December 31, 1999 - Among the new Minnesota laws that go into effect tomorrow is a requirement that police officers get more training for high-speed chases and emergency driving. Supporters say the training will better prepare law enforcement for the tense situations they encounter when deciding whether to pursue a suspect. But the family of one man killed by a squad car says the training doesn't go far enough.
December 17, 1999 - Note host outcue Everybody with an interest in the retail industry has an eye on e-commerce this year, to see what kind of impact the Internet will have on traditional sales. It's not just store owners with a keen eye on e-retailing trends. Increasingly, state officials are asking whether an important source of revenue - the sales tax - will erode over time. As Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports, there's no concensus among lawmakers, retailers or industry experts on the issue.
December 16, 1999 - Members of Minnesota's second-largest state employees union have voted to authorize a strike. After a ten-day cooling-off period, members of the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees could walk off the job right before the Y2K rollover. But state officials promise a strike won't shut down state government.
December 15, 1999 - The Jesse Ventura volunteer committee swung into action last night, holding its first public meeting to try to mobilize citizens to support a one-house legislature -- one of the governor's pet causes. The meeting took place in District 51, where all three legislators are undecided about the issue. Since Governor Ventura has no Reform Party allies in the legislature, his volunteer committee hopes Ventura supporters can sway legislators on unicameralism and other administration priorities.
December 9, 1999 - The 2000 election is eleven months away, yet campaign ads have already begun hitting the airwaves. DFL Senate candidate Mike Ciresi has been running radio spots on the Iron Range, the Republican Party has countered with an attack ad, and the first of what promises to be an explosion of so-called "issue ads" challenges Congressman Bill Luther. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports in the first of our series of Ad Watches scrutinizing campaign 2000.
December 7, 1999 - The State Board of Education went out of business today without making threatened changes to Minnesota's new graduation standards. Members rejected an attempt to revise the most contentious portion of the standards -- the so-called Profile of Learning -- during the board's final meeting. Education Commissioner Christine Jax had urged the board to leave the Profile alone.
December 6, 1999 - Minnesota lawmakers from both parties say they want to spend more money on transportation next session, particularly now that state officials are projecting a one-point-six billion dollar budget surplus by the end of the bienium. There's no shortage of road projects seeking funding, as members of the House transportation policy and finance committees heard today in Woodbury. As lawmakers try to placate frustrated commuters, the issue is likely to become a campaign issue next year.
December 2, 1999 - For the fifteenth consecutive time in seven years, state officials have projected a surplus for the state budget. The nearly one-point-six billion dollar surplus stunned legislative leaders, who are calling for tax cuts AND more spending. But Governor Ventura and budget experts are urging a cautious approach.
November 23, 1999 - Mothers Against Drunk Driving says Minnesota is losing ground in the effort to stop drunk driving. The group's latest report card gives Minnesota a C-plus, a grade several lawmakers and state officials say is unacceptable.
November 17, 1999 - Minnesota today became the first state to sue the federal government over Medicare payments. The lawsuit filed by Attorney General Mike Hatch and the Minnesota Senior Federation alleges the system the government uses to reimburse HMO's is unconstitutional.