The Minnesota Department of Human Services is out with a new report suggesting Minnesotans start saving during their working years to pay for their own long-term care. How will the state get Baby Boomers to start planning for their golden years? ( 02/17/2005)

A bill that allows the castration of some serious sex offenders has been introduced in the state Legislature. The castration would be done surgically, or chemically with regular injections of drugs. MPR Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer spoke with Republican State Representative Tom Emmer who introduced the bill. (02/17/2005)

Gov. Pawlenty Wednesday encouraged Congress to permit expansion of a state program that allows Minnesota citizens and state employees to import drugs from Canadian mail order pharmacies at a discount. Testifying before a Senate subcommittee in Washington, Pawlenty said Minnesota's program has been safe and successful. (02/16/2005)

With Republicans and Democrats predicting strong backing, House GOP leaders laid out a construction to-do list with hundreds of millions of dollars for new prison cells, college buildings, sewer upgrades and zoo exhibits. (02/16/2005)

The owners of the Mall of America raised the ante Tuesday on the state's casino debate, rolling out a $1 billion expansion plan they said would make the Twin Cities one of the top tourist attractions in the world. The catch? The expansion would have to include a new casino in order to subsidize other amenities. (02/15/2005)

Some lawmakers say legislation to double the amount of ethanol in gasoline is moving so quickly that legitimate concerns are being brushed aside. (02/15/2005)

Arizona businessman and ex-professional and college football player Reggie Fowler agreed to buy the Minnesota Vikings for $625 million in a deal announced Monday. The National Football League still has to approve the sale. Will Fowler have better luck convincing the people of Minnesota to help build him a new stadium than present owner Red McCombs has? ( 02/15/2005)

Reggie Fowler may have struck a tentative deal to buy the Minnesota Vikings, but that doesn't mean he'll be so lucky at the state Capitol. The Vikings have been seeking state support to build a $600 million football stadium for the past several years. So far those efforts have all failed, and lawmakers say a change in ownership is not likely to shift the dynamics. (02/15/2005)

The number of coyotes living in Minnesota is on the rise, and the animals are becoming more common in populated areas. Some legislators are proposing to bring back bounties on coyotes, which would pay people for each one they kill. (02/13/2005)

There are over 45 million Americans without health insurance and nearly 500,000 of them live in Minnesota. There are proposals on the table at the state and federal level to cut funding for government-subsidized health insurance for the poor. With medical costs spiraling ever higher, is there a way to expand access to health care? ( 02/10/2005)

In an Op-Ed in Tuesday's Star Tribune, Sen. David Hann, R-Eden Prairie, threw down the gauntlet. He challenged Sen. Steve Kelley, DFL-Hopkins, to a public debate on the issue of school vouchers. Hann is sponsoring a bill that would allow low-income families to spend state education dollars at private schools, and Kelley has accused him of trying to "blow up public education." ( 02/09/2005)

Minnesota Senate Minority Leader Dick Day, R-Owatonna, broke ranks with Gov. Tim Pawlenty in two significant ways in recent weeks. Last week Day proposed a nickel-a-gallon gas tax hike to pay for transportation projects, which would violate Pawlenty's staunch no-new-taxes pledge. Day has also rejected the governor's plan for a new metro-area casino, favoring expanded gambling at Canterbury Park racetrack in Shakopee. ( 02/08/2005)

The Minnesota Senate takes up Gov. Tim Pawlenty's proposal Monday to raise the ethanol levels in Minnesota's fuel supply from 10 to 20 percent by 2012. The ethanol debate is multi-faceted, pitting farmers against car makers and environmentalists--who disagree about the net environmental impact of ethanol production--against each other. Taking everything into account, from reduced emissions and domestic energy cultivation to market distortions and voided vehicle warranties, is more ethanol a good idea? ( 02/07/2005)

Two Republican lawmakers have introduced legislation that would provide state grants to enable some children to attend private schools. The plan would be open only to students from low-income families. Midmorning examines the renewed debate over school vouchers. ( 02/07/2005)

Minnesota DFL Party Chair Mike Erlandson has announced he won't seek another term. Erlandson told the party's State Central Committee on Saturday he won't seek a fourth term at the DFL's annual convention in May. (02/07/2005)