April 22, 1999 - The school shootings in Littleton, Colorado, has re-opened a debate here in Minnesota over permits for concealed weapons. Governor Jesse Ventura is speculating so-called "concealed-carry" laws could have prevented the violence in Colorado. Opponents say more guns only lead to more bloodshed.
April 22, 1999 - The Colorado school shooting has prompted local schools to re-evaluate their security. In Minneapolis and St. Paul, high schools already have armed police officers stationed in the schools. Sargeant Joel Sandberg is the school liaison officer for Roosevelt High school in Minneapolis . He says there's been one shooting in the three and a half years he's been at Roosevelt and it wasn't even on school property.
April 22, 1999 - Governor Ventura is expected to take action tomorrow on a bill many cities say would take away some of their local planning powers. The bill would restrict cities' abilities to amortize and close businesses that no longer fit local plans, rather than condeMinnesota the businesses and buy them outright . City representatives say its just one of several bills this session that threaten local control. But the bills' authors say THEY're trying to protect constituents from LOCAL politicians abuse of power.
April 22, 1999 - St. Paul based Deluxe is announcing a restructuring aimed at strengthening the electronic payment systems side of its business. While the company's mainstay check printing business will remain an important part of the mix, Deluxe hopes the changes will position it to ride the nationwide boom in e-commerce.
April 23, 1999 - With no Reform Party members in the legislature, Governor Ventura has no party allies, and is turning to technology to lean on lawmakers. The latest project of "JesseNet" - the Ventura administration's online network of supporters - is Legislature Watch Teams, volunteers who will try to pressure lawmakers to support the Governor's policies. The first team is being organized in the district of a key lawmaker opposed to Ventura's light rail proposal.
April 23, 1999 - Minnesota's DFL Party is trying to regroup and move ahead, after the devastating loss of coming in third in the Governor's race and losing control of the Minnesota House last November. The party's central committee meets tomorrow to elect a new chair and discuss party reform. Many DFL'ers are looking for a leader who can help bring the party back together, after last year's divisive six-way gubernatorial primary. But the race for party chair threatens to divide the Democratic-Farmer-Labor party even further.
April 23, 1999 - Former Packer star Reggie White may have disappointed his critics last night in a speech to a conservative group in Minneapolis . As Minnesota Public Radio's John Rabe reports, the Reverend White stayed away from the kind of comments that generated lots of controversy when he addressed the Wisconsin legislature just over a year ago.
April 23, 1999 - Northwest airlines flight attendants demonstrated in New York today, site of the airlines annual shareholder meeting. The union workers say unrest at Northwest is unnecessarily cutting into the airlines bottom line and threatens its future.
April 26, 1999 - To close out the millennium, Minnesota Public Radio's All Things Considered presents a look back at Minnesota life in 1900 via a 12-part series, entitled “A Minnesota Century.” In this segment, the story of Maude Baumann and her family's pioneer trek through the state in 1900.
April 26, 1999 - Minnesota Brewing Company bottlers and brewers are on day three of a strike against the company over changes in work rules. The money losing brewery says it must cut costs.