University of Minnesota officials on Monday predicted an on-campus football stadium would cost $220 million to build, but the school's president said he's prepared to do it without a $35 million pledge from an alumnus. (12/08/2003)

According to a new state economic forecast released Wednesday, the state has not completely resolved its budget problem. ( 12/04/2003)

Gov. Pawlenty's call for returning the death penalty to Minnesota is encountering stiff criticism from some who say the governor is trading on the publicity surrounding the disappearance last month of 22-year-old Dru Sjodin. (12/04/2003)

The citizens committee working on the proposed social studies standards for Minnesota public schools is facing a December 15 deadline to finish its second draft. The revised document is expected to look much different than the earlier version, which generated widespread criticism. But the pending changes might not be enough to satisfy some critics. (12/04/2003)

The Legislature will be faced with a comparatively modest budget deficit of $185 million for the 2004-05 fiscal year, according to a new financial forecast for the state. (12/03/2003)

An assistant Hennepin County public defender on Wednesday asked the Minnesota Supreme Court to strike down as unconstitutional a law that charges the poor from $50 to $200 for public defender services. The Legislature passed the law last year to raise an estimated $7 million to partially fund the state's public defender system. The system is struggling under state budget cuts and soaring caseloads. (12/03/2003)

The arrest of a Minnesota sex offender in the abduction of a North Dakota college student led Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty to call Tuesday for the death penalty in his state. (12/02/2003)

A gubernatorial task force is working to put new ideas on education funding before the Legislature early next year. (12/01/2003)

Minnesota advocates for crime victims are learning how state budget cuts will affect their programs. The programs help battered women and abused children. They provide a variety of services from emergency shelter to help navigating the judicial system. Some service providers and state lawmakers say rural areas were unfairly targeted for cuts. (12/01/2003)

Minnesotans had grown used to seeing former Gov. Jesse Ventura in the national limelight. But they might not have expected Gov. Tim Pawlenty to draw much attention from the national press or Washington opinion leaders. (11/26/2003)

DFL lawmakers say the budget cuts made last session are creating life-threatening problems for some people enrolled in the state's subsidized insurance plan. The 2003 Legislature cut health benefits for about 20,000 low-income adults without children. Democrats say the problem is particularly acute for diabetics. They say medical supplies such as glucose testing strips are no longer covered, which will result in more expensive emergency room visits for many diabetics. (11/25/2003)

Sen. Linda Berglin said Friday she plans to introduce legislation that would delay some cuts to the disabled poor. (11/21/2003)

West Central Industries provides job services for disabled people and also offers employment in sheltered workshops. Given state and county budget cuts, the organization might have to scale back its offerings. (11/20/2003)

Two Minnesota lawmakers say they'll introduce legislation that would allow voters to decide whether the constitution should be amended to say that a marriage is a civil contract between a man and a woman. (11/20/2003)

Gov. Pawlenty says he's ready to move full steam ahead with his plans to help Minnesotans buy less expensive prescription medicine from Canada. Pawlenty is back in Minnesota after spending Wednesday in Winnipeg. He met with Manitoba Premier Gary Doer and officials representing Internet and mail order pharmacies. Pawlenty also visited a company that sends prescription drugs to the United States and believes the company meets his standards for safety. (11/12/2003)