January 28, 1999 - It's a strange scene -- 500 pairs of shoes piled on stage, dancers crawling out from under the heap, while a woman in a leopard print pillbox hat sits in a chair trying on pair after pair. This is "The Lives and Death of Cinderella" a performance work being presented this weekend at the College of St Catherine. Performance artist Laurie Van Wieren created the piece which reflects her quirky style which in the past has included everything from shoes and wigs to fireworks.
January 28, 1999 - One of Minnesota's largest industries is getting a boost from the new governor. Jesse Ventura's budget includes increasing the Office of Tourism's advertising budget by five MILLION dollars. The former wrestler and actor says Minnesota can exploit HIS entertainment background to make the state a worldwide vacation destination.
January 28, 1999 - Governor Jesse Ventura today unveils his plan for spending the state's money over the next two years. Legislators and lobbyists have been eagerly awaiting this day, because Ventura's budget will give them a better sense of the new governor's priorities -- and his politics.
January 28, 1999 - Minnesota's telecommunications laws were written well before today's world of wireless phones, satellite communications, and Internet access. Now, legislators and telecom experts say the laws should be re-written to bring them up-to-date.
January 28, 1999 - The Minnesota Supreme Court has struck down the State's system of settling child support disputes out of court as unconstitutional. Some legislators say the ruling will lead to backlogs and risks millions of dollars in federal welfare funding. The court ruled Minnesota cannot use administrative law judges to modify child support orders after July first.
January 29, 1999 - Also on Midmorning today, Governor Ventura talked more about his decision to apply for a concealed weapons permit. MPR's Kathryn Lanpher asked the governor why he feels he needs to carry a gun.
January 29, 1999 - Governor Ventura says he's struck a good balance between tax relief and spending in his budget for 2000 and 2001. The Governor laid out his spending plan yesterday evening for legislators and the media.
January 29, 1999 - Governor Ventura's budget has widened the rift between him and Republicans on the number-one issue of this legislative session: tax relief. Republicans say Ventura has reneged on his campaign promise to give the state's surplus money back to ALL the taxpayers, the Governor says he IS giving it back -- but he's also looking out for interests of middle-income Minnesotans.
January 29, 1999 - Governor Ventura's budget is getting higher marks from Democratic lawmakers than from Republicans. Senate DFL'ers generally like Ventura's stance on taxes and tobacco money, while House Republicans question whether the Governor is living up to his fiscally-conservative campaign rhetoric.
January 29, 1999 - The Governor's budget sets aside one-point-three billion dollars of the state's tobacco settlement. Ventura says he wants to invest the tobacco windfall in Minnesota families, medical research and public health. But not everyone at the Capitol agrees with his method of spending the money.