September 22, 2000 - The Ventura administration is considering whether to join five other states in extending benefits to the domestic partners of state employees. Ventura recently directed his commissioner of employee relations to study the cost and feasibility of domestic partner benefits, which could include health care and other insurance. The proposal will have to go before the legislature, where it could face significant opposition. Anne DeGroot is the director of outfront Minnesota, an advocacy group for gays and lesbians. She's happy to see the state taking this step:
September 25, 2000 - Tom Neuville, Republican State Senator; and Ann DeGroot, director of Out Front Minnesota discuss Governor Ventura's decision to look into providing benefits to the partners of gay and lesbian state employees.
September 25, 2000 - The Centers for Disease Control, the World Health Organization and epidemiologists throughout the world are calling for more prudent use of antibiotics. Ever since doctors started using penicillin to kill bacterial infections in the 1940's, researchers have worried some bacteria would become resistant to antibiotics. Their fears are now coming true as scientists discover antibiotic resistant germs They say so-called "superbugs" will leave doctors defenseless against some illnesses. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck has the first of three reports...
September 27, 2000 - State Senator Linda Runbeck of Vadnais Heights is hoping to become the first Republican in more than half a century to represent Minnesota's Fourth Congressional District. Runbeck hopes her conservative message will appeal to the increasingly suburban Fourth District, which includes St. Paul and surrounding suburbs. She's counting on a competitive three-way race to improve her chances. In the first of our series of Fourth District candidate profiles, Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports...
September 28, 2000 - The odor of a Saint Paul brewery is becoming too much to handle. Mayor Norm Coleman discusses his plans to get rid of the odor.
September 28, 2000 - The Boy Scouts recieved bad news from 2 places today: Medtronic decided to exclude the group from its United Way donation this year and the United Way of Duluth voted to pull its funding of the Voyaguers Area Council of the Scouts. This is the first United Way in Minnesota to decide against funding the group because of the recent Supreme Court ruling that the Boy Scouts can exclude homosexuals. Roger Engle is the Volunteer President of the Voyaguers Area Boy Scout Council He says he was dissapointed when he heard the decision:
September 28, 2000 -
September 29, 2000 - Third party presidential candidates held a debate in St. Paul Thursday night, although Ralph Nader and Pat Buchanan, the nation's highest profile third-party candidates, didn't attend. Governor Ventura welcomed the presidential candidates from the Natural Law, Libertarian and Constitution parties, thanking them for giving voters more options in November. Minnesota Public Radio's Amy Radil reports.
September 29, 2000 - It's been a long time since Minnesota's fourth Congressional district provided a political race that garnered national attention. But with Bruce Vento's retirement and an Independence Party candidate positioning himself as an alternative to the Democrat and Republican, the fourth has suddenly become less predictable. Saint Paul and its closest suburbs have sent Democrats to Washington for more than fifty years. This year the DFL hopes state representative Betty McCollum of North Saint Paul will continue that streak. Minnesota Public Radio's William Wilcoxen has this look at McCollum...
September 29, 2000 - University of Minnesota President Mark Yudof says improving faculty salaries is among the keys to the institution's future success and the state's. Yudof has made faculty compensation the centerpiece of his 2001 legislative proposal. He outlined the plan and its potential impact Thursday during his annual state of the university address. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports...