The Minnesota House voted overwhelmingly on Monday to repeal the Profile of Learning graduation standards. It's the fifth straight year the House has voted to repeal the profile. Supporters are more confident than ever that this is the year the standards will be scrapped. The Pawlenty administration has indicated its support of new standards by creating a task force to make new ones. The Minnesota Senate, which has voted to preserve the Profile in the past, is also inclined to make major changes. Several senators, however, say they don't want to move too quickly until they know what they're going to replace it with. (02/17/2003)

When Gov. Tim Pawlenty asked for help balancing the budget, Minnesotans responded with gusto. In just seven weeks, more than 3,700 suggestions bombarded the simple Internet link the administration had set up. Some were serious, others comical. The state suggestion box yielded no magic bullet for shedding the $4.56 billion shortfall, but officials say it's been a useful barometer of public feeling. (02/17/2003)

No more reprieves. No more delays. Reckoning day is here. Rested from a six-day Florida getaway, Gov. Tim Pawlenty returns to deliver a two-year budget plan that contains his remedy for a $4.2 billion projected deficit. Tuesday's announcement - one he put off a week - raises the curtain on a budget debate that all agree will be the most emotionally charged in years. (02/17/2003)

A national expert on tax and budget issues says Gov. Pawlenty is taking an ambitious approach to Minnesota's budget problem. The governor says he'll eliminate a deficit that's about 14 percent of the state budget without raising taxes. An official with the National Conference of State Legislatures on Thursday told Minnesota lawmakers what other states are doing to balance their budgets. Also today, Minnesota business groups released their ideas to balance the budget, and public employee groups aren't happy about it. (02/13/2003)

Local government officials and some lawmakers are objecting to the suggestion that cities are squandering state aid payments on unnecessary services. A report from Republican State Auditor Pat Awada concluded that local government aid could be trimmed by 43 percent without affecting essential programs or prompting local property tax increases. But officials from a cross-section of Minnesota cities told lawmakers on Thursday that the auditor's report doesn't present the full picture. (02/13/2003)

Hundreds of people, including nursing home residents, their relatives, and nursing home employees, held a rally at the state Capitol Thursday morning to urge lawmakers not to cut state funding for long-term care. That's a big order given the cost of nursing homes -- about $1 billion. How the state cares for the elderly and disabled in nursing homes is a huge issue for those people, their families, those who work in nursing homes and the cities and towns where the nursing homes are located. ( 02/13/2003)

House Democrats are celebrating a surprise victory in this week's special election in the Stillwater area. DFLer Rebecca Otto won in what was considered a Republican stronghold. The seat was held by Republican Mark Holsten, who was appointed deputy DNR commissioner. DFL leaders say Otto's victory was a "backlash against Republican extremism." But Republican leaders say it was the result of a negative campaign. (02/12/2003)

A key House committee has approved a bill that would provide prescription drug discounts for up to 70,000 Minnesotans. Supporters of the bill say it would provide an added boost to seniors who are struggling to pay for prescription drugs. Opponents say it imposes unnecessary government price regulation. (02/12/2003)

The House Civil Law Committee Tuesday approved a bill that would allow nearly every Minnesotan over the age of 21 to carry a handgun. (02/11/2003)

Officials in cities around Minnesota are concerned about a recommendation from the state auditor that local government aid to cities be cut by 42 percent. Some cities depend on the annual state aid to pay for essential services. Auditor Pat Awada claims that LGA money is often used for services she terms non-essential, such as libraries and parks. Other cities say the LGA formula should be reworked to be more fair. (02/11/2003)

An attempt to tighten restrictions on telemarketers is drawing intense criticism from Minnesota's business interests. Last year, lawmakers created a "Do Not Call" list, meant to block unwanted telephone solicitations. Although the list went into effect last month, some legislators think too many calls will slip through. But opponents of tougher limits say it will cost the economy in jobs and growth. (02/10/2003)

Republican State Auditor Pat Awada is recommending a 42 percent cut in local government aid to cities, arguing that the program has subsidized excessive spending and lower taxes for certain cities at the expense of others. In a special report released by her office Monday, Awada divided all spending by cities between essential and nonessential services. (02/10/2003)

If last week's budget medicine was a painful prick of the finger, the next dose might be more like an amputation without anesthesia. On Tuesday of next week, Gov. Tim Pawlenty is set to outline his plan to cut more than $4.2 billion from the budget for 2004 and 2005, without raising taxes. That amounts to about a dollar of every seven in state spending. (02/10/2003)

Iron Range lawmakers say they're considering a lawsuit to block Gov. Pawlenty from taking $49 million from the 21st Century Minerals Fund. They say the money is in a special fund and Pawlenty can't use the money to balance the budget. Members of the Iron Range are just one of many groups who are criticizing Pawlenty's cuts. Ethanol producers say one of the Minnesota plants may close as a result of cuts to the state's ethanol subsidy. Higher education officials and social service agencies say Pawlenty's cuts will also have a negative impact on their agencies. (02/07/2003)

A bill introduced Thursday by State Rep. Arlon Lindner, R-Corcoran, would repeal a 1993 provision that added gays and lesbians to a list of groups covered under the state's human rights law. (02/07/2003)