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Session 2005

Session 2005: Social Issues



Rallies took place all over the country on Sunday to mark the 33rd anniversary of the landmark Roe v. Wade court decision legalizing abortion. (01/23/2006)
Supporters of a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage in Minnesota are going to have a tougher time getting the measure on the ballot next November. They've lost two critical votes in the Minnesota Senate in recent special elections. (12/28/2005)
A Minnesota law that takes effect Monday requires doctors who perform abortions to offer anesthesia for late-term fetuses. Minnesota is the second state to enact the requirement, following Arkansas. (07/31/2005)
The final day of the seven-week-old special session showcased a battle of special interests, a bit of political showmanship and some blown fuses, literally. (07/14/2005)
The partial state government shutdown is causing Minnesota nonprofits that help battered women, immigrants and others to lay off workers and plan for closing their doors. (07/01/2005)
The Minnesota Senate has overwhelmingly passed a bill that would overhaul the state's child support guidelines for the first time in two decades. The guidelines affect about 300,000 children in the state. The House could pass a similar measure this week. And although it contains some differences from the Senate version, the sponsors of the two bills say they think they can find common ground before the Legislature adjourns next week. (05/17/2005)
Gov. Tim Pawlenty's drive to open a state-operated casino appears to have finally run out of steam. After weeks of delayed votes, parliamentary shortcuts, and behind-the-scenes maneuvering, casino supporters on Tuesday pulled their bill from committee just hours before a scheduled hearing. (05/17/2005)
The House dealt a major setback Tuesday to Gov. Tim Pawlenty's plan to pad the state budget with gambling money, sending a bill that would establish two casinos at Canterbury Park back to a committee seen as hostile. (04/26/2005)
Two of three American Indian tribes working with Gov. Tim Pawlenty on a proposed Twin Cities casino formally withdrew their backing Monday, with one saying last week's move to link it to a second casino "will do more harm" than good. (04/25/2005)
Minnesota House Republicans have merged two casino proposals in an effort to keep gambling revenues on the table for end-of-session budget negotiations. (04/23/2005)
A debate in the Minnesota House started as an attempt to place certain cold remedies behind pharmacy counters, to make it harder for meth manufacturers to obtain the pseudoephedrine crucial to making their drugs. It ended with a sweeping ban on many everyday medications. (04/22/2005)
Several thousand supporters of a constitutional ban on gay marriage rallied Wednesday at the Capitol, saying all they want is a chance to vote on the issue. (04/20/2005)
The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe says it will reject any attempt to merge a proposed state-tribal casino with a separate plan to put slot machines at the Canterbury Park race track. A merger is being floated since both gambling initiatives are stalled at the State Capitol. (04/19/2005)
The Minnesota Legislature appears close to overhauling the state's child support system, which affects about 300,000 children in the state. Bills that would base child support on the combined income of both parents are picking up momentum. While nearly everyone involved in the debate agrees that the current system needs reform, there's little consensus on the best way to do that. (04/18/2005)
Amid a contentious fight over gay marriage, a Republican state senator said Thursday that he was no longer able to keep his own sexuality a secret. (04/14/2005)

Session 2005

DocumentSession 2005 Home
DocumentBonding
DocumentBudget
DocumentEducation
DocumentHealth Care
DocumentSocial Issues
DocumentState Shutdown
DocumentStadiums
DocumentTransportation

Video from the Capitol

Audio Live House video (Windows Media)

Audio Live Senate video (RealPlayer)

Audio Highlights

Audio Rep. Dan Dorman
The size of Pawlenty's bonding proposal (1/4/05)

Audio Rep. Barb Sykora and Sen. Steve Kelley
Education (1/4/05)

Audio Sen. Steve Murphy
Transportation issues (1/4/05)

Audio Rep. Fran Bradley
Health care initiatives (1/4/05)

Audio Sen. Larry Pogemiller
Funding issues (1/4/05)

Audio Rep. Jim Knoblach and Sen. Dick Cohen
The budget and human services (1/4/05)

Audio Rep. Andy Westerberg
Prospects for new stadiums (1/4/05)

Audio Sen. Michele Bachmann
Same-sex legislation (1/4/05)