June 16, 2003 - Minnesota's Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty joins host Gary Eichten in the MPR studios to discuss current events and answer listener questions. Pawlenty plans to lead a three-day trade mission to Canada in late September. The trip to Montreal will focus on the bio-science and medical industries. We discuss this trip, and other issues facing Minnesota and the nation.
March 6, 2003 - MPR’s Laura McCallum reports on more than a thousand gay and lesbian Minnesotans appearing at the Minnesota State Capitol to protest a proposal to remove sexual orientation from the state's human rights law. They called the bill mean-spirited. The bill's author says he wants to prevent homosexuality from being taught in the schools.
November 6, 2002 - MPR’s Michael Khoo breaks down the numbers of 2002’ election results. Republican House Majority Leader Tim Pawlenty won his bid to be Minnesota's next governor. With 96% of precincts reporting, unofficial returns show Pawlenty leading DFL rival Roger Moe 45% to 36%. Independence Party candidate Tim Penny was trailing a distant third with 16% of the vote. The Green Party's Ken Pentel finished with just over 2%.
October 31, 2002 - Our "Meet the Candidates" series continues with Republican gubernatorial candidate Tim Pawlenty.
October 8, 2002 - The Minnesota Twins head into the American League Championship Series against the Anaheim Angels after surviving the threats of contraction and a players' strike. The excitement around the hometown team is generating new interest in ballpark plans…and the issue figures to resurface next year when a new governor is sworn in.
August 30, 2002 - The major party candidates for governor reacted positively to news that a new baseball labor agreement will apparently prevent Major League Baseball from eliminating the Minnesota Twins for the next four years. The candidates learned of the tentative agreement shortly before appearing in an Minnesota Public Radio debate at the State Fair.
June 17, 2002 - MPR’s Laura McCallum reports on the newly-endorsed slate of Republican candidates as they embark on a three-day statewide bus tour. This follows the candidates flying around the state earlier, after getting party backing during the state convention. Gubernatorial candidate Tim Pawlenty says his campaign will focus on the three issues he terms "kids, roads and jobs."
June 12, 2002 - MPR’s Tom Scheck reports on the final Republican debate before the state's party convention later this week. House Majority Leader Tim Pawlenty of Eagan, and Orono businessman Brian Sullivan are engaged in a close race to win the party's endorsement. Both candidates say they'll drop out of the race if delegates choose their opponent.
June 12, 2002 - MPR's Laura McCallum reports that Minnesota Republicans will be endorsing a candidate for governor and the race is a close one between entrepreneur Brian Sullivan and legislative leader Tim Pawlenty. Sullivan holds a slight lead in the party's non-binding straw polls of delegates.
June 6, 2002 - MPR's Tom Scheck reports that members of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission could vote on a proposed settlement with Major League Baseball and the Minnesota Twins. The commission, which owns and operates the Metrodome, filed suit against the two entities after the league announced that it wanted to eliminate two teams. No teams were named, but the Twins were considered a top candidate.