June 29, 2001 - In an unprecedented move, a Ramsey County district judge has ordered the executive branch to fund core services of state government if the Legislature fails to approve a budget by tomorrow's (Saturday) deadline. The order averts a potential partial government shut-down. But as Minnesota Public Radio's Elizabeth Stawicki reports, some legal analysts say it upsets the delicate balance between the three branches of government which are supposed to exist co-equally.
May 21, 2001 -
May 17, 2001 - MPR’s Elizabeth Stawicki reports on dedication of Mondale Hall at University of Minnesota Law School, which naked its building complex after its most acclaimed alumnus, Walter Mondale. Former President Jimmy Carter spoke at the dedication and praised Mondale as a man of integrity.
May 17, 2001 - With the dedication of Mondale Hall at the University of Minnesota Law School, MPR’s Elizabeth Stawicki profiles Walter Mondale’s law career. Mondale has been most noted for his career in politics, virtually nothing has been written about his time at the University of Minnesota law school and how his education and contacts there shaped his future and ultimately the future of Minnesota and the nation. Segment includes numerous interviews.
April 26, 2001 - The descendants of the Lakota leader Crazy Horse have settled a defamation lawsuit over the use of his name in the marketing of Crazy Horse Malt Liquor. Crazy Horse's descendants filed suit eight years ago trying to stop beer makers from using the chief's name on an alcohol product that was distributed to 32 states. The opposition to Crazy Horse malt liquor came in part, because Crazy Horse had denounced the introduction of alcohol to American Indians. Minnesota Public Radio's Elizabeth Stawicki reports:
April 19, 2001 - At a conference of social workers, judges and attorneys, the Chief Justice of Minnesota's Supreme Court posed this provacative question: Is it possible the child protection system itself represents a form of child abuse and neglect? Justice Kathleen Blatz cited research that shows 80 percent of Minnesota's prison inmates had some contact with the child protection system and she announced a plan to rethink how the system protects children. Minnesota Public Radio's Elizabeth Stawicki reports.
April 12, 2001 - The State Supreme Court is forcing Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota to reconsider its plans for a massive anti-smoking campaign. The insurer proposed the campaign to spend down a surplus it ran up because of its 1998 settlement with the tobacco industry. The court didn't rule on the merits of the plan itself, but said the commerce commissioner had the authority to reject it. Minnesota Public Radio's Elizabeth Stawicki reports:
February 22, 2001 - A Hennepin county judge has ordered Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota to turn over some of its client records to the State Attorney General's office. The action stems from a lawsuit Mike Hatch filed last October that accused the insurance carrier of illegally and systematically denying mental health coverage for children and young adults and shifting millions of dollars in costs to the government. Minnesota Public Radio's Elizabeth Stawicki reports:
February 22, 2001 - The University of Minnesota runs on vision, money and influence. It's a monolith of intellectual energy. But figuring out who controls the U can be difficult--no one tames it yet many think they can. As part of our series on the University's 150th anniversary, Minnesota Public Radio's Elizabeth Stawicki reports on who governs the U from the inside and out:
February 16, 2001 - A new poll finds most Minnesotans support stiffer penalties for drunk drivers. The Minnesota Public Radio/St Paul Pioneer Press Poll finds more than half of respondents want to lower the legal blood alcohol level to .08. and also support raising the penalty for multiple DWI's to a felony. Minnesota Public Radio's Elizabeth Stawicki reports: