>> CATHY: THE 2023 LEGISLATIVE SESSION WAS HISTORIC IN SO MANY WAYS, NOT JUST FOR WHO CAME TO THE CAPITOL, BUT FOR ALL THEY DID.

IT'S A WHIRLWIND WE'RE STILL ABSORBING, AND MARY LAHAMMER HAS THIS ROUNDUP OF ALL LAST SESSION'S ACTION.

>> Mary: DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS STOOD SIDE BY SIDE FOR AN EARLY VICTORY IN THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION FOR FEDERAL TAX CONFORMITY.

>> FOR THE NAYSAYERS OR THE PESSIMISTS, YES, WORK CAN GET DONE.

>> IT IS LAW!

[ Cheers and applause ] >> Mary: WEEKS LATER, AN EMOTIONAL AND FAR MORE PARTISAN ACTION MADE MINNESOTA ONE OF THE MOST LIBERAL STATES WHEN IT COMES TO ABORTION ACCESS UNDER ONE-PARTY CONTROL.

>> MINNESOTANS WANTED US TO ACT.

THEY VOTED US INTO THE SENATE MAJORITY, IN PART, BECAUSE WE TOLD THEM WE WOULD PRESERVE RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS, NOT TAKE THEM AWAY.

MISSISSIPPI TRANSGENDER RIGHTS WERE ALSO ENSHRINED IN LAW WITH THE FIRST TRANS LAWMAKER.

>> I FEEL VERY INSPIRED BY THE SUPPORT THAT WE'VE GOTTEN.

I FEEL VERY HONORED TO BE IN A POSITION TO REPRESENT MY COMMUNITY.

AND I FEEL LIKE I'M HEADING INTO AN UNKNOWN SPACE.

>> Mary: UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS NOW HAVE THE ABILITY TO GET A DRIVER'S LICENSE IN THE STATE, AFTER DECADES OF EFFORTS.

>> THE BILL IS PASSED AND ITS TITLE AGREED TO.

[ Cheers ] >> JUST FELT THE OMENTUM OF TWO DECADES OF OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY FIGHTING FOR A HUMAN RIGHT AND FOR OUR COMMUNITY FIGHTING FOR PUBLIC SAFETY ON OUR ROADS.

AND THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND THE JOY THAT CAME FROM THAT CROWD, THE IMPACT SHOWED WHY I RAN AND WHY I'M IN THIS SEAT.

>> WE UNDERSTAND THE PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE, WE UNDERSTAND WE NEED TO GET WORKERS TO OUR JOBS.

WE KNOW THERE ARE SO MANY HARDWORKING PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE ILLEGALLY AND LEGALLY THAT DO DO A LOT OF JOBS.

BUT THIS BILL IS NOT THAT BILL.

>> Mary: THE ONLY BILL THAT NEEDED BIPARTISAN SUPPORT WAS THE BONDING BILL TO BORROW FOR STATE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS THAT WAS THE LARGEST IN HISTORY, SURPASSING A BILLION DOLLARS.

>> LET'S START BUILDING.

[ Cheers ] >> FIRST TIME I'VE SPOKEN AT THE REQUEST OF A GOVERNOR.

[ Laughter ] THIS IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF WHAT CAN HAPPEN IN STATE GOVERNMENT WHEN PEOPLE DECIDE THAT REGARDLESS OF PARTY OR WHERE YOU LIVE IN THE STATE THAT YOU SHOULD GET TOGETHER AND TRY TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT FOR THE STATE OF MINNESOTA.

[ Applause ] >> Mary: RURAL MINNESOTA SAW THE RESURGENCE OF REPUBLICANS WITH A NEW LEGISLATIVE CHAIR OF THE IRRRB.

>> I WAS ELECTED THE CHAIR OF THE BOARD, HICH MAKES ME THE FIRST REPUBLICAN IN STATE HISTORY TO CHAIR THAT BOARD.

>> Mary: AND LONG HISTORY.

82 YEARS, YOU'RE THE FIRST REPUBLICAN.

>> YES.

IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME.

AND, YOU KNOW, JUST DYNAMICS ARE CHANGING.

>> Mary: DYNAMICS DEFINITELY CHANGED WHEN NEW LAWMAKERS AT THE CAPITOL BROUGHT A RECORD AMOUNT OF DIVERSITY FROM RANK-AND-FILE MEMBERS TO NEW LEGISLATIVE LEADERS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE.

>> LET ME UST SAY THAT IT'S SURREAL.

>> Mary: YEAH.

>> IT'S EXCITING.

AND I SEE IT AS AN HONOR.

>> IT ALWAYS IS A PLACE THAT TAKES MY BREATH AWAY.

>> Mary: YOU'VE BECOME THE FIRST PERSON OF COLOR TO PRESIDE OVER ANY LEGISLATIVE BODY IN THIS ENTIRE BUILDING.

HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT THAT EXTRA HEAVY LAYER?

>> YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT ABOUT IT, BUT I WAS CONCENTRATING SO MUCH ON THE SENATE THAT YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE AND NEVER HAD A PERSON OF COLOR PRESIDE OVER A LEGISLATIVE BODY IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA UNTIL THIS MOMENT.

AND I HOPE THAT WE ALL CELEBRATE THAT.

>> Mary: YOU ARE HE FIRST WOMAN TO LEAD THIS CAUCUS.

THAT'S REMARKABLE IN 2022, ISN'T IT?

>> IT IS.

>> Mary: WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT AND WHY GENDER MIGHT MATTER?

>> YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S TIME FOR WOMEN TO HAVE THEIR VOICE AND WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BE ASKED.

WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO STEP UP.

BUT IF WE HAVEN'T ALREADY DONE IT, LET ME BE THAT PERSON.

YOU KNOW, I HAVE NEVER LED WITH BEING A BLACK WOMAN.

>> IT'S A LAW!

>> Mary: IN THE END, ON THE CAPITOL STEPS, DEMOCRATS WHO CONTROL ALL OF STATE GOVERNMENT, GATHERED TO CELEBRATE ALL THE BUDGET BILLS BUNDLED TOGETHER IN A DRAMATIC CEREMONY.

>> IT'S NOT ABOUT BANKING POLITICAL CAPITAL FOR THE NEXT ELECTION!

IT'S ABOUT BURNING POLITICAL CAPITAL TO IMPROVE LIVES.

THAT'S WHAT THEY DID.

>> THIS WAS A TEAM EFFORT THIS YEAR.

>> WE MADE MASSIVE INVESTMENTS IN PUBLIC EDUCATION, OF THE KIND WE HAVE NOT SEEN IN THIS STATE SINCE THE FIRST MINNESOTA MIRACLE.

>> THIS HAS BEEN THE MOST PARTISAN SESSION, NOT IN MY MEMORY, BUT IN THE HISTORY OF THIS STATE.

>> PERSONALLY IT'S JUST NICE TO SEE SOMETHING THAT WAS YOUR IDEA 20 YEARS AGO AND IT TOOK 20 YEARS FOR IT TO HAPPEN.

>> Mary: MAYBE THE MOST MEMORABLE BILL SIGNING OF THE YEAR SAW FORMER GOVERNOR JESSE VENTURA RETURN TO THE CAPITOL FOR AN ISSUE HE'S ADVOCATED FOR FOR DECADES.

LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA.

>> CANNABIS SAVED MY LIFE.

NOT ME PERSONALLY, BUT THE 38th FIRST LADY OF MINNESOTA.

>> THANK YOU AND THE FIRST LADY FOR SHARING YOUR STORIES.

I THINK IT MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE.

>> IT'S LEGAL.

THERE YOU GO.

[ Cheers and applause ] >> Mary: ULTIMATELY, THE LEGISLATION THAT GOT THE MOST PUBLIC INPUT REATED A COMMISSION FOR A NEW STATE SEAL AND FLAG, WHICH THE LEGISLATURE CAN STILL REJECT.

>> SOME OF US IN THE LEGISLATURE ARE GOING TO WANT THE PEOPLE OF MINNESOTA TO GET A HANCE TO WEIGH IN ON THIS.

>> I CAN'T PREDICT WHAT'S GOING TO APPEN IN THAT SETTING.

I'M OPTIMISTIC THERE WON'T BE CHANGES BUT IT'S AN INVOLVED PROCESS WITH 201 DIFFERENT LEGISLATORS, THERE'S LOTS OF OPINIONS, THE GOVERN