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Government

• With ethanol subsidy restored, House budget-cutting plan headed for floor debate
  The House Ways and Means Committee on Thursday night approved a budget-balancing plan that tracks closely with the priorities outlined by Gov. Tim Pawlenty. The $468 million deficit-reduction package now heads to the House floor where the Republican majority anticipates easy passage. But provisions of the plan have upset state employees unions and advocates for the state's steel industry.January 24, 2003
• Senate approves first budget-fix bill
  The Minnesota Senate has passed a short-term budget fix. The bill eliminates a projected $356 million deficit in the current fiscal year, and leaves a small financial cushion in case the state's revenues decline further. The bill relies more heavily on accounting shifts and makes fewer cuts than Gov. Tim Pawlenty's proposal.January 23, 2003
• Testifiers concerned about collection of medical data
  Opponents of a state database of medical records are urging the Legislature to stop the project. Health officials say collecting medical information on nearly every Minnesotan will allow them to better track health problems. But opponents say the plan violates patients' privacy rights.January 22, 2003
• Pawlenty issues deadline for short-term budget fix
  The Legislature will need to maintain its hurried pace to meet an early February deadline Gov. Tim Pawlenty set Tuesday for lawmakers to bite off a $356 million chunk of a $4.56 billion budget problem. In a letter to legislators, Pawlenty called for "prompt and bold leadership" and warned that they must reach agreement by the first week in February or he "will be left with no choice but to unallot."January 21, 2003
• Rural vs. Metro split on display in budget-cutting dispute
  Gov. Tim Pawlenty's short-term budget fix is moving quickly through the Legislature, but not without some adjustments. House Republicans oppose Pawlenty's proposed ethanol cuts, while Senate Democrats want to restore several proposed cuts, including ethanol and an Iron Range fund. Pawlenty says he worries some lawmakers may not grasp the magnitude of the deficit Minnesota is facing.January 20, 2003
• The reasons behind Minneapolis' $55 million budget problem
  A decade of deficit spending, a faltering economy, high insurance costs and a reluctance to raise taxes all play into the city's projected shortfall of $55 million over the next five years. The city council is expected to take action soon on various spending cuts to address the deficit.January 16, 2003
• Budget squeeze on cities
  Cities large and small are more concerned than ever about how to pay for services. The slow economy has reduced income. The state is likely to cut local government aid in the upcoming budget cycle.January 16, 2003
• Eagle Center considers its future
  The National Eagle Center in Wabasha is one of the many organizations losing money under the Pawlenty Administration's budget-balancing proposal. Tuesday, the governor cut $500,000 allocated towards the center's $1.5 million expansion project.January 16, 2003
• Audit of HealthPartners turns up extravagant spending
  Minnesota Attorney General Mike Hatch says executives at HealthPartners have spent millions on executive compensation, consulting and travel, in an audit released Wednesday.January 15, 2003
• Pawlenty announces first round of cuts
  Gov. Tim Pawlenty wants to use one-time money, and cut state agencies, programs and higher education to eliminate a projected $356 million projected deficit. Legislative leaders say they'll act quickly on Pawlenty's plan, although Democrats disagree with some of the details.January 14, 2003
• Drivers license restriction gets first approval
  A House committee Tuesday passed a proposal that would indicate foreign visa status on state drivers' licenses. The measure would put the words "status check" on state IDs or drivers licenses belonging to foreign visitors.January 14, 2003
• Proponents of increased gas tax counting on groundswell of support
  The chair of the Senate Transportation Finance Committee has dusted off last year's plan to boost the state gas tax by pennies on the gallon, but despite support from key legislative leaders, the proposal is likely to meet stiff resistance from Gov. Tim Pawlenty. The new administration has pledged to veto state tax increases of any kind.January 13, 2003
• Pawlenty adds two to his jobs team
  Gov. Tim Pawlenty has appointed commissioners for two departments involved in economic and employment policy in Minnesota.January 13, 2003
• Two candidates vie for Minneapolis City Council seat
  The two candidates seeking the vacant Minneapolis 3rd Ward City Council seat embody the diversity of a ward split in two by the Mississippi River. Don Samuels is an African American who lives in the predominantly black section of the ward -- the northside -- immediately west of the river. However, both men say they have experiences that make them qualified to represent the entire ward.January 13, 2003
• Minneapolis gets bad budget news
  A new analysis says the city of Minneapolis needs to find $55 million over the next five years to balance the budget. The report does not take into account possible reductions in state aid.January 10, 2003

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