April 19, 1999 - House Republicans today outlined their comprehensive tax relief plan, adding to the income tax cuts passed by the House last week. The complete $4-Billion-dollar package eliminates the so-called "sick tax" on medical care, cuts agricultural property taxes by about 10 percent and makes the income tax system more favorable to married couples. Republicans say they're delivering on their promise to cut taxes across the board, but DFLers in the Senate say the plan goes too far.
April 19, 1999 - The Minnesota House has approved 70 million dollars in tax relief for farmers. If the Senate approves the bill and Governor Ventura signs it, the checks would be in the mail as early as June. But that might not be soon enough for some farmers struggling to get their crops in the ground on time. Farm mediatior Carol Kobberman works with farmers who are having problems with their lenders. She's been inundated this spring by farmers who have NO money to buy seed and fertilizer because they can't get an operating loan from their bank.
April 19, 1999 - The sounds and sights of war in Kosovo are stirring some unpleasant memories for those who escaped fighting in nearby Bosnia in recent years. Many Bosnian war refugees resettled in Minnesota and the Dakotas, some in the cities, but many in rural areas.. The Hajdar family came to Pelican Rapids four years ago.
April 19, 1999 - Two top federal officials visiting Minnesota heard the complaints of farmers concerned about increasing consolidation in agri-business. At yesterday's hearing in South St. Paul, the farmers argued mergers and acquisitions are strangling competition for their products, and driving down commodity prices. They say its forcing them to struggle just to break even.
April 19, 1999 - One losing investor has referred to Technimar as "The Titanic." The Cohasset-based business filed for bankruptcy last year after Minnesota investors poured millions of dollars into the project. Some residents hoped the NEW owner, Davisco, might still open the plant and provide local jobs making a synthetic countertop material called "Stonite." Now it appears Davisco intends to remove the Stonite-making equipment and set up shop in a new location. The decision is the final blow to the town of Cohasset, where residents are stuck paying off their town's investment in the failed venture.
April 19, 1999 - Florida plowed 70-million dollars of tobacco settlement money into a program that in one year showed the largest drop in the state's teen smoking rate in nearly 20 years. A year ago, Minnesota settled its case with tobacco and six months later created an anti-smoking panel which is still in the formative stages of its work.
April 19, 1999 - Tomorrow Northwest Airlines will report its financial performance for the first quarter of 1999. Last year, for the year, Northwest lost 300 million dollars ... after record profits the year before. Industry analysts say Northwest did NOT get off to a good start in 1999. Many analysts are anticipating a nearly 60 million dollar loss for the first three months of the year. Some predict even higher losses. All seem to agree Northwest is still having trouble winning back customers after last fall's strike.
April 20, 1999 - The 90's have been tough for independent bookstores. They've lost customers to big chains such as Barnes & Noble and Borders. The newest threat is Amazon.com and other Internet superstores, but as Minnesota Public Radio's Jon Gordon reports, independent booksellers are starting to fight back.
April 20, 1999 - Northwest Airlines is reporting it lost money during the first three months of the year. But the first quarter results weren't as bad as Wall Street analysts had expected.
April 20, 1999 - More than one-thousand low income, Twin Cities children will attend non-public elementary schools next fall through a privately-funded scholarship program. The KidsFirst scholarship fund will pay up to 12-hundred dollars toward tution for eligible students who currently attend metro area public schools. Organizers say they're helping parents make educational choices for their children. But some critics say the project undermines public education.