May 1, 2000
Rep. Tim Finseth When I became Chairman of the House Agriculture and Rural Development Policy Committee in 1999, I faced a daunting task. How to lead a committee responsible to farmers facing some very tough times. Agriculture is going through transitions and...
May 1, 2000
Senator Dallas Sams Despite a robust economy elsewhere, the agricultural economy continues to take a beating. Last year, more than 1,000 Minnesota farms with annual sales over $100,000 went out of business. The loss of farms has a disastrous ripple effect on...
May 1, 2000
People: The forgotten factor in public policy By David J. Frederickson It’s time people replaced profit as the motivating factor behind public policy.It matters not if that policy is the 1996 Federal Agricultural Improvement and Reform (FAIR) Act, certain bills...
May 1, 2000
The State House currently has a display which will probably be seen for only a limited engagement. In fact, we expect that it will only remain on the 2nd floor of the state House for as long as Eastside Rep Steve Trimble (DFL–67B, St. Paul) does. Trimble has assembled...
May 1, 2000
Rep David Bishop (R-30A, Rochester) told House Speaker Steve Sviggum (R-28B, Kenyon) that he was not seeking reelection just for effect. The Dean of the House is staying put. He was emboldened in his decision after he received a favorable medical report. During the...
May 1, 2000
Sen Linda Runbeck (R-53, Circle Pines) was able to withstand the MCCL onslaught and cruised easily to a 3rd ballot endorsement. This may bolster her campaign onto the general election. If she has taken on Jackie Schweitz and company and survived, her campaign is worth...
May 1, 2000
The House Government Operations and Veterans Affairs Policy Committee is scheduled to meet at 1:30 pm on Monday to once again discuss House Speaker Steve Sviggum’s (DFL-28B, Kenyon) Unicameral proposal. This bill is now entering the category of the...
Apr 27, 2000
Ron Dicklich left the state Senate in 1992 after a public airing of a number of personal domestic issues that made there way on to the pages of the local newspapers. He represented Senate District 05 and resided in Hibbing serving in the state Senate since 1980. He...
Apr 27, 2000
There is some talk in the halls of the Capitol about calls made from the Vikings organization to the legislative caucuses. The intent of the calls was to downplay any idea that the Vikings are interested money for a new stadium. The approach will probably backfire. In...
Apr 27, 2000
The issue that is coming forward and will be hard for members to vote against will be Sen Bob Lessard’s (I -03, International Falls) constitutional amendment which dedicates three-sixteenths of 1 percent of the state sales tax, the number comes is around $112 million...
