>> CATHY: IT'S AUGUST IN MINNESOTA.

THAT MEANS THERE ARE SEVERAL NEW STATE LAWS IN PLACE.

TOOK EFFECT AUGUST 1st.

ONE OF THE BIG ONES THIS YEAR, HEFTIER PENALTIES FOR IMPERSONATING A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER.

THIS WAS, OF COURSE, IN THE WAKE OF THE MURDERS OF MELISSA AND MARK HORTMAN.

BUT THAT ISN'T THE ONLY BIPARTISAN LEGISLATION THAT FOCUSED ON HONORING THE HORTMANS.

EARLIER THIS WEEK A TASK FORCE MET TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON A NEW STATE PARK ON THE CAPITOL GROUNDS TO HONOR THE HORTMANS.

REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE JIM NASH IS CO-CHAIR OF THE HOUSE STATE GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE.

JOINING HIM TONIGHT, DFL REPRESENTATIVE PETER FISCHER WHO WAS NAMED CHAIR OF THE HORTMAN PARK WORKING GROUP.

HE SPONSORED THE BILL THAT CREATED THE CONCEPT.

GOOD TO HAVE YOU BOTH HERE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> YOU'RE WELCOME.

>> THANK YOU.

>> Cathy: IT'S NICE THAT THE BIPARTISAN NATURE OF THESE BILLS, LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT, REPRESENTATIVE NASH, IT'S KIND OF EASY TO WORK BIPARTISAN WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO HONOR A COLLEAGUE, OBVIOUSLY.

>> YEAH.

I THINK THAT WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS A NUMBER OF THESE THINGS ARE GOING TO HAVE A STRONG LEVEL OF BIPARTISANSHIP, AND SOME OF THE ONES THAT ARE NOW LAW DID.

YOU KNOW, WE PASSED SEVERAL THINGS TO SPECIFICALLY HONOR SPEAKER EMERITA AND IT WAS A VERY STRONG VOTE.

I KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT ANOTHER BILL THAT HAD ALL 201 LEGISLATORS, WHICH IS RARE, VOTE IN FAVOR OF IT.

SO I THINK THAT THERE'S ROOM FOR CONVERSATION ON THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE, BUT WE'RE ALSO -- WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO ON IT.

>> Eric: DID THE SHERIFF'S ASSOCIATION AND THE PEACE OFFICERS SIGN OFF PRETTY QUICKLY ON THE MASKS FOR IMITATING AN OFFICER?

>> THAT WAS IMPORTANT, AS HEY CAME TOGETHER AND SAID, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO DO THESE TYPE OF THINGS TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE HAVE ACCOUNTABILITY AND CAN TRUST WHO'S COMING ON, THEY CAN RECOGNIZE THEM.

I THINK IT TAKES A LITTLE BIT OF ORK.

SOME PEOPLE HAD SOME NGST, BUT I THINK IT WAS SOMETHING WE WERE ABLE TO COME TOGETHER AND FIGURE IT OUT.

>> THAT BILL HAD A COUPLE OF AMENDMENTS THAT HAD TO HAPPEN BEFORE IT CAME OUT OF COMMITTEE AND BEFORE IT HIT THE FLOOR.

I THINK THAT'S, AGAIN, WHERE THE BIPARTISAN NATURE OF THE WORK THAT WE DID ON THAT PARTICULAR BILL, THE IMPERSONATION OF A PEACE OFFICER, WAS REALLY GOOD AND SHOWED MINNESOTANS THAT NOT ONLY WERE THE HORTMANS ATTACKED AND THE HOFFMANS, BUT MINNESOTA WAS AS WELL.

AND THAT THIS BILL, THIS STEP THAT WE MADE TO MAKE IT ILLEGAL TO IMPERSONATE A PEACE OFFICER WAS A VERY IMPORTANT THING THAT WE DID TO MAKE SURE THAT MINNESOTANS KNEW THAT WE WERE NOT GONNA PUT UP WITH THAT.

>> Cathy: AS YOU INCREASED THE PENALTIES, I MEAN, BECAUSE BEFORE THIS SITUATION OCCURRED, BEFORE THE MURDERS OCCURRED, YOU KNOW, WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT THIS WOULD HAPPEN, OF COURSE.

BUT WAS IT AN ISSUE PRIOR IN TERMS OF INDIVIDUALS IMPERSONATING POLICE OFFICERS AT ALL?

>> THAT'S A BETTER QUESTION FOR SOME OF THE CHIEFS OF POLICE.

>> Cathy: I WASN'T SURE IF YOU HEARD THAT IN TESTIMONY OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

>> Eric: AS YOU LOOK AT THE WORKING GROUP ON THE PARK, WHAT KIND OF THINGS DO YOU HAVE TO CONSIDER AS YOU GO ABOUT PLANNING THIS?

>> I THINK THE BIGGEST -- THERE ARE SEVERAL BIG THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND AS WE'RE PLANNING THIS.

NUMBER ONE IS AS WE'RE COMING TOGETHER, WE'VE GOT DIFFERENT AGENCIES THAT OVERSEE THE CAPITOL GROUNDS RIGHT NOW.

DEPENDING ON HOW DNR, WHICH HAS NOT BEEN ON HE AGENCY CONTROLLING THE GROUNDS, THEY HAVE NOT BEEN PART OF THAT BEFORE.

SO IT'S TRYING TO SET IT UP SO THAT THERE ARE CLEARLY DEFINED ROLES.

NUMBER TWO, YOU'RE PUTTING IT TOGETHER, MAKING SURE THAT YOU'RE IDENTIFYING THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO BE SUSTAINABLE GOING FORWARD.

THERE ARE GOING TO BE COSTS INVOLVED.

IT CAN ALSO BRING FORWARD TOUTS ESTABLISHING A STATE PARK IS THE OPPORTUNITIES OF CREATING A NONPROFIT FOR THE FRIENDS OF THE STATE PARK, WHICH COULD HELP BRING IN MONEY THAT COULD HELP THEN DO SOME THINGS ON THE CAPITOL GROUNDS THAT WE'RE NOT ABLE TO FIND MONEY FOR AT THE STATE CAPITOL IN THE LEGISLATURE NOW.

>> THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I POINTED OUT, AS YOU BOTH KNOW, WE'RE NOW IN A STRUCTURAL DEFICIT.

AND WE ARE FRESH OUT OF MONEY.

AND IF WE'RE GOING TO DO A STATE PARK AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE STATE APPROPRIATE MONEY FOR IT, I DON'T THINK I CAN PUT UP VOTES FOR THAT BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A SCENARIO UNDER WHICH PEOPLE WHO WORK FOR DIFFERENT STATE AGENCIES MAY BE GETTING LET GO BECAUSE WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO BALANCE THE BUDGET.

HOW DO YOU SAY TO AN EMPLOYEE, WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR LONG WORK HERE, WE'RE LETTING YOU GO, BUT STOP BY THE PARK ON THE WAY OUT.

IT'S JUST A VERY TENUOUS THING THAT WE CAN'T HAVE HAPPEN.

SO IF THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN, AND I MADE URE THAT I QUALIFIED MYSELF EVERY TIME WE TALKED ABOUT THIS, IF THIS IS TO BECOME REALITY, THERE'S A LONG LIST OF THINGS THAT HAVE TO ET DONE.

PETER MENTIONED THE INTERJURISDICTIONAL THINGS AS SOMETHING THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF JURISDICTIONS THAT HAVE A SAY IN WHAT HAPPENS ON THE CAPITOL GROUNDS TODAY.

IF WE'RE GOING TO ADD MORE LAYERS, THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAIL.

>> AND I THINK AS YOU MENTION THE DEVIL IN THE DETAILS, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND, WHEN YOU INITIALLY SET UP A PARK, IT DOESN'T MEAN EVERYTHING ROLLS OUT RIGHT AWAY AT THE SAME TIME.

IT'S SOMETHING THAT COULD BE SCALED OUT SO THAT YOU COULD KEEP SOME OF THE COSTS UNDER CONTROL UNTIL YOU HAVE THINGS SUSTAINABLE IN THE FUTURE.

AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE SEEN WHEN STATE PARKS HAVE BEEN DONE ELSEWHERE IN THE STATE.

YOU DON'T ALWAYS HAVE A STATE PARK UP AND RUNNING WITH EVERYTHING RIGHT OFF THE BAT.

IT AKES TIME.

IT'S PHASED IN.

AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN THIS TYPE OF SITUATION, YOU SEE THINGS PHASED IN AS THEY'RE AVAILABLE.

>> Cathy: WOULD THIS BE A SILLY QUESTION TO ASK, WHERE EXACTLY WOULD THE STATE PARK BE ON THE CAPITOL GROUNDS?

>> THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT IN THE PROCESS.

BASICALLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, KIND OF WHERE WE HAVE THE GREEN SPACES RIGHT NOW, BUT THESE ARE SOME OF THE DEVIL IN THE DETAILS THAT WE'LL GET FIGURED OUT.

>> BECAUSE THE CAPITOL GROUNDS, AS YOU KNOW, ALSO EXTENDS TO THE HOMES THAT ARE NORTH OF THE CAMPUS AND SOME TO THE SOUTH AND WEST.

SO, IF THIS IS TO BECOME REALITY, THOSE, ONCE AGAIN, THE DEVIL'S IN THE DETAILS, THE QUESTION THAT I ASKED REPRESENTATIVE FISCHER TODAY, WHAT HAPPENS TO THE HOMES THAT ARE ENCAPSULATED, FROM A PERMITTING PERSPECTIVE, FROM A SALABILITY PERSPECTIVE, WHAT IS THE LAND USE THAT THEY CAN DO OR NOT DO BECAUSE NOT EVERYTHING IS PERMISSIBLE IN A STATE PARK.

>> Cathy: THERE'S NO CAMPING IN THIS AREA EITHER, I BET.

JUST SAYING.

>> AND YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.

AND THIS IS WHERE SOME OF THE THINGS MAY COME IN, IS THAT IN TERMS OF A STATE PARK, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO FOLLOW THE SAME RULES THAT WE HAVE OUT THERE.

WHEN WE PUT IT TOGETHER, WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO HAVE SOME ENABLING LEGISLATION THAT SAYS THAT NOTWITHSTANDING WHAT WE DO IN OTHER STATE PARKS, THERE MAY BE SPECIAL RULES AND SPECIAL WAYS WE DO IT HERE.

SO IT DOESN'T HAVE TO FOLLOW THE SAME MODEL WE'VE GOT ELSEWHERE.

WE CREATE IT FOR WHAT WOULD BE BEST FOR THE ENVIRONMENT WE'RE IN AND ALSO PARTICULARLY THIS IS ALSO WITHIN A NEIGHBORHOOD, WITHIN THE CITY OF St.

PAUL.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT T'S ALSO INVOLVING RESIDENTS ALONG THOSE LINES.

THERE'S BEEN SOME PLANNING, THERE'S A MASTER PLAN THAT WAS ORIGINALLY DONE SOME WORK ON IN THE LAST YEAR OR SO FOR THE CAPITOL MALL DESIGN.

THOSE WILL BE SOME THINGS WE'LL BE LOOKING AT.

>> Eric: IS NAMING THE NEW HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING IN THE CARDS OR IS THAT TOO CONTROVERSIAL A PROJECT TO ATTACH ANYBODY'S NAME TO IT?

>> I THINK THAT THAT IS A BIGGER LIFT THAN MOST PEOPLE REALIZE.

I THINK THAT THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT CAN HAPPEN RIGHT NOW.

AND I THINK THAT IF YOU WERE TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO ASK MELISSA HORTMAN IF SHE WANTED TO HAVE THAT BUILDING NAMED AFTER HER, SHE'D PROBABLY HIT YOU FIRST AND THEN SAY, DON'T DO THAT.

I THINK HERE'S A LOT OF DESIRE TO HONOR HER AND, AS REPUBLICANS, WE WANT TO HELP WITH THAT, BUT WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING IT ALSO TO HONOR WHAT THE INTENT OF THE GROUNDS WERE IN THE BRILLIANT DESIGN OF CASS GILBERT.

AND WE TALKED ABOUT THAT AS WELL.

BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT HAS TO HAPPEN AS A QUALIFICATION OF MOVING FORWARD ON ANY OF THIS, IS, ARE WE DETRACTING FROM ARGUABLY THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CAPITOL IN THE COUNTRY?

>> Eric: WELL, THIS REALLY SET THE STAGE FOR THE ONGOING DEBATE.

SO THANK YOU BOTH FOR COMING DOWN.

>> THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.