♪ ♪ >> ERIC: THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION BEGAN WITH A BIPARTISAN REMEMBRANCE OF THE LEADER LOST TO POLITICAL VIOLENCE, BUT WITHIN DAYS PARTISAN DIFFERENCE AGAIN DIVIDED LAWMAKERS.

AS REPORTER MARY LAHAMMER SHOWS US, THEY'RE ALL WORKING IN A CAPITOL WITH NEW HEIGHTENED SECURITY MEASURES.

[ BANGING GAVEL ] >> THE HOUSE WILL COME TO ORDER.

>> Mary: A SOMBER START TO SESSION AS LAWMAKERS REMEMBERED THE ASSASSINATED FORMER HOUSE SPEAKER MELISSA HORTMAN.

>> COLIN, SOPHIE, ENTIRE FAMILY, HARD TO COME UP WITH THE WORDS, BUT AS I THINK EIGHT MONTHS OF THIS TRAGEDY AND WATCHING YOU HAVE TO ENDURE NOT JUST THE LOSS BUT THE VERY PUBLIC GRIEVING, THE GRACE AND DIGNITY AND DECENCY THAT YOU'VE CONDUCTED YOURSELF IS A LESSON FOR ALL OF US.

>> ON JUNE 14th, HER BRIGHT LIGHT WAS EXTINGUISHED, ALONG WITH MARK AND GILBERT.

AND THAT DAY WAS THE START OF WHAT HAS BEEN THE LONGEST SUMMER AND THE HARDEST WINTER.

CHILDREN KILLED IN A CHURCH.

MINNESOTANS KILLED IN THE STREET.

[ Applause ] >> Mary: THE SENATE WELCOMED BACK SENATOR JOHN HOFFMAN WHO SURVIVED THE SAME ASSASSIN.

>> FOR THE MINNESOTA STATE TROOPERS WHO PROTECTED MY FAMILY AND ME IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM, THEY WERE THERE IN THE ICU AS I LEARNED TO WALK AGAIN AND ESTABLISHED A GOAL TO WALK UP THOSE CAPITOL STEPS WITH THEM.

THEY KEPT WATCH DURING OUR MOST VULNERABLE HOURS.

I AM GRATEFUL TO THEM FOREVER.

I RETURN CHANGED, BUT NOT DETERRED.

MORE CONVINCED THAN EVER THAT THE LEADERSHIP IS MEASURED NOT BY HOW WE RESPOND WHEN EVERYTHING IS GOING RIGHT, BUT HOW WE RESPOND IN OUR HARDEST HOURS.

MEMBERS, LET'S RISE ABOVE THE NOISE AND LET US GOVERN WITH HUMILITY AND LET US PROVE THROUGH OUR ACTIONS NOT JUST WORDS THAT DEMOCRACY IS STRONGER THAN FEAR.

>> Mary: SECURITY HAS CHANGED AT THE CAPITOL WITH WEAPONS SCREENINGS AND ADDITIONAL CHECKPOINTS.

IN THE FIRST WEEK, WITH MORE THAN 10,000 VISITORS, 51 PEOPLE CHECKED HAD LEGAL PERMITS TO CARRY FIREARMS AND SEVEN PROHIBITED ITEMS WERE DETECTED OR REDIRECTED.

VISITORS TO THE CAPITOL WILL NOW HAVE TO ENTER A NEW SECURITY CHECKPOINT WHEN THEY FIRST ENTER THE BUILDING AND LEGAL PERMIT CARRIERS CAN BRING A GUN INTO THE CAPITOL, BUT NOT INTO THE SENATE PUBLIC VIEWING GALLERIES BECAUSE THEY HAVE BANNED GUNS.

THE HOUSE AND SENATE CONTROL THEIR OWN SPACES.

>> WE'VE GOT TO DO SOME THINGS AROUND GUNS, MAKE IT SAFER.

WE'RE OBVIOUSLY GOING TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT'S BEFALLEN MINNESOTA UNDER THIS FEDERAL OCCUPATION.

I'M GOING TO PUT FORWARD ONCE AGAIN A COMPLETE PACKAGE ON FRAUD REDUCTION.

>> Mary: THE REPUBLICAN PRIORITY FOR SESSION REMAINS STOPPING FRAUD.

>> YOU HAD LEADERS, CITY AND STATE LEADERS, CALLING ON BUSINESSES TO SHUT DOWN.

FOR A DAY AND TO STRIKE.

AND THAT IS A CHOICE.

NOT ALL BUSINESSES CHOSE TO DO THAT.

>> MAKE MINNESOTA COMPETITIVE GOING FORWARD BUT THE IDEA THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO SOME SORT OF BAILOUT INSTEAD OF TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO FIX OUR BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT, I DON'T THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE BIPARTISAN SUPPORT FOR.

>> Mary: DEMOCRATS ARE NOT GOING TO LET THE IMMIGRATION ISSUE OR TS IMPACT FADE.

>> THE RESULT OF OPERATION METRO SURGE, WHICH IS NOT OVER YET, I WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR, WE ARE STILL SEEING ACTIVITY IN OUR COMMUNITIES, WE ARE STILL HAVING OUR NEIGHBORS KIDNAPPED, WE ARE STILL HAVING OBSERVERS BEING AGGRESIVELY TARGETED AND PEOPLE BEING DETAINED.

THIS HAS BROUGHT GENERATIONAL DEVASTATION.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT TRUMP AND REPUBLICANS HAVE BROUGHT BECAUSE REPUBLICANS IN MINNESOTA WILL NOT STAND UP TO HIM.

>> Mary: BILLS WOULD MEAN NO MORE MASKS FOR ALL LAW ENFORCEMENT AND NO MORE UNMARKED VEHICLES.

>> LET'S STAND TOGETHER AS A DFL AND A MINNESOTA GOP AND SAY, NO MORE.

THIS IS THE KIND OF MOMENT IN HISTORY WHERE WE MUST SAY, NEVER AGAIN WILL WE ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN ANYWHERE, IN MINNESOTA OR ANY STATE IN THE UNITED STATES.

>> VOTERS ARE WATCHING.

AND VOTERS WILL HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE IF THEY DON'T STAND UP TO THIS ADMINISTRATION.

>> .C.E.

IS DESTROYING THE TRUST THAT POLICE DEPARTMENTS ACROSS MINNESOTA HAVE WORKED HARD TO REBUILD IN RECENT YEARS.

>> OUR DESIRE IS FOR I.C.E.

TO LEAVE AND NEVER TO RETURN.

BUT IF THEY DO RETURN, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE TOOLS IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN GO INTO COURT.

>> Mary: BUT REPUBLICANS ARE FURIOUS ABOUT AN EARLY SETBACK FOR A BIPARTISAN FRAUD BILL.

>> YOU DIDN'T BRING THIS BILL TO OUR ATTENTION.

WE ONLY LEARNED ABOUT THE CONTENT OF THE DE WHEN IT POSTED.

>> THE DE WAS NOT ADOPTED, THEREFORE, THERE IS NO DISCUSSION ON THE DE.

>> Mary: HOUSE REPUBLICANS WOULD PUT INCOME AND ASSET TESTS ON BENEFITS.

>> YOU MAY LOVE YOUR G WAGON, BUT IF YOU NEED TAXPAYERS TO PAY FOR YOUR FOOD, IT'S TIME TO SELL YOUR G WAGON.

>> WE ARE SEEING RECORDS AMOUNT OF FRAUD CROSS OUR STATE.

AND IT HAS JUST BEEN AN EPIDEMIC.

>> Mary: WHILE THE ISSUE ENDED THE GOVERNOR'S CAMPAIGN, HE'S NOT GIVING UP.

>> IF YOU'RE A REPUBLICAN AND YOU'RE SITTING THERE, YOU'RE SAYING, FRAUD IS THE BIGGEST ISSUE, YOU GOT NO BETTER PARTNER IN ME.

YOU TELL ME, IF THERE'S