♪♪ >> IT HAS BEEN AN UNPRECEDENTED TIME IN THE LEGISLATURE AND NO BETTER TIME TO ANALYZE BIPARTISANSHIP WHEN IT'S ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

>> RETURNING, HANNON WATSON, MAJORITY IN THE MIDDLE.

SHANNON, HOW DO YOU THINK, YOU JUST SAW SOME COCHAIRS HERE IN ACTION, HOW DO YOU THINK IT'S GOING?

>> YEAH.

I THINK THOSE TWO ARE PROBABLY AN EXAMPLE OF PLACES WHERE IT'S REALLY, REALLY WORKING.

I'M SEEING A LOT OF PEOPLE DOING LIKE REALLY GOOD WORK.

THEY'VE HAD RELATIONSHIPS FOR A WHILE AND SO LIKE THAT HELPS.

PARTICULARLY, LIKE YOU SEE THE SPEAKER AND SPEAKER EMERITUS DO THIS AS WELL.

THEY'VE WORKED TOGETHER, THEY UNDERSTAND SOMETIMES THE THEATER OF THE PLACE AND YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO SAY THIS AND I'M GOING TO HAVE TO SAY THIS.

BUT WE'RE GOING TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT AND IT'S GOING TO BE OKAY.

>> AND I'D SAY THE FIRST TEST OF IT, THE FIRST REAL PROOF IS BUDGET TARGETS.

NUMBERS ARE REAL, NUMBERS ARE HARD, THEY'RE NOT EASY, ARE YOU SURPRISED THEY GOT THOSE NUMBERS WITHOUT TOO MUCH PAIN?

>> HOUSE RULES SAID THEY HAD TO BE OUT BY A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME AND THE 31ST WAS THAT DEADLINE.

I DIDN'T REALLY HAVE HAVE AN IDEA OF HOW LATE THEY WERE GOING TO BE OR EARLY.

BUT I AM HEARING FROM SOME PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN PART OF THAT PROCESS IN THE PAST THAT THEY WERE VERY SHOCKED.

>> INTERESTING.

>> YEAH.

>> SO HOW DIFFERENT IS THE HOUSE AND SENATE THEN RIGHT NOW BIPARTISANSHIP?

WE TALKED ABOUT HE HOUSE HAVING TO HAVE COCHAIRS BECAUSE IT'S TIED.

THE SENATE WAS TIED.

IS NO LONGER TIED.

NOW DEMOCRATS ARE UP BY TWO SEATS SO THEY DON'T NEED REPUBLICANS AS MUCH.

ARE THEY NOT USING THEM AS MUCH?

>> YOU KNOW, THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION.

>> AND I MEAN USING IN A GOOD WAY, NOT A BAD WAY, AS A RESOURCE, YES.

>> YEAH.

I AM SEEING STILL SOME GAVELS BEING HANDED OVER.

YOU KNOW, IF THE CHAIR IS PRESENTING BILL SOMETIMES THEY WILL HAND THE GAVEL TO THEIR SAME PARTY.

>> WHICH THEY PROMISED THEY WOULD DO WHEN THEY WERE TIED, WE'LL CONTINUE THIS, SOME OF THEM.

BUT IT IS CONTINUING.

>> IT IS AND I HAVE WATCHED IT HAPPEN.

THERE WAS ONE AND I WON'T THROW PEOPLE UNDER THE BUS BUT THERE WAS ONE COMMITTEE IN PARTICULAR I WAS VERY SURPRISED TO SEE IT HAPPEN BUT IT ONLY HAPPENED FOR A FEW MINUTES BUT I WAS SURPRISED, IT'S LIKE, OKAY, IF THOSE PEOPLE ARE DOING IT THEN I THINK EVERYBODY ELSE IS DOING WELL TOO.

>> WE GOT A LITTLE TIDBIT TODAY WHEN ALL THE LEADERS WENT BEHIND LOSED DOORS WITH THE GOVERNOR TOO AND D.F.L.

SENATE LEADER ERIN MURPHY SAID SHE WAS THE ONE WHO INVITED REPUBLICAN LEADER MARK JOHNSON.

BECAUSE.

I THOUGHT THAT WAS DIFFERENT THE DEMOCRAT INVITED THE REPUBLICAN RIGHT NOW EARLY AND INVITED THEM IN.

>> THAT MAY SHOW THE COMMITMENT TO GETTING DONE ON TIME.

IF YOU'RE PART OF THE CONVERSATION THEN YOU HAVE REALLY LESS, YOU KNOW, LESS INCENTIVE TO BE ALL RAUCOUS ON THE FLOOR OR TO SLOW THINGS DOWN.

SO I THINK THAT'S A REALLY GOOD INDICATION THAT THEY'RE REALLY PAYING ATTENTION TO THE SCHEDULE.

>> OKAY.

YOU HAVE SOME PROOF.

>> YEAH.

>> YOU HAVE SOME VISUAL EVIDENCE THAT WE ARE GOING TO DISPLAY BECAUSE YOU ARE TRACKING.

>> WE ARE TRACKING THE BILLS, YES.

SO THE THINGS THAT WE TRACK ARE THE BILLS THAT ARE GETTING HEARINGS.

>> MM-HMM.

>> BASED ON THE CHIEF AUTHOR AND THEN TAKING THE TOTAL AUTHORSHIP INTO ACCOUNT.

AND THEN WHAT THE BILLS LOOK LIKE WHEN THEY'RE INTRODUCED.

AND SO WE PULLED SOME NUMBERS, IT WAS THE WEEK BEFORE THE 134TH MEMBER WAS SEATED.

>> YEP.

>> AND BEFORE THE SENATE LOST A MEMBER AND JUST TO SORT OF GET A FLAVOR FOR WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.

>> AND WE SHOULD TELL PEOPLE IT'S KIND OF WHAT YOU EXPECT HERE, RIGHT?

THE BLUE IS DEMOCRAT.

>> BLUE IS DEMOCRAT, RED IS REPUBLICANS AND THEN THE PURPLE IS THOSE ARE THE BILLS WITH AT LEAST ONE AUTHOR FROM EACH PARTY.

AND THE BARS THAT YOU'RE SEEING ON YOUR SCREEN, THE FIRST ONE IS AT CLOSE OF THE 2023 SESSION.

BECAUSE THE MEMBERS, OR THE AUTHORSHIP ON A BILL, IT MOVES AROUND SO WHAT WE DO FOR OUR REPORT IS WE TAKE A SNAPSHOT AT THE VERY END OF SESSION TO SEE WHAT THOSE LOOK LIKE.

THE BARS WITH THE PERCENTAGES ON THEM SHOW YOU THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE END OF 2023 SESSION AND THEN WHAT'S HAPPENING N 2025.

AND THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE 2023 AND 2025 ARE MORE ALIKE THAN '23 AND '24 WERE.

>> AND T LOOKS LIKE AN IMPROVEMENT IS THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN ANALYZE THAT, MANAGER BIPARTISANSHIP CLEARLY.

>> YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

>> DATA-WISE.

OKAY.

FLOOR VOTES.

THIS IS ANOTHER MEASURE THAT YOU HAVE.

>> MM-HMM, YEAH.

>> WHAT DO YOU THINK ON THIS OVERALL?

>> YOU KNOW, I WAS HEARING SOME CHATTER ABOUT ONCE THEY GOT THE 134TH MEMBER THAT, OKAY, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE PARTISAN ANYMORE, AND THE THING THAT STRUCK ME IN THE HOUSE IS THAT THERE WERE, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE SOME FLOOR VOTES ON THE HOUSE THAT THEY DID FAIL ALONG PARTY LINES AND THERE WAS SOME OF THAT, BUT THERE WAS ALSO LIKE AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF BILLS THAT WAS CONSEQUENTIAL AND BORING THINGS THAT DID PASS.

>> THAT WE DON'T COVER SO MUCH, RIGHT?

>> THAT WE DON'T COVER, YES.

BUT THEY'RE IMPORTANT TO SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW?

EVERYBODY BILL HAS A STORY BEHIND IT OR A PROBLEM THAT'S STRIVING TO SOLVE AND THERE ARE A LOT OF THOSE THINGS THAT PEOPLE ARE BEING ABLE TO COME TOGETHER ON AND SOLVE THE LITTLE PROBLEMS AND I THINK THAT'S JUST GOING TO HELP AS WE GO INTO THE MORE CONTENTIOUS THINGS.

>> AND QUICKLY DO YOU THINK THIS IS GOING TO GET BETTER OR WORSE AS SESSION GOES ON?

ANY PREDICTION?

>> I THINK IT -- BODE.

>> BOTH.