A daily dose of online news from beyond the Beltway.

By Ryan Thornburg
Washingtonpost.com Staff
Friday, Jan. 30, 1998

State lawmakers in Colorado and Minnesota plan to introduce bills next week calling for public financing of new sports stadiums. The effort in Minnesota may be too little, too late to keep the Twins baseball team from leaving Minneapolis for North Carolina. In Denver, legislators are proposing a statewide vote in May to decide whether taxpayers should support a new home for the Superbowl champion Broncos football team. The publicly funded portion of the $300 million tab would be $180 million to $225 million. According to the National Conference of State Legislators, 10 other states have unresolved stadium issues facing lawmakers.

"This campaign is for the heart and soul of the Democratic Party." – former Boston mayor Raymond L. Flynn, announcing his candidacy for Massachusetts governor. (Boston Globe, Jan. 30)

Senator Would Cut Tax Load for Stadium (Rocky Mountain News, Denver, Jan. 30)
Mayor Opposes Tax Hike for Stadium (Rocky Mountain News, Denver, Jan. 30)
All Quiet on the Stadium Front (Star-Tribune, Minneapolis, Jan. 28)

Michigan's Gov. Engler Tackles Taxes in State of State
On one of the first stops of his campaign for a third term as governor, Republican John Engler proposed a $3-billion income tax cut in yesterday's State of the State address. The tax cut, which would be phased in over five years, would be the 25th of Engler's seven years in office.
Engler Pushes Tax Cut That Would Start in 2000 (Detroit Free Press, Jan. 30)
Upbeat Engler Outlines Vision (Detroit News, Jan. 30)

More Stops Planned for Clinton, Gore Issues Tour
After a warm reception in Wisconsin and Illinois on Wednesday, President Clinton and Vice President Gore continue their traveling campaign to promote issues laid out in Tuesday's State of the Union address. Yesterday, Gore was in what the San Francisco Chronicle called "his techno-geek mode" as he visited the Bay Area to promote a $2.2 billion tax credit plan to support high-tech research.

Clinton is scheduled to make a brief stop in New Mexico on Tuesday to visit the Los Alamos National Laboratory. He likely will be promoting increased funding for a Department of Energy nuclear program.
Gore Backs Research Tax Credit at High-Tech Rally (San Francisco Chronicle, Jan. 30)
Clinton Making Stops in N.M. (Albuquerque Journal, Jan. 30)

Former S.F. Mayor Alioto Dies at 81
As mayor of San Francisco during the late 1960s and early 1970s, Joseph Alioto helped shape the modern day image of the city. In addition to his focus on tolerance during a socially and politically turbulent era, Alioto helped shape the San Francisco skyline by promoting downtown growth. It was under his watch that the trademark TransAmerica building was built. Alioto's political legacy is carried on by his family. His daughter, Angela Alioto, is a former San Francisco supervisor. Granddaughter Michela Alioto, a former Congressional candidate and advisor to Vice President Gore, is running for California Secretary of State.
Joseph Alioto Dies at 81 (San Francisco Chronicle, Jan. 30)

Fighting for His Constituents?
Note to California legislative staffers: Don't get on the bad side of Los Angeles Assemblyman Rod Wright (D). On Wednesday, he shoved a aide against a wall and threatened to break his jaw. Apparently, Wright was angry that he wasn't shown amendments that a committee made to one of his bills.
Assemblyman, Staffer in Fight (San Francisco Chronicle, Jan. 30)