October 18, 1999 - Governor Ventura does NOT have to worry about facing a recall election in the near future. The Chief Justice of the State Supreme Court today struck down a petition by an environtmental activist to have Ventura recalled, saying the petition didn't make allegations serious enough to justify a recall election.
October 13, 1999 - Governor Jesse Ventura says he wants to see all Minnesota children covered by health insurance by the end of his term. The Governor highlighted the health care priorities included in his so-called Big Plan at a teen clinic in Minneapolis today.
October 8, 1999 - Polling done this week by Minnesota Public Radio and the St. Paul Pioneer Press supports the notion that Governor Jesse Ventura's popularity has taken a hit in the wake of his Playboy magazine interview.
October 7, 1999 - Real Estate developer Donald Trump announced today he's formed an exploratory committee for a Presidential run. He's having dinner in New York tonight with Governor Ventura, who's urged him to consider running on the Reform Party ticket. Dean Barkley who ran Governor Ventura's successful campaign and is now Ventura's Planning commissioner has been mentioned as a possible Trump campaign manager. Barkley says neither he nor his boss have made ANY committment to Trump yet.
October 6, 1999 - Governor Ventura took his cabinet to Mankato yesterday for the official roll-out of what he calls his "Big Plan." The Plan is the Governor's comprehensive vision for the rest of his term in office, and it emphasizes his philosophy of governing, rather than offering specific new policy proposals. The few legislators who attended the speech reacted with caution, and at least one lawmaker says he has a hard time taking Ventura's policy statements seriously, in light of Ventura's Playboy interview.
October 5, 1999 - Curt Johnson is a veteran of the Carlson administration, where he served as Chief of Staff and later Chair of the Met Council. He's familiar with sweeping policy agendas like the one unveiled by the governor today. Johnson says on first glance, it seems like the "Big Plan" is more a collection of priorities, than a specific list of goals.
October 1, 1999 - Governor Ventura has offered an explanation for the controversial interview he gave Playboy magazine -- but he's stopping short of an apology. Politicians and some religious leaders have reacted angrily to a quote in which he criticizes organized religion. Many people also took offense at other comments from the interview, which they considered to be offensive to women and out of touch with the prevailing morality. Most of the outrage yesterday was directed at a portion of the interview in which Governor Ventura calls organized religion a "crutch for weak-minded people." Under mounting pressure from the media and fellow politicians, the Governor emerged from his office for a hastily called news conference and explained that he in fact does respect other people's religious beliefs. But he says he also harbors a certain degree of skepticism about religion.
September 28, 1999 - The Ventura Administration today formalized its request for federal help in building a light rail transit line in Minneapolis and Bloomington. This is the closest the state has come to building such a system since discussions of rail mass transit first began, more than three decades ago. Administration officials say they're confident the federal money will come through, but House Republicans who oppose light rail continue to cast doubt on the project's viability -- and its pricetag.
September 23, 1999 - Covering Governor Ventura has become a growing challenge for the Capitol press corps. The state's chief executive has shown an increasing willingness to bypass the reporters who cover him on a daily basis. The Governor hasn't granted interviews with most of the local media for months, and when he has they have been limited to specific topics. Observers say Ventura doesn't need Capitol press coverage like other politicians - he has a statewide weekly radio show and the ability to generate international news interest.
September 13, 1999 - The debate over whether Governor Ventura's money-making activities violate state conflict of interest laws shows no sign of ending. One legislator plans to introduce a bill holding elected officials to the same standards as state employees, and the Minneapolis city attorney is considering an activist's complaint over Ventura's return to the wrestling ring last month. An internal memo written by a state ethics officer concluded if Ventura were a typical state employee, he would be violating the law.