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Government

• Public employee unions and state reach agreement
  Minnesota's largest public employee unions reached tentative contracts with state negotiators early Friday morning. The deal needs to be ratified by the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 5. State Human Relations Commissioner Cal Ludeman told MPR's Cathy Wurzer he is pleased with the settlement.July 29, 2005
• Rybak's budget proposal focuses on public safety
  If Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak has his way, 71 more police officers will be on the city's streets by next spring. That's just one of several public safety initiatives Rybak announced Thursday in his 2006 budget proposal.July 29, 2005
• Lawmakers seek ways to avoid another shutdown
  Gov. Pawlenty and other lawmakers are warming to the idea of a safety net that keeps government running, even in the absence of a new budget agreement.July 18, 2005
• The state budget: Winners and losers
  Now that the new two-year budget has been signed, perhaps the biggest winners are the nearly 9,000 state employees who were furloughed during the eight-day government shutdown. Those employees are now back at work. Many other interested parties are reviewing the fine print to sort out the winners and losers.July 14, 2005
• Budget bills are signed; spin control continues
  Gov. Tim Pawlenty signed the remaining state budget bills Thursday, as he tried to shift the focus at the Capitol away from the bruising legislative session. Pawlenty and DFL leaders toured the state Thursday, to put their spin on the session's outcome.July 14, 2005
• Legislature passes budget, cigarette fee before heading home
  The final day of the seven-week-old special session showcased a battle of special interests, a bit of political showmanship and some blown fuses, literally.July 14, 2005
• Cigarette tax: Can the state afford fewer smokers?
  The proposed 75-cents-a-pack increase in the cigarette tax is likely to discourage people from smoking. But can the state afford fewer smokers?July 12, 2005
• Budget deal seems close as talks keep going
  State leaders said Friday they were on the brink of ending Minnesota's unprecedented partial government shutdown, as a marathon negotiating session between Gov. Tim Pawlenty and top lawmakers stretched on into Friday afternoon. Both sides said an agreement was very close, but some DFL lawmakers have reservations about the details.July 8, 2005
• State employees struggling with uncertainty
  State workers out of a job because of the shutdown are dealing with varying degrees of uncertainty. Some of have enough vacation time and savings to get by, while others don't. But most state employees are frustrated the budget impasse had to come to this.July 6, 2005
• Legislative leaders hoping for breakthrough
  On the sixth day of a partial state government shutdown, several hundred state workers rallied at the Capitol Wednesday asking for their jobs back. Legislative leaders are talking hopefully about resolving the budget stalemate over the next day or so.July 6, 2005
• Talks continue, but Capitol mostly quiet on shutdown's third day
  The halls of the State Capitol were silent Sunday, until a small group of legislative leaders showed up around 5 p.m. for another round of budget talks. The topic was how to raise the money needed to pay for proposed spending increases.July 3, 2005
• A taste of public opinion on the state shutdown
  As we kick off the Fourth of July, some people are marking another "fourth" on their calendars. It's the fourth day of Minnesota's partial government shutdown. Last week, Gov. Pawlenty and legislative leaders failed to agree on a new two-year budget. We talked to folks at the Taste of Minnesota to find out what they think.July 3, 2005
• Public impact of the shutdown is varied
  Among the state employees who didn't work Friday are 700 in the Department of Public Safety. That meant offices in charge of giving driving exams were closed. Some people didn't know about the shutdown or had gotten assurances that the services they needed would still be available.July 1, 2005
• Thousands of state employees feel brunt of shutdown
  The biggest single impact of the partial government shutdown is the 9,000 state workers who didn't go to work Friday morning. State employees and their union representatives are blaming every state lawmaker and Gov. Pawlenty for failing to get every state worker back on the job.July 1, 2005
• Budget stalls before the deadline
  The Minnesota Senate abruptly adjourned without reaching agreement on the remaining budget items. The move affects more than 9,000 state employees.July 1, 2005

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