End Notes

NEVER ENOUGH: Northwest Airlines would have reaped a nice little tax break under tax legislation sent to the Legislature by Gov. Arne Carlson and introduced by Sen. William Belanger (R-Bloomington). Buried in the governor's "supplemental tax provisions" were two sections that would have exempted income earned by "leasing moveable property in other states"--a clause that could pretty much only apply to Northwest's practice of renting, rather than owning, its airplanes. Members of the Income and Sales Tax Subcommittee of the state Senate Taxes and Tax Laws Committee shot down the provisions. "I am just so surprised that Northwest Airlines is asking for this," said Sen. Ember Reichgott Junge (DFL-New Hope), who three years ago agonized over--and ultimately voted for--an almost $1 billion subsidy package for the airline. "I think there's a line that has been crossed on this one."

LEGISLATION OF THE WEEK: An amendment by Sen. Charles Berg (DFL-Chokio) to Senate File 1984, which deals with canoeing and boating routes, changing designation of part of the Pomme de Terre River in Swift County because "a cattle farmer from upstream had frequent problems with canoers leaving the gate open in a fence across the river." The bill--complete with amendment--was signed by the governor Friday.