January 23, 2007 - Governor Pawlenty took his budget proposal on the road today. He held news conferences in Rochester, Duluth, Moorhead and Mankato to outline his 34.4 billion dollar two year budget. House and Senate DFLers have been reacting cautiously to the governor's proposal. Members of Pawlenty's own party aren't as forgiving. They say he is abandoning his conservative principals by increasing spending. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports.
January 25, 2007 - Morning Edition’s Cathy Wurzer talks with newly-elected U.S. Congressman Tim Walz, who represents the Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District. Walz discusses his new role and speaks on topics agriculture, colleagues, veterans, and the Iraq war.
January 31, 2007 - Several hundred people packed a meeting room in north Minneapolis last night to tell Minnesota lawmakers their concerns about education. Two House education committees held a joint hearing at the Glover-Suddeth community center. Lawmakers wanted to hear about closing the achievement gap, but they also got an earful about the challenges facing urban schools. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports.
February 5, 2007 - Union janitors and their employers reached a tentative contract averting a possible strike. The 4200 janitors had threatened to walk out unless the new contract included affordable family health care coverage. Union officials say most of their members don't have health insurance because it's too expensive. They say the new contract will make it easier for janitors to obtain healthcare for their families. Minnesota Public Radio's Brandt Williams reports.
February 5, 2007 - In this installment from The Bookshelf series, MPR’s Cathy Wurzer talks with State Senator Mee Moua about books that are important to her. Moua came to the United States as a Hmong refugee when she was nine years old, and she said that even though she never read books when she was young, stories were a big part of her childhood, particularly when she lived in a refugee camp in Thailand.
February 6, 2007 - Governor Pawlenty is threatening to veto a bill on embryonic stem cell research that hasn't even gotten a hearing in the Legislature yet. The proposal would allow the University of Minnesota to use state funds for embryonic stem cell research. Pawlenty says he backs some forms of stem cell research but also wants some restrictions on the science. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports.
February 12, 2007 - MPR’s Bob Kelleher reports on potential Great Lakes Compact, a binding document between the eight Great Lakes states to adopt uniform state laws regulating water withdrawals. Minnesota laws are already stricter than possible compact.
February 15, 2007 - All Things Considered presents remarks from Minnesota's 1st District Representative Tim Walz as the House of Representatives in Washington D.C. debate a non-binding resolution opposing President Bush’s troop-build up in Iraq. Members of Congress have been taking to the House floor to give their position on the resolution...which cannot be amended.
February 15, 2007 - One of the leading spokesman opposing the resolution, and thus supporting the president's policy, has been Minnesota's 2nd district congressman, republican John Kline. Congressman Kline, who represents the southern suburbs, actually spoke on the floor twice this week.
February 15, 2007 - Minnesota Fourth District Democrat Betty McCollum, speaking this week on the floor of the US House. A vote on the resolution supporting the troops but opposing the President's decision to increase the number of troops in Iraq, a vote is expected in the House this afternoon. The nonbinding resolution is expected to pass.