May 2, 2003 - The Minnesota House early this morning passed a 7 billion dollar budget bill that funds health and human services programs for the next two years. House Republicans say they're providing a nine percent increase to services that include subsidized health insurance, child care funding and programs for the elderly. But because of higher health care costs and increased demand costs for those programs were projected to rise over twenty percent in the next biennium. Opponents say the bill unfairly targets the lower income and the poor. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports....
April 29, 2003 - The Senate Finance Committee has approved a health and human services bill that would restore nearly 500 million dollars in cuts that Governor Pawlenty and House Republicans have proposed. The money would go for nursing homes, daycare and health insurance for low income Minnesotans. The governor and House Republicans say the Senate plan is unacceptable since it raises taxes to offset the proposed cuts. But Senate DFLers say their plan would help the state's most vulnerable during an economic downturn. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports...
April 29, 2003 - Governor Pawlenty has signed into law a bill the Minnesota Senate passed yesterday (Mon) requiring county sheriffs to issue a handgun permit to almost any law abiding Minnesotan over the age of 21. The bill passed 37-to-30 after what several observers say was the longest Senate floor debate in recent memory. The House passed the measure last week. Supporters say current law is unfair because local law enforcement has too much discretion when it comes to issuing permits. Opponents say the bill would make the state more dangerous. They also said the Minnesota House was dictating the Senate's agenda by forcing the Senate to vote up or down on the issue. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports....
April 28, 2003 - The Minnesota Senate has been debating for more than six hours a bill that would change the state's handgun permitting process. The bill -- which is expected to pass -- would allow almost every law abiding Minnesotan over the age of 21 to carry a handgun in Minnesota. Supporters say current law is unfair because local law enforcement has too much discretion when it comes to issuing permits. Opponents say the bill would make the state more dangerous. They also said the Minneesota House was dictating the Senate's agenda by forcing the Senate to vote up or down on the issue. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports....
April 25, 2003 - The Minnesota House has passed a bill that would allow Canterbury Park horse track in Shakopee to add two thousand slot machines to the facility. The House voted 71 to 60 in favor of the bill. Lawmakers did make one significant change to the bill. The so-called Racino would not be built if Native American tribes agree to give a portion of gross gambling receipts to the state and agree not to expand gambling. Opponents say the bill will create more social problems and take casino jobs away from rural Minnesota. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports...
April 25, 2003 - Opponents of a bill that would change the state's handgun permitting laws have conceded they can't stop permits from becoming easier to get. Supporters of the bill have been lobbying to change current law for seven years because they say local law enforcement has too much authority in denying permits. The Senate will take up the House version of the bill on Monday, after opponents failed yesterday (Thurs) to bring up a version of the measure they could modify. Because of parliamentary maneuvering by the House, the Senate will only be allowed to vote up or down on the bill without making changes. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports...
April 23, 2003 - The Minnesota House has voted in favor of a bill that would change Minnesota's hand gun permitting process. House leadership used a parliamentary maneuver to force the Senate to vote on the bill. Supporters want to make changes to current law because they say local law enforcement has too much discretion over who receives a permit to carry a handgun. Opponents say the bill would allow almost any Minnesotan over the age of 21 to carry a firearm and would make the state more dangerous. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports...
April 21, 2003 - The Minnesota House is expected to debate a bill later this week that would allow almost any Minnesotan over the age of 21 without a criminal background to carry a handgun. Officials at schools around the state say they're concerned the bill would allow more guns at or near schools and colleges. They say if lawmakers pass the bill they should make it clear that even people with handgun permits should keep guns away from schools. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports...
April 16, 2003 - A provision in the House Health and Human Services budget bill would forbid three thousand state workers from striking. The provision would declare workers at regional treatment centers, group homes and other state run health facilities essential employees. The state already forbids several categories of state employees from walking off the job, most notably law enforcement and corrections officers. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports...
April 14, 2003 - The Minnesota Senate has passed and sent to the governor a bill that would require a woman seeking an abortion to wait 24 hours before the procedure is done. Governor Pawlenty has said he'll sign it into law. Supporters of the waiting period say it provides women with information about possible risks. Opponents say the bill is an attempt to chip away at a woman's right to choose. Minnesota would be the nineteenth state to have such a law when the governor signs the bill. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports...