The sour economy dented Minnesota's tax receipts in 2009. But we still moved up in the state rankings of per capita tax revenue.

Tax receipts for August beat projections by 3.5 percent. Minnesota Management and Budget reports revenue from sales taxes and individual income taxes was strong. It's a turnaround from July, when revenue was lagging.

After two and a half hours of debate Friday, Republican Senators agreed to reduce and eventually eliminate the state’s property tax on businesses and give married couples an income tax break. The $100 million dollars in tax revenue would be covered with the state’s budget reserves. The House has passed companion legislation, but there are several differences. Gov. Mark Dayton does not support the proposal.

A motor home carrying 18 people back to Minnesota after a trip to Texas crashed on Interstate 35 in Kansas and fell into a ravine. Authorities did not immediately identify the victims but they were reportedly an extended family coming home from a dirt bike rally.

17-year-old Adam Kerber's driver's license stipulated that all of his passengers wear seat belts. Authorities say only two of the 18 people in the motor home that crashed in Kansas Sunday were belted in. Pauline Kerber, a widowed mother of 12, lost four of her children and a daughter-in-law in the crash. Pauline and Adam Kerber remain hospitalized.

The National Transportation Safety Board's review of Sunday's crash that killed five Minnesotans driving through Kansas will include a look at laws that allowed a 17-year-old to drive a vehicle that weighed 57,000 pounds and had 18 people aboard. A spokesman says the agency wants to understand all the issues surrounding the accident.

There's bipartisan agreement on the need for "tax reform" but just what does that mean? Governor Dayton's revenue commissioner plans to spend six-to-eight months touring the state and collecting suggestions.

Vikings leadership suggests the state should tap into revenue from sources like player's income taxes and taxes on fan purchases to pay for its share of the stadium. The team argues this revenue would not exist without the Vikings here in Minnesota.