June 28, 2001 - With the clock still ticking toward a partial government shutdown, House and Senate negotiators reached agreement on an eight-point-seven Billion dollar funding bill for K-12 education early this morning. The bill would increase spending for schools by slightly more than the inflation rate for each of the next two years. It also contains a provison designed to ensure that school districts base their teacher contracts on the actual amount of money they receive from the state. Meanwhile, the House and Senate are scheduled to vote on a major property tax overhaul later today. But obstacles remain in other areas of the state's two-year budget. Lawmakers say it will take at least another day before they can complete their work. Administration officials say that brings the state uncomfortably close to a shutdown. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo reports.
June 29, 2001 - With time running out to avoid a partial government shutdown, a House-Senate working group trying to put together a transportation funding bill broke off talks without an agreement at 4:30 this morning. The two sides plan to get back together later this morning after they accused each other of breaking earlier deals. Meanwhile, lawmakers working on the state government bill are negotiating behind closed doors and expect the full working group to take up the bill later today. Lawmakers did reach an agreement on another major bill funding health and human services. Both sides say they still hope to pass all the bills by tomorrow night's deadline and avoid the shutdown. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports...
July 2, 2001 - The Minnesota Legislature wrapped up a new two-year budget early this morning hours before a partial government shutdown would have begun. Lawmakers approved the final three spending bills and a bonding bill for long-term investments. Later today (SATURDAY), Governor Jesse Ventura is scheduled to sign the various spending items along with a tax bill passed earlier in the week. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo reports.
July 2, 2001 -
July 3, 2001 - The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources reported 19 boating deaths during 2000 down three from 1999. So far this year, there have been eight boating deaths. According to the DNR, the state's boating death rate continues to be one of the lowest in the nation. Part of the reason is the work by county sheriff water safety patrols. Mainstreet Radio's Bob Reha reports from Ottertail County in northwestern Minnesota. }
July 3, 2001 - The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency says air pollution levels in the Twin Cities last week jumped to the highest levels since the nineteen seventies. Temperatures in the nineties and hot, stagant air mixed with high levels of auto emissions increased the amount of ozone and other toxins causing a health alert for three days. David Thornton, a specialist with the agency's Policy and Planning Division says some areas of the Twin Cities reported worse levels than others:
July 5, 2001 -
July 5, 2001 - IT'S TIME FOR YOUR THOUGHTS, AS POSTED ON OUR SOAPBOX PAGE, ON MINNESOTA PUBLIC RADIO DOT ORG. WE ASKED WHAT YOU THOUGHT OF THE LEGISLATIVE IMPASSE, AND THE POSSIBILITY OF A GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN. ANDREA WEILAND FROM ST.PAUL WRITES: " WHILE THE LEGISLATURE BICKERED OVER HOW TO SPEND A FEW MILLION DOLLARS, THEY REQUIRED STATE AGENCIES TO SPEND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO PREPARE FOR A GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN....THE DIRECT RESULT OF THE BICKERING AND RESULTING IMPASSE. THE TAXPAYERS OF MINNESOTA NEED TO BE MADE AWARE OF THIS HIDDEN COST..AND REQUIRE THEIR SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES TO LEARN TO WORK TOGETHER AND BE STATE FOCUSED RATHER THAN SINGLE ISSUE FOCUSED." LAST WEEK, MINNESOTA PUBLIC RADIO'S TOM SCHENK DID A STORY ON AN UPCOMING BUSH ADMINISTRATION DECISION ON WHETHER TO FUND STEM CELL RESEARCH. THAT PROMPTED A LOT OF COMMENTS ON OUR SOAPBOX. DANIEL OWEN FROM WASHINGTON D-C WRITES: "IT'S ABSURD TO EVEN THINK ABOUT NOT SUPPORTING EMBRYONIC STEM CELL RESEARCH. FOR BUSH, IT'S NOT A QUESTION OF ETHICS, BUT SIMPLY OF FACILE ASSPEASEMENT FOR THE SAKE OF POLITICAL SURVIVAL. MEANWHILE, MILLIONS OF PEOPLE TODAY SEE HOPE FOR A TRANSFORMATION OF THEIR LIVES WITH ADVANCES IN STEM CELL RESEARCH AND BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN HEALTH CARE COSTS COULD BE SAVED WITH MEDICAL BREAKTHROUGHS.
July 5, 2001 - South Dakota's child mortality rate is among the highest in the nation. A recent Kids Count Survey ranks South Dakota 49th for deaths among children. There were two homicides in Sioux Falls last year, both were babies shaken to death. As a way to give kids a better start in life, Governor Bill Janklow ordered a pilot program to send nurses into the homes of young women who are raising a child on their own or, without much support. Janklow says the home visits help moms improve their own health, have healthier babies and become better parents. In it's first year the Bright Start program is at capacity with 234 new moms in Sioux Falls and Rapid City. Mainstreet Radio's Cara Hetland spent the last six months following one young woman. They met for the first time, the day she became a new mom.
July 6, 2001 - The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services says it has notified Fairview Southdale Hospital in Edina that it will lose Medicare funding on July 16th. The decision comes after a Minnesota Department of Health investigation discovered that a patient entered the hospital emergency room in April complaining of chest pains but waited in the hospital lobby for three and a half hours. Officials say the problem happened nearly two months before nurses started striking at the hospital, but it may adds further financial problems to the Edina hospital. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports...