homicide Commander Lee Edwards spoke in front of a Minneapolis police station, saying that there are still three suspects on the run. He delivered a stern warning, saying things will not get better if they hide longer.
April 4, 2006 - MPR’s Tom Scheck reports that a committee in the Minnesota Senate has rejected a proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage and its legal equivalents in Minnesota.
April 10, 2006 - MPR’s Stephanie Hemphill reports on the growing pains in Grand Marais. Many Minnesotans make a pilgrimage to Grand Marais, where they enjoy the idyllic setting, the slow pace of life, and the friendly small-town feeling. But for some of the locals, life has been anything but calm lately.