February 17, 1999 - Minnesota lawmakers are debating whether to relax a state ban prohibiting them from receiving gifts from lobbyists. The current law is very strict... but supporters argue they aren't about to let their votes be bought for a cup of coffee or a cookie. Opponents say changing the law opens the door to more money in politics.
February 16, 1999 - A new report on conflict of interest laws for public officials ranks Minnesota in the bottom third among states. The Center for Public Integrity - a Washington-based non-partisan watchdog group - found a number of weaknesses in Minnesota's laws requiring state legislators to disclose their financial interests. The report comes in the wake of an ethics finding that Senator Dallas Sams improperly concealed a consulting payment from the University of Minnesota.
February 15, 1999 - Five weeks into the legislative session, the Minnesota House has passed nearly a dozen bills, including a tax rebate and a repeal of residency requirements for Minneapolis /St. Paul city employees. One first-term legislator co-authored both bills. DFL'er Ann Lenczewski of Bloomington is adjusting to the hectic pace at the Capitol, but is already catching some flak from her caucus for her non-partisan style.
February 10, 1999 - A new study concludes Minnesota is paying a high price to subsidize low-wage jobs. A Washington D.C.-based public policy group analyzed more than 500 economic development deals, and found almost a fourth of the deals cost more than 35-thousand dollars for every job created. The study is sparking debate over whether the state should set limits on corporate subsidies.
February 9, 1999 - The Minnesota Department of Transportation estimates it will cost almost one-and-a-half billion dollars to bring commuter rail to the Twin Cities. Transportation officials briefed lawmakers today on the potential price tag. The system would use existing rail lines and has been touted as a way to reduce traffic congestion on Twin Cities freeways.
February 8, 1999 - A new report finds 12-hundred Ramsey County families on a waiting list for subsidized child care - an all-time high. Ramsey County officials are calling for more state funding for child care, arguing the issue not only affects the working poor, but businesses competing for workers in a tight labor market.
February 5, 1999 - Minnesota Attorney General Mike Hatch today unveiled what he calls the "Fairness in Health Care" act, designed to give patients and doctors more control over treatment. Hatch's bill would allow doctors to decide whether treatment is medically necessary, and let patients sue insurance companies for damages if coverage is denied. But health insurers argue the legislation will drive up premiums.
February 4, 1999 - Governor Ventura and lawmakers from both parties say they want to eliminate the so-called "marriage tax penalty". Nearly everyone agrees taxing married couples at a higher rate than single people is unfair, but some lawmakers worry that lower-income taxpayers and single parents will pay the price.
February 1, 1999 - The House Tax committee today backed a one-billion dollar income tax rebate, tossing out Governor Ventura's sales tax rebate plan. D-F-L'ers on the committee argued a sales tax rebate would benefit more Minnesotans, but Republicans say the bulk of the state's budget surplus came from income taxes, so the rebate should go back to income taxpayers.
January 29, 1999 - The Governor's budget sets aside one-point-three billion dollars of the state's tobacco settlement. Ventura says he wants to invest the tobacco windfall in Minnesota families, medical research and public health. But not everyone at the Capitol agrees with his method of spending the money.