♪♪ >> Mary: AND I'M SORRY YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW PUPPIES.

BUT CO-CHAIRS F THE CIVILITY CAUCUS, DEMOCRAT SANDRA FEIST AND REPUBLICAN KRISTIN ROBBINS.

WHY YOU WANT TO BE IN THIS.

>> YEAH, WELL, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO GETTING GOOD LEGISLATION PASSED.

WHEN I FIRST WAS ELECTED, I KNEW THAT I WANTED ON FOCUS DATA PRIVACY.

AND SO IN MY FIRST SESSION I WAS WORKING REALLY CLOSELY WITH REPRESENTATIVE PEGGY SCOTT AND NOW SENATOR ERIC LUCERO.

I KIND OF DEVELOPED THOSE RELATIONSHIPS AND IT MADE ME REALIZE HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO HAVE THOSE BIPARTISAN RELATIONSHIPS TO REALLY HAVE THOSE EXCHANGE OF IDEAS.

>> Mary: AND NOW YOU'RE IN THE MAJORITY, BUT IN THE MINORITY, YOU KIND OF NEED FRIENDSHIPS TO GET THINGS DONE, RIGHT?

CUZ THAT EXTRA MOTIVATE FOR YOU?

>> YOU KNOW, FOR ME, IT WAS JUST THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET TO KNOW MY COLLEAGUES WHEN I WAS A FRESHMAN.

AND THEN FORMER REPRESENTATIVE NICK ZERWAS, HE HANDED THE BATON TO ME.

AND IT'S BEEN A GREAT EXPERIENCE.

I GREE WITH SANDRA THAT BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS AND KNOWING EACH OTHER AS PEOPLE IS THE FOUNDATION WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO REALLY TRUST EACH OTHER IN THOSE TOUGH NEGOTIATIONS.

>> Mary: HOW MUCH COVID HURT AND AFFECT THOSE BIPARTISAN RELATIONSHIPS AN FRIENDSHIPS?

ESPECIALLY FOR FRESHMAN.

YOU KNOW, THE NEWBIES WHO DIDN'T GET TO MEET AND GREET.

>> I WAS GOING TO SAY, I WAS NEW, SO I DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING DIFFERENT.

MY HUSBAND WAS A LOBBYIST WITH THE AFL-CIO FOR A LONG TIME SO I HAVE SOME INSIGHTS.

SO I THINK IT WOULD HAVE BEEN HARDER FOR ME, BUT I WAS ALREADY HAD SOME OF THAT GROUND WORK LAID.

BUT IT DEFINITELY WAS VERY COMPLICATED TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS AND RAPPORT DURING THAT TIME.

>> Mary: ND YOU SAW LIFE BEFORE AND AFTER.

>> RIGHT, I THOUGHT THE COVID SESSION WAS TERRIBLE FOR RELATIONSHIPS AND FOR THE INSTITUTION.

SO I WAS DELIGHTED WHEN WE GOT BACK TOGETHER.

BUT IT HAS EVEN AFFECTED CIVILITY CAUCUS.

WE HAVE LESS TURNOUT BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE USED TO WORKING REMOTELY AND WHEN THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEAVE, THEY WANT TO DO THAT, BUT IT IS HARDER TO GET PEOPLE TO PRIORITIZE TIME TOGETHER.

>> Mary: SO WHAT DO YOU DO?

>> YEAH, SO WE TRY TO MAKE IT EASY.

WE TRY TO MAKE IT, LIKE, AT THE CAPITOL, DURING THE DAY.

FOR THE MOST PART AND WE JUST GET TOGETHER, HAVE A MEAL.

THIS YEAR WE'VE BEEN PRETTY, LIKE, LOOSE WITH OUR AGENDA.

JUST GIVING PEOPLE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT WHATEVER.

LIKE, TALK ABOUT THEIR FAMILIES, TALK ABOUT THEIR HOBBIES AND JUST BUILD THOSE POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS SO THAT WHEN WE HAVE TO HAVE TO HAVE TOUGH CONVERSATIONS WE HAVE THAT BUILT UP GOOD WILL.

>> Mary: I HEARD FOOD.

PEOPLE TEND TO GET ALONG WHEN THEY'RE BREAKING BREAD AS WE SAY AND TALKING ABOUT AMILY AND CONNECTING ON MORE THAN US JUST ISSUES.

IS THAT PART OF THE SUCCESS?

>> ABSOLUTELY, BECAUSE WHEN YOU REALIZE, OH, WE BOTH HAVE KIDS AND WE BOTH CARE ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA OR OTHER WAYS YOU HAVE ANYTHING THINGS IN COMMON ABOUT PEOPLE.

BUT THEY'RE JUST COMING AT THE ISSUE FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE ND ALWAYS FREE FOOD TOE CAPITOL MATTERS.

SO IF WE'RE OFFERING FREE LUNCH.

>> Mary: WHAT ISSUES?

YOU MENTIONED DATA PRIVACY WAS SOMETHING YOU FOUND SOME BIPARTISANSHIP ON.

WHAT OTHER ISSUES DO YOU THINK HAVE COME OUT OF THE CAUCUS?

>> YEAH, WELL, EDUCATION.

REPRESENTATIVE ROBBINS AND I ARE WORKING TOGETHER ON, YOU KNOW, CELL PHONE AND JUST KIND OF TECHNOLOGY AND CHILDHOOD LEGISLATION.

I ALSO WORKED WITH REPRESENTATIVE MARK WIENS ON A BILL THAT WE'LL BE HEARING ON THE FLOOR SOON AROUND DATA COLLECTION AROUND THE VETERANS RESTORATIVE JUSTICE ACT WHICH I CARRIED IN MY FIRST SESSION.

AND SO THAT'S ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF PLACES WHERE WE HAVE A LOT OF AGREEMENT AND PASSION.

>> Mary: AND YOU'VE BEEN AROUND FOR LONGER, WHAT ELSE?

>> WELL, I'VE WORKED BIPARTISANLY ON A NUMBER OF ISSUES AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY.

ESPECIALLY IN THE MINORITY.

WE REALLY DON'T HAVE MUCH OF A PATH FOR OUR BILLS TO GET HEARD, SO HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTERACT WITH COLLEAGUES IS FANTASTIC BUT I ALSO THINK SPECIFICALLY THE CIVILITY "ALMANAC: AT THE CAPITOL" YOUS, LIKE WE DID A SPEED DATING EVENT ONCE WHERE WE GOT A BUNCH OF CHAIRS IN THE ROOM, CHAIRS OF COMMITTEES, AND WE'D SAY, YOU KNOW, GO PITCH YOUR BILL.

AND IT HELPED THE COMMITTEE CHAIRS HEAR FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT THEY DON'T REALLY HAVE TIME TO MEET WITH, BUT THEY GOT A ONE OFF WITH A BUNCH OF PEOPLE ON GIVE MY BILL A HEARING.

SO I DO HINK THERE'S LEGISLATIVE SUCCESS THAT COMES OUT OF IT, UT THAT'S SECONDARY TO THE RELATIONSHIP PIECE.

>> Mary: AND COULD IT HELP YOU IF YOU AREN'T LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE IN THE MAJORITY?

WE SEE THE LATEST POLL, IF YOU TAKE A LOT OF CREDENCE IN THAT, REPUBLICANS AHEAD HERE, DO YOU THINK YOU MIGHT BE MORE SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE YOU'VE ALREADY LEARNED HOW TO WORK RADIOS THE AISLE?

>> I WOULD SAY DEFINITELY.

YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT YOU SHOULD ALWAYS BE THINKING ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY THAT YOU COULD BE IN THE MINORITY AND TREAT PEOPLE THE WAY YOU WANT TO BE TREATED AND LISTEN TO PEOPLE AND INCORPORATE THEIR INPUT, BECAUSE, YEAH, ABSOLUTELY, YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.

>> Mary: RIGHT, AND THE TRIFECTA YOU DIDN'T NECESSARILY SEE COMING.

SO HOW HARD HAS IT BEEN TO BE IN THE MINORITY?

>> YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN VERY DIFFERENT.

I'VE ALWAYS SERVED IN THE MINORITY BUT THE FIRST TWO TERMS HAVING THE SENATE AS A BACK STOP DID MAKE THEM NEED US A LITTLE MORE.

TO CARRY A BILL FOR THEM OR GET THROUGH THE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE AND NOW THAT THEY DON'T REALLY NEED OUR VETS, I WOO SAY, YOU KNOW, IT'S A LITTLE LESS IN TERMS OF OPPORTUNITIES TO WORK TOGETHER.

BUT THEY'RE NOT SEEKING US OUT, BUT WE'RE STILL BUGGING THEM.

>> Mary: LET'S TALK ENDER.

I AM LOOKING T TWO WOMEN WHO ARE CHAIRS.

WE ARE LOOKING AT FIRST TIME IN THE HISTORY IN THE LEGISLATURE, HAS BEEN CONTROLLED BY TWO WOMEN.

HOW MUCH DOES GENDER MATTER?

AND DO MOMS JUST GET IT DONE?

>> OUR COUNTERPARTS IN THE SENATE ARE BOTH MEN.

SO WE HAVE GENDER PARITY.

>> Mary: BUT WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN FROM YOUR LEADERSHIP AND THE INFLUENCE THAT WOMEN HAVE HAD IN THIS LEGISLATURE?

>> HONESTLY, I LOVE THE NARRATIVE, BUT I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE A LOT OF REALLY COLLEGIAL BIPARTISAN MEN AS WELL.

SO I THINK WE, YOU KNOW, THOSE OF US WHO CARE ABOUT UILDING BIPARTISAN RELATIONSHIPS LIKE I THINK WE COME IN ALL GENDERS.

>> I AGREE.

I MEAN, I USED TO WORK IN POLITICS IN CONGRESS 30 YEARS AGO, AND IT WAS DEFINITELY DIFFERENT.

TO BE A WOMAN 30 YEARS AGO IN POLITICS THAN IT IS NOW.

BUT I FEEL LIKE WE ALL RESPECT EACH OTHER AND TREAT EACH OTHER AS EQUALS.

I DO THINK -- WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT THE IT, BUT THE CIVILITY CAUCUS IS BICAMERAL SO ZACK DUCKWORTH AND GRANT HAUSCHILD ARE THE CO-CHAIRS THERE AND I THINK A LOT OF TIME AS THE BICAMERAL BUILDING OF RELATIONSHIPS.

>> Mary: WELL, LET US KNOW WHAT