April 8, 1998 - Governor Arne Carlson has backed off his threat to veto a billion-dollar tax relief bill... for now. Carlson and legislative leaders reached a tentative deal last night (TUESDAY), but the truce is shaky. Minnesota Public Radio's Martin Kaste reports: DFL leaders are trying to win Carlson's support for the tax relief plan by making a ten-percent increase in a program he likes -- one-time rebates for property taxpayers -- and by cutting out a few tax breaks he thinks are unnecessary, like a $20-million credit for higher education expenses. The Governor said those changes might be enough to earn the bill his signature... but he warned DFLers not to go through with a plan to earmark FUTURE state budget surplus monies to building pr
April 8, 1998 - Elementary grade students are back in school this week in Saint Peter. That's a small but important step on a long road to recovery for the tornado damaged school district. Middle school and high school students go back to classes next week, sharing the elementary buildings for the rest of the school year. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports... (Sound of classroom chatter) At North Intermediate School in Saint Peter, sixth grade students are dissecting matter regurgitated by owls, looking for the small skeletons of rodents. The class is studying predators and scavangers in the animal world. The unsavory aspects of picking through the remains of an owl's meal is lost on these children, who've spent the past week picking through their scatt
April 8, 1998 - The plaintiffs in Minnesota's lawsuit against the tobacco industry today urged Congress to pass legislation regulating the industry - without big tobacco's approval. The nation's top four tobacco companies now say they will fight a proposed national agreement settling states' lawsuits. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports... Minnesota Attorney General Skip Humphrey says tobacco companies' support for a national settlement crumbled, because the industry didn't get the sweetheart deal it wanted. He urged Congress to approve even tougher legislation cracking down on the industry...
April 8, 1998 - Saint Paul city officials are negotiating with the state Senate to salvage state support for the Minnesota Wild hockey arena. The city had asked the state to contribute $65 million dollars for the arena, but the city is now considering a Senate offer that negotiators have characterized as "half a loaf." Minnesota Public Radio's Martin Kaste joins us from the Capitol.
April 9, 1998 - Hennepin County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin, who also chairs the Seven County Rail Authority; and Art Leahy, general manager of the Metropolitan Council Transit Operations, discuss legislative passage of light rail project in the Twin Cities. McLaughlin and Leahy also answer listener questions.
April 9, 1998 - America is in the midst of an explosion of matters spiritual -- with best selling books on the care of the soul, the growth of non-demonimational mega churches, psychics on the television and Asian and Middle Eastern religions gaining American converts. All this month, in a series of reports and commentaries, Minnesota Public Radio will explore relgious issues in everyday life. Today, in the first report in our series, Reporter Mary Stucky says today's search for spiritual meaning reflects the nature of American life in the 1990s. BACKANNOUNCE FOR MORNING EDITION: (use as much as there is time for...) Tune in for our Mid Morning broadcast at 9am today, for an hour's discussion of faith and spirituality in everyday American life. Claire Wolfteich,(WOLF-tyk) Assistant Professor of Practical Theology and Spiritual Formation at Boston University School of Theology will join John Rabe from 9 to 10am. BACKANNOUNCE FOR MIDMORNING: (place this anywhere in the ho
April 9, 1998 - Tom Gravelin, a cafe owner in St. Peter, shares his experience during and after a tornado hit the Minnesota town.
April 9, 1998 - The House and Senate will likely take up the proposed bonding bill tonight. The bill totals 999-million-dollars, the largest in state history. The Minneapolis Convention Center is the largest single project in the legislation, at 87-million dollars. Second on the list is money for a new arena in St. Paul, at 65-million dollars. Late-night talks between legislative leaders and Governor Carlson resulted in the 65 million dollar, no-interest loan to St. Paul for a hockey arena in the city. In return, the Governor agreed not to reject the entire bonding bill. Carlson threatened to veto the legislation if lawmakers did not approve money for the new arena. Dick Cohen, chairman of the Senate State Government Finance Committee and one of five senate conferees on the Bonding Conference Committee, says the plan solves several problems surrounding the funding of the arena. | D-CART ITEM: 2414
April 9, 1998 - MPR’s Hope Deutscher reports on eight wrestlers at the University of Minnesota-Morris that are gaining international recognition. They are not only overcoming an opponent, but also stereotypes as they train for the future…even a potential Olympics.
April 9, 1998 - The Governor and top legislators have a hand-shake agreement to resolve the impasse over the St Paul hockey arena. The all-encompassing, late-night deal also settles how much tax relief Minnesotans can expect, and it guarantees extra financial help for the state's schools. Minnesota Public Radio's Martin Kaste reports: ((Up polka music)) The ten members of the Bonding Conference Committee played polka tapes to pass the time last night. They were supposed to be the ones resolving the stubborn St Paul hockey arena issue, but the REAL negotiations were taking somewhere else, between Senate Majority Roger Moe, House Sp