October 17, 1975 - Cases of nine people convicted for roles they played in Wounded Knee occupation come before appeals court. The appeal is a consolidated one, with two lines of attack: one on US jurisdiction (the 1868 Fort Laramie Treaty guarantees sovereign rights of Lakota people), the other, government misconduct (the FBI paid informant Doug Durham to infiltrate AIM). The appeals court many not act on treaty issues, so the case may be sent to the Supreme Court. Lawyer Vine DeLoria says for too many years the government has treated Indian tribes as sovereign some of the time and wards of the state at other times. She wants an unambigious ruling on what the relationship is, which has implications for Pine Ridge Reservation. A ruling expected in two and a half months. Martin Bunzl and Bob Potter report.
October 17, 1975 - Minnesota Senator Robert North says a domed stadium is "out of the question." Citizens do not want to be "held up" for the building cost of $60 million. Instead, he proposes improvements be made to Met Stadium and Memorial Stadium.
October 17, 1975 - Dr. James Carter of the Minnesota Energy Agency talked about steps Minnesota ore mining companies are taking to conserve energy. Presently they use about 5.8 percent of all energy consumed in the state. Coal is a possible energy source over natural gas, but coal presents problems of its own.
October 17, 1975 - Anheuser-Busch is planning on building a malting plant in Moorhead, but this type of operation requires a million and a half gallons of water a day and additional electrical needs. However, the plant will mean new jobs for the city. Mayor Dwayne Hoberg and the city council mull over the pros and cons of the new plant.
October 17, 1975 - Hazel Reinhardt, a consultant hired by the Minnesota Public Schools system, says Minnesota is currently dealing with decreased school enrollment. However, by 1985 as Baby Boomers have children, school enrollment will increase substantially. The school system needs to become more flexible to accommodate the fluctuations in student numbers.
October 17, 1975 - An unknown speaker, who appears to be a representative for a Minnesota longterm care organization, says legislators need to visit nursing homes and talk to staff before instituting state laws. Presently, some laws impinge on residents' rights. Steven's Square administrator, Karen Stuvey, who appears to be speaking at a long term care conference, gave some examples of laws that don't work, like state inspectors going through residents' drawers and closets without permission.
October 17, 1975 - Minnesota legislative pay raises are needed to allow ordinary citizens to serve. So says Charles Baxtrom of the Citizens' League. He says it should be in the form of salary, not "per diem." House Majority Leader Martin Sabo agrees that compensation should be higher, considering how much time lawmakers spend attending meetings, meeting with constituants, etc.
October 17, 1975 - State Representative Fugina says the University of Minnesota Board of Regents tends to act on its own initiative without consulting the Legislature first. U. of M. President C. Peter McGraw disagrees. He says the appropriation process assures the Legislature sufficient control. A bill is in committee that would merge a Legislative "superboard" and the Board of Regents.
October 17, 1975 - Traditionally, schools have dealt with law breaking students with their own enforcement and punishments. However, students are still subject to criminal law, even on school property, so says Minneapolis Federation of Teachers legal counsel Mr.(no first name) Peterson.
October 17, 1975 - Langdon Gilkey, professor of theology at the Divinity School at the University of Chicago, speaking at the Nobel Conference XI, held in St. Peter, MN. Gilkey’s address was titled “The Future of Science.” Gilkey is author of numerous books, including "Maker of Heaven and Earth", "How the World Can Minister to the World Without Losing Itself", and "Religion and the Scientific Future."