February 6, 1974 - MPR’s Gary Eichten reports on Minnesota State Senate vote against the “Ban the Can” bill. In debate before the vote, bill author Win Borden stated he wants an environmental rights bill to address jobs lost due to environmental protection measures; Senator Arnie Ulland claimed the bill is discriminatory as it doesn’t mention wine or whiskey bottlers or out-of-state suppliers; and Senator Robert North remarked that despite talk about cleaning up the environment and saving natural resources, no action is taken and all we get is rhetoric.
April 3, 1973 - Cable TV is an exciting and new opportunity with the potential for educational opportunities. State Senator Borden says the state has to provide regulation. Other states have seen corruption without cable regulation; local governments don?t have expertise to deal with these companies. There needs to be public hearings on who will get the franchises, a need to ensure competitive bids, and establishment of minimum standards. Cable companies say the industry is already regulated enough by the FTC. When color TV first came in there were no standards which resulted in three different systems; a state agency could set minimum standards for inter-connectivity, public access and program origination. The bill would ask the industry to pay for its own regulation, as is done in other areas of state government. There?s potential for cable snooping, and although two-way communication will be some time in coming there?s a need to respect people?s right to privacy. The bill prohibits censorship, which might provide an avenue for adult content which would be subject to pornography laws. A growing concern is concentration of the growing communications media industry in a few hands. A cable commission would need to judge each case.
February 5, 1973 - Excerpt of The Minnesota state senate debate on whether or not to ratify the highly controversial Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the United States Constitution.