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. (01/22/2003)

A 1973 Supreme Court decision made abortions legal across the country. In Minnesota both sides of the debate marked the day with marches and commemorations at the state Capitol, prior to legislative session lobbying for their ideas. Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer talked with Scott Fishbach, executive director of the Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life and Sara Stoesz, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Minnesota and South Dakota. (01/22/2003)

A legislative auditor's report has found several problems in the way the state manages the MinnesotaCare health insurance program. (01/21/2003)

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." (01/21/2003)

Although the budget is dominating the 2003 session, other issues are certain to resurface. Several bills changing the state's liquor laws will be introduced, and at least one has a good chance of passing. Those who support a lower drunk driving limit say this is the year it could finally pass. They want the legal limit to drop from .10 to .08 blood-alcohol content. Also this session, Minnesota grocers will renew an effort to allow wine sales in grocery stores. (01/21/2003)

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. (01/20/2003)

Gov. Tim Pawlenty Friday appointed former DFL Sen. Gene Merriam to lead the state Department of Natural Resources. Merriam served for 22 years in the Senate, and is now a vice president for ECM Publishers. As DNR commissioner he will face a number of challenges, including a shrinking budget and a host of competing interests. (01/17/2003)

Budget work continues at a fast pace at the state Capitol. Lawmakers hopes to finish work in the next week or two on plans for covering the projected $356 million deficit for the fiscal year that ends in June. Gov. Pawlenty has proposed a combination of cuts and one-time money to cover the gap. Several special interest groups told House members on Thursday that Pawlenty's proposals will have a dramatic impact on the poor. Meanwhile, a key lawmaker in the Senate Health, Family Security and Corrections Budget division proposed an alternative to Pawlenty's plan. (01/16/2003)

In a sign of trying times to come, key lawmakers on Thursday resisted the first major attempt to solve the state's budget problems, denouncing Gov. Tim Pawlenty's proposal to eliminate $26.8 million in ethanol subsidies this year. (01/16/2003)

Gov. Pawlenty has named the former secretary of education for the state of Virginia as Minnesota's next education commissioner. Cheri Pierson Yecke is currently the director of teacher quality and public school choice with the U.S. Department of Education. Yecke describes herself as a supporter of local control. Pawlenty calls her a bona fide change agent who can help guide his school reform agenda. (01/16/2003)

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. ( 01/16/2003)

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. (01/16/2003)

Rural Minnesota communities are bracing for a series of budget cuts. Of special interest is the Local Government Aid program. That aid is how some rural cities pay for basic services, like fire and police protection. As state lawmakers prepare to whittle down a multi-billion dollar deficit, out-state officials prepare to plead their case. (01/15/2003)

Lawmakers began sampling Gov. Tim Pawlenty's appetizer of a budget fix on Wednesday. For the most part they declared it distasteful but edible. Pawlenty's plan cuts $468 million from the budget before June. He still has the main course ahead of him, though, when he must cut nearly 10 times as much to balance the budget through the next two years. (01/15/2003)

Gov. Tim Pawlenty's plan to bridge the state's current $356 million deficit has touched off a chorus of protest from some corners of the Capitol. One of the larger items on the chopping block is the state's subsidy to ethanol producers, which is slated for complete elimination for the remainder of the biennium. Higher education, state agencies, and a business tax break would also suffer. (01/14/2003)