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.
May 1, 1999 - American RadioWorks presents the documentary “The Forgotten 14 Million,” which explores why both government and the free market are failing the most vulnerable young Americans.
May 3, 1999 - Midday presents a Mainstreet Radio special report "Hidden Rainbow: The Changing Face of Minnesota." Program presents a series of reports on the state's growing minority population in outstate Minnesota.
May 3, 1999 - On this segment of Mainstreet Radio’s Rural Diversity series, Tom Robertson looks at Minnesota's 'hidden' population -- rural minorities.
May 3, 1999 - MPR’s Brent Wolfe reports that while Mexican American migrant workers have been drawn to agricultural jobs in Minnesota for many years, an increasing number are calling Minnesota "home."
May 5, 1999 - A Mainstreet Radio special broadcast from St. Cloud State University as part of MPR's week-long project called "Hidden Rainbow: The Changing Face of Minnesota." In this first hour of program, Rachel Reabe hosts a discussion on racism in St. Cloud with Ralonda Mason, a local lawyer handling racism cases for St. Cloud Area Legal Services; Taye Reta, former St. Cloud business owner and member of the State Council on Black Minnesotans; Susan Ihne, executive editor at The St. Cloud Times; and Vusi Khamalo, director for the Multicultural Services at St. Cloud Technical College.
May 5, 1999 - MPR’s Bob Kelleher reports on the diminishing population of rainbow smelt in Lake Superior. Years ago, the smelt run drew huge crowds to Lake Superior beaches, where fish were netted by hand and cooked over open fires. Raucous all-night beach parties fueled by generous doses of alcohol achieved mythical status around the big lake. But now, the big smelt runs are history.
May 5, 1999 - This week, our Mainstreet reporting team looks at Minnesota's 'hidden' population -- rural minorities. In some cities and towns, the minority population has just begun to grow. It's a change that enriches life for some, and threatens others. It's been nearly three years since the start of a series of racially motivated conflicts in Rochester. The violent clashes mainly between white teenagers and immigrant Somalis marked the city's awakening to deep racial divisions some say had been kept hidden below the surface. Since then, youth groups promoting cultural understanding have grown, minority groups have found a stronger voice, and city leaders launched an on-going education campaign. Still, Rochester residents of color say it's been a challenge to establish even a basic understanding with their white counterparts.