>> CATHY: OUR NEXT GUEST IS USUALLY ACROSS THE STUDIO AT THE BIG MONITOR MAKING US ALL LAUGH.

TONIGHT, SHELETTA BRUNDIDGE HAS JOINED US ON THE COUCH.

NEXT FRIDAY, HER PRODUCTION COMPANY, SHELETTA-MAKES-ME-LAUGH, WILL HOST THE SECOND ANNUAL BLACK ENTREPRENEURS DAY AT THE CAPITOL.

LAST YEAR, BLACK SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS CAME TO THE CAPITOL TO CONNECT WITH LAWMAKERS AND HEAR MORE ABOUT HOW THEY CAN WORK WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS TO GROW THEIR BUSINESSES.

THIS YEAR, THE EVENT IS EVEN LARGER.

SHELETTA IS HERE TO TELL US MORE.

AND SHE HAS BROUGHT ALONG ONE OF LAST YEAR'S SPEAKERS, MINNESOTA'S LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR PEGGY FLANAGAN.

GOOD TO SEE YOU BOTH.

>> THANK YOU.

>> SHELETTA.

>> YES.

>> Cathy: WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS AT THE CAPITOL?

>> BECAUSE WE HAVE TO EMPOWER THESE BLACK ENTREPRENEURS.

THERE IS NOT A LOBBYING AGENCY THAT IS ON THE HEELS SPEAKING UP FOR US ON OUR BEHALF.

AND SO WHEN HESE LEGISLATORS AND LAWMAKERS ARE CARVING OUT MONEY IN THESE BUDGETS AND INFRASTRUCTURE AND FUNDING, NECESSARY NEED TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY NEED.

AND BLACK BUSINESS OWNERS HAVE SOME UNIQUE CHALLENGES.

ACCESS TO CAPITAL, FUNDING, A LOT OF BA BARBERS, THEY DON'T BANK.

THEY ARE JUST AS IMPORTANT AS OUR CORPORATIONS.

>> Eric: NOW, YOU SPEAK TO MANY, MANY DAYS ON THE HILL, RALLIES IN THE ROTUNDA.

WHAT ARE THE VALUES OF THOSE?

DO THINGS CHANGE ABOUT AKING BAISED ON, YOU GO TALK TO YOUR LEGISLATOR?

HOW IMPORTANT ARE THEY?

>> THEY ARE SO IMPORTANT.

SO AS A RECOVERING LEGISLATOR, I CAN TELL YOU, WHEN PEACH COME INTO YOUR OFFICE, WHEN THEY SHARE THOSE PERSONAL STORIES, WHEN YOU'RE ABLE TO PUT A FACE TO N SSUE THAT IS --D MINDS.

AND I THINK MANY LEGISLATORS THEN BRING THOSE STORIES TO THE FLOOR OR INTO COMMITTEE.

WHEN WE'RE READY TO VOTE OR MOVE ISSUES FORWARD.

IT IS INCREDIBLY EFFECTIVE.

AND TO BE HONEST, ANYTHING THAT YOU DO WITH SHELETTA IS REALLY FUN.

SO LAST YEAR WE HAD A BLAST.

I KNOW THAT THIS YEAR WILL BE EVEN LARGER, AND IT'S POWERFUL FOR PEOPLE TO BE IN THE CAPITOL, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S THEIR FIRST TIME THERE TO KNOW YOU BELONG HERE, THIS IS YOUR HOUSE.

>> Cathy: BUT CAPITOL CULTURE CAN BE INTIMIDATING AS YOU KNOW.

HOW DID YOU NAVIGATE THAT LAST YEAR?

>> WE EMPOWERED THE BUSINESS OWNERS.

THIS IS NOT A E-VIOLATE SIGNUP.

I HAVE TO SPEAK TO EACH AND EVERY INDIVIDUAL BUSINESS OWNERS, BECAUSE I HAVE TO KNOW WHERE THEY LIVE.

I OBJECT HAVE TO FIND OUT WHERE THEIR LEGISLATOR IS.

AND I CAN'T HAVE THE PERSON WHO IS A BUSINESS IN BROOKLYN PARK GOING TO THE LEGISLATOR IN ST. LOUIS PARK OR ST. PAUL.

SO I HAVE TO TALK TO THESE BUSINESS OWNERS.

AND I'M GASSING THEM UP, TELLING THEM, THIS IS "THE PEOPLE'S HOUSE."

WE THE PEOPLE.

YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY SAY, WE THE PEOPLE, WE ARE ARE THE PEOPLE.

YOU HAVE THE POWER TO GO IN AND MAKE CHANGE, NOT JUST FOR YOURSELF, BUT FOR OTHER BUSINESS OWNERS.

>> Eric: IS IT HARD FOR THE WORD TO GET OUT TO THE VARIOUS CONSTITUENCY GROUPS WOULD BE IT BLACK ENTREPRENEURS OR ANYBODY ELSE, THAT THERE ARE PROGRAM HES AVAILABLE, THAT HERE ARE WAYS YOU CAN ACCESS THE GOVERNMENT AND IT MAY BE INTIMIDATING, BUT THERE ARE WAYS TO DO T?

>> WELL, IT MATTERS TREMENDOUSLY AND I THINK THAT'S WHY BLACK ENTREPRENEURSHIP DAY AT THE CAPITOL MATTERS.

I WOULD SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL THINGS THAT HAS HAPPENED IS THAT THE LEGISLATURE LOOKS A LITTLE BIT MORE LIKE THE COMMUNITY.

AND SO IT MATTERS WHEN WE HAVE CREDIBLE MESSENGERS FROM THE COMMUNITY SAYING, THIS IS YOUR HOUSE, YOU BELONG HERE, AND THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE UP, YOU KNOW, AVAILABLE TO YOU, LIKE THE EXPANDING OPPORTUNITY FUND, WHICH IS $10 MILLION, WHICH GOES TO BLACK ENTREPRENEURS, ENTREPRENEURS OF COLOR, WOMEN AS WELL.

AND WE TALKED ABOUT IT LAST YEAR, AND THEN WE GOT IT DONE.

>> YES, WE DID.

AND YOU KNOW WHAT?

THERE ARE BUSINESS OWNERS COMING FROM DULUTH, THEY'RE COMING FROM ST.

CLOUD.

THEY'RE COMING FROM ROCHESTER, BY BUS, TELEVISION STATIONS WERE CALLING ME ALL WEEK FROM THESE, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITIES OUTSIDE THE METRO SAYING, CAN WE HAVE A QUOTE FROM YOU?

DULUTH CALLED THE OTHER DAY AND SAID, THE BUS IS FULL, CAN YOU HELP US RENT A VAN?

AND I DIDN'T MARKET TO THEM.

BUT THEY HEARD ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR, AND THEY WANT TO BE A PART OF IT.

>> Eric: HAVE YOU SEEN SOME RESULTS FROM LAST YEAR?

>> OH, MY GOD, YES.

THERE WAS MORE FUNDING SO THAT WE COULD GET LOANS FROM COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, THOSE OF US WHO ARE UNBANKED, RIGHT >> THERE'S ALSO ACCESS.

THEY GOT BUSINESS CARDS.

THEY GOT FACES.

THEY GOT LEGISLATORS' ASSISTANTS NAMES AND PHONE NUMBERS.

>> Eric: WHILE YOU'RE HERE, LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, COULD YOU TELL US ABOUT THIS EFFORT TO REDUCE MEDICAL DEBT THAT WAS UNVEILED TODAY?

>> YEAH, SO TODAY THE GOVERNOR AND I ALONG WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL ROLLED OUT THIS LEGISLATION WITH OUR PARTNERS TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT -- THEIR CREDIT SCORES WILL NOT BE HIT BECAUSE THEY HAVE MEDICAL DEBT.

YOU KNOW, I TOLD THE STORY ABOUT MY OWN MY.

YOU KNOW, WE HAD INSURANCE.

BUT I WAS IN THE HOSPITAL MORE THAN I WAS OUT.

AND MY MOM WORKED REALLY HARD AND SHE HAD TO DECLARE BANKRUPTCY.

UNFORTUNATELY, OUR STORY IS NOT UNIQUE.

SO THIS WILL MAKE A TREMENDOUS DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF MINNESOTANS AND I THINK ALL THESE THINGS ARE CONNECTED.

IF YOU HAVE MEDICAL DEBT, IF YOU HAVE CREDITORS GOING AFTER YOU, IT IS MORE DIFFICULT TO THEN GET A LOAN, OPEN A BUSINESS, AND WE KNOW UNFORTUNATELY, THERE'S DISPARITY IN MANY OF THESE SYSTEMS, SO IF WE CAN DO TANGIBLE THINGS TO MAKE LIFE MORE AIR, WE'RE GOING TO DO IT.

WE'VE GOT REPRESENTATIVE REYER AND, OH, MY GOODNESS, SENATOR BOLDON, WHO'S A NURSE, WHICH MAKES A WHOLE LOT OF SENSE.

SO WE'VE GOT THESE TWO LEADERS WHO ARE MOVING IT LONG AND WE'RE EXCITED.

>> Cathy: SHELETTA, WHEN'S THE DAY?

>> FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16TH, RALLY AT 11:30 IN THE ROTUNDA.

12:15, WE START OUR LOBBYING.