Wellstone, Ramstad Mental Health Parity Efforts May Soon Bear Fruit

The mental health parity bill being pushed by U.S. Rep. Jim Ramstad, D-Minn., cleared a key House panel Wednesday. By a 10-3 vote, the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee approved a bill that would require group health plans to…

Bridge Fix of the Week–Lowry Avenue Bridge

The Lowry Avenue bridge connects North Minneapolis with Northeast Minneapolis. The current 889-foot, four-lane bridge was opened in 1958 on the site of a 1905 bridge and has average daily traffic of about 16,600 vehicles.…

Next Hurdle for Big Stone II: Convincing MN Public Utilities Commission Project is Necessary

Following withdrawal Monday of two participants, the proposed Big Stone II coal-fired power plant confronts an even more difficult task: convincing the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission that the new plant is necessary.

A hearing on…

Ending Hunger in Minnesota: Food Bank Takes on 10-Year Plan

Minnesota has long enjoyed a reputation of having one of the nation’s highest standards of living, and perhaps overall, its reputation is well deserved. Looking beyond the surface, however, reveals that Minnesota is not immune to ills plaguing the rest…

Some Schools Improving Despite ‘No Child Left Behind’

Last month’s report on the progress of Minnesota schools in meeting No Child Left Behind standards was bleak: 729 schools face sanctions, up from 483 last year.

But lost in the flurry of reporting those…

Special Session (Partly) Mops Up With Flood Relief Package

The Minnesota House and Senate passed a $157 million disaster relief bill in a one-day special session that ran until early Wednesday morning.

The final bill’s major provisions include:

# $38 million for repairing flood-damaged sewer and water systems, city…

Breaking: Pawlenty Calls Limited Special Session

After weeks of tense negotiations and uncertainty, Gov. Pawlenty agreed
on Monday to convene a special session of the legislature to begin at 5
PM on September 11.

The session is to last only one day and will…

After Bridges Defeat, Developer Doesn’t Have ‘Another Plan’

The St. Paul Bridges riverfront project came to an abrupt end  Wednesday night when it failed to gain the support of the St. Paul City Council.

The council voted 5-2 against developer Jerry Trooien’s…

DFL Adds Pressure for Special Session

Minnesota state DFL legislative leaders have sent a sharply worded letter to Gov. Tim Pawlenty expressing their frustration at the governor’s reluctance to call a special session of the Legislature.

The letter from House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher and Senate…

Did the Supreme Court Overturn Brown v. Board of Education?

In 1954, the United States Supreme Court issued the landmark Brown v. Board of Education ruling that racial segregation in the nation’s schools was illegal and ordered schools to end the practice. Earlier this summer, the court ruled that schools…