April 29, 1999 - Students who aren't making acceptable academic progress in Saint Paul public schools could soon be prevented from moving on to the next grade. The district's new superintendent, Pat Harvey, says she wants to end social promotion as part of a new district accountability plan.
April 29, 1999 - Minnesota lawmakers would be able to accept a cup of coffee or a cookie from a lobbyist, under legislation that passed the Senate yesterday. The Senate voted 42-to-19 for a bill relaxing the total ban on lobbyists gifts. But House Speaker Steve Sviggum says he won't let the provision pass the House.
April 29, 1999 - Minnesota schools, like schools around the country, have seen a rash of copy-cat bomb threats since last week's shooting in Littleton, Colorado. Today schools in Apple Valley, Mapleton and Robbinsdale evacuated buildings. Every incident, so far, has turned out to be a hoax. Children, Families and Learning Commissioner Christine Jax blames the media for giving kids the idea.
April 29, 1999 - An ambitious plan to market Lake Superior Lamprey for the dinner table in Portugal has fallen through because of Mercury contamination in the fish.
April 29, 1999 - A report by the Minnesota Department of Transportation says the reroute of highway 55 in Minneapolis will NOT disturb sites sacred to Native Americans. Min-DOT says construction of the much disputed highway can go ahead this summer. Members of the Mendota Dakota, a native American community whose ancestors lived in the area, disagree with the report's findings and say they'll continue to oppose the highway.
April 29, 1999 - The exodus of thousands of people from Kosovo has put refugee relief agenices into high gear. Most are working under the Office of the United Nations High Commmsioner for Refugees, the UN agency that has the mandate to assist and protect the world's 13-point-two-million refugees. The Minneapolis -based American Refugee Committee is no exception. And while the ARC is active in the latest Balkan conflict, this relatively obscure agency has experience in earlier conflicts in the Balkans and around the world.
April 30, 1999 - It's twenty past six and we'll wind up this Friday's All Things Considered with the Word of Mouth arts roundup and Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Roberts.
April 30, 1999 - The Minnesota House has approved a tax relief package worth $3.3 Billion dollars over two years -- potentially the largest tax cut in state history. House Republicans say the bill is just a "down-payment" on the tax relief promises they made during the election -- but Senate Democrats say Republicans have gone too far.
April 30, 1999 - The Minnesota Senate today voted 41-to-22 for a two-and-a-half billion dollar tax bill, less than a day after the House passed a THREE-and-a-half billion dollar tax cut plan. Senate Democrats charge House Republicans with being fiscally irresponsible with their tax package, while Republicans say Senate leaders and the Governor are skimping on tax cuts because of irrational fears of an economic downturn.
April 30, 1999 - MPR’s Elizabeth Stawicki reports on Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig’s comments that Minnesota's Supreme Court ruling on the Minnesota Twins means the team can now focus on getting a new stadium built in the Twin Cities.