♪♪ >> Mary: WE HAVE A LARGE FRESHMAN CLASS IN THE LEGISLATURE, AND HERE'S A COUPLE OF STAND-OUTS FROM BOTH CHAMBERS.

WE HAVE REPUBLICAN HARRY NISKA AND DEMOCRAT CLARE OUMOU VERBETEN.

WELL, SENATOR, WE JUST SAW YOU, YOU HAVE BEEN BUSY.

TELL US WHAT TIME DID YOU STOP WORK THIS ORNING AND LEAVE THE FLOOR?

[ Laughter ] >> WELL, WE, AS AN ENTIRE BODY, WERE THERE UNTIL ABOUT 6:00 A.M.

I HAD TO DUCK OUT AROUND 11:30 TO GET SOME REST FOR THE BUSY DAY TODAY.

>> Mary: YEAH.

>> BUT WE'VE BEEN WORKING HARD OVERNIGHT THIS, YOU KNOW, MULTIPLE DAYS THIS SESSION, JUST GETTING THE WORK DONE FOR MINNESOTANS.

>> Mary: HOUSE IS PULLING SOME ALL-NIGHTERS, TOO.

>> THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW ALL-NIGHTERS, WE WERE HERE UNTIL MIDNIGHT THE LAST TWO NIGHTS, ONE NIGHT WAS A LITTLE AFTER MIDNIGHT.

AND WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAVE TO GET DONE, I GUESS, BEFORE OUR CONSTITUTIONAL DEADLINE BY NEXT -- EARLY NEXT WEEK.

>> Mary: IS THIS WHAT YOU TWO SIGNED UP FOR?

ARE YOU SURPRISED BY THE HOURS AND THE PACE?

>> I'M NOT SURPRISED BY THE HOURS.

>> Mary: YEAH.

>> MY WIFE WAS A LEGISLATIVE STAFFER BACK IN THE DAY.

AND I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN POLITICS.

SO I'VE PAID ATTENTION TO THE LEGISLATURE.

>> Mary: YEAH.

>> I AM SURPRISED BY THE PACE AND, FRANKLY, THE LACK OF MODERATION AND THE AGENDA THAT'S BEEN GOING THROUGH HERE.

BUT NOT THE LONG HOURS, FOR SURE.

>> YEAH, I MEAN, I'M READY TO DO WHATEVER IT TAKES.

LIKE, I KNOW FOLKS HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR SO MANY OF THESE THINGS FOR SO MANY YEARS.

AND, SO, IF I NEED TO BE HERE UNTIL 3:00 A.M., UNTIL 6:00 A.M., TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DELIVER FOR FOLKS, LIKE, I'M UP FOR IT.

>> Mary: WE SHOULD TALK ABOUT WHATs -- WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE BACKGROUND, PEOPLE MAY HERE YELLING, PROTESTING, SCREAMING.

THIS IS UBER DRIVERS, CONTROVERSIAL LEGISLATION, TELL US WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT IT.

>> IT'S NOT A VERY BALANCED PIECE OF LEGISLATION.

IT'S A PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT I THINK THE COMPANIES, UBER AND LYFT, ARE INTERESTED IN TRYING TO MAKE SOME CHANGES AND PROTECTIONS FOR SOME DRIVERS, BUT I THINK THAT THE LEGISLATION THAT I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HEAR TONIGHT IS NOT QUITE READY YET.

AND IT'S REALLY PRETTY UNBALANCED PIECE OF LEGISLATION.

I'M NOT SURE IF IT HAS EVEN MAJORITY SUPPORT IN THE HOUSE.

WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO SEE.

>> Mary: DOES IT HAVE SUPPORT IN THE SENATE?

IT'S BEEN HREATENING TO HOLD UP WORK IN THE SENATE.

>> I THINK WE'VE GOT A LOT OF SUPPORT IN THE SENATE.

SOMETHING WE'VE SEEN THROUGHOUT SESSION IS HE SUPPORT FOR WORKING EOPLE.

ESPECIALLY IN OUR CAUCUS.

AND WHEN WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, HUNDREDS OF FOLKS SHOWING UP AND SAYING, WE DESERVE, YOU KNOW, DIGNITY IN HE WORKPLACE, THESE ARE THE PROTECTIONS THAT WE NEED, WE WANT TO DELIVER FOR THEM.

>> Mary: ANOTHER BILL THAT'S COMING, MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION IS DONE, HITTIN' THE FLOOR.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF IT?

IT'S NOT STRICTLY A PARTISAN ISSUE.

>> NO, I THINK -- I'M NOT SURE THAT WE'RE READY FOR THAT -- THE ISSUE IS SETTLED ENOUGH IN MY MIND TO WHERE I THINK WE SHOULD WITH IT.

WE SHOULD GO AHEAD WITH IT.

I'M WOARD WE'RE GOING TO END WERE YOU WITH THE WORST OF WORLDS.

THAT'S WHAT'S ENDED UP IN SOME OTHER STATES WHERE THEY HAVE LEGALIZED BUT HIGHLY REGULATED MODELS.

WE STILL HAVE IN NEW YORK, CALIFORNIA, A REALLY ROBUST ILLICIT MARKET, AT THE SAME TIME THAT WE HAVE SENT A MESSAGE TO EVERYONE THAT MARIJUANA IS A FINE THING TO DO AND IT REALLY HAS SOME PRETTY SERIOUS HEALTH AND PUBLIC SAFETY CONSEQUENCES.

>> Mary: YOU'RE A FRESHMAN ON THE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE.

>> YES.

>> ary: YOU HELPED WRITE THIS BILL IN COMPROMISE, THAT ALMOST NEVER HAPPENS, BY THE WAY.

HOW DID YOU LAND THAT?

>> WHEN I RAN FOR OFFICE, I ALWAYS TALKED ABOUT RACIAL JUSTICE BEING, YOU KNOW, WHAT I'M HERE TO DO, AND THIS IS SUCH A CLEAR EXAMPLE OF BEING A RACIAL JUSTICE ISSUE.

AND I'M JUST SO GRATEFUL TO THE FOLKS WHO HAVE BEEN LEADING THIS AND CENTERING THAT, MAKING SURE THE FOLKS WHO HAVE BEEN HARMED THE MOST BY THE PROHIBITION, THAT'S NAMELY, BLACK MINNESOTANS, BLACK MEN, THAT WE'RE CENTERING THEM IN THIS PROCESS AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY CAN PARTICIPATE IN THIS MARKET, THAT WE EXPUNGE THOSE RECORDS, RIGHT THOSE WRONGS.

AND I'M SO PROUD OF THE FINAL BILL THAT WE HAVE.

>> Mary: LET'S PIVOT TO PUBLIC SAFETY, IT'S RELATED TO THIS, THERE'S A LOT OF SOCIAL JUSTICE IN PUBLIC SAFETY.

YOU TWO WERE BOTH INFLUENTIAL AND VOCAL ON THOSE BILLS.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY BILL?

>> WELL, I THINK PUBLIC SAFETY, JUDICIARY, WHICH CAME TOGETHER, THOSE ARE TWO SUBJECTS THAT SHOULD BE NONPARTISAN.

UNFORTUNATELY, -- AND THERE WERE A LOT OF PROVISIONS THAT WERE GOOD.

BUT, UNFORTUNATELY, THERE WERE SOME PRETTY PARTISAN PROVISIONS IN IT THAT WERE TOUGH FOR ME TO SUPPORT.

THERE'S A FUNDING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS TO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S CALLED BIAS INCIDENTS, BUT, REALLY, SWEEPS BROADLY ENOUGH TO COVER POLITICAL SPEECH.

I THINK THAT'S A DANGEROUS ROAD FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO GO DOWN.

THERE'S SOME GUN CONTROL PROVISIONS THAT I THINK ARE -- DON'T REALLY DO THAT MUCH TO ACTUALLY STOP CRIMINALS.

THEY JUST CREATE CRIMINALS OUT OF LAW-ABIDING GUN OWNERS.

AND THEN THERE WERE THINGS WE COULD HAVE DONE ABOUT ACTUAL GUN CRIME THAT ENDED UP GETTING DROPPED IN THE FINAL PRODUCT.

>> I THINK THE BILL'S TRANSFORMATIONAL.

I'M SO EXCITED.

I THINK WE -- WE PUT $880 MILLION IN THE JUDICIARY AND PUBLIC SAFETY BILL.

THERE IS SUPPORT TO ADDRESS, YOU KNOW, GUN VIOLENCE, SUPPORTING BEST PRACTICES TO KEEP LAW ENFORCEMENT AND COMMUNITIES THEY SERVE SAFE.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS, MAKING REFORMS THERE.

I JUST -- I THINK IT'S AMAZING.

AND I LOVE MY TIME ON THE COMMITTEE.

>> Mary: I THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE A FUN SEGMENT.

I'VE TALKED TO SOME TAFF ABOUT ADJECTIVES THEY WOULD USE TO DESCRIBE EACH OF YOU.

>> OH, NO.

>> Mary: LET'S SEE WHAT YOU THINK OF THEM.

REPRESENTATIVE NISKA, WHIP, SMART, HARD WORKER.

>> I TRY TO WORK HARD.

I TRY TO BRING SOME EXPERIENCE THAT I HAVE FROM, OU KNOW, OUTSIDE OF THIS PLACE AND A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE HERE.

AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE ARE VERY CAREFUL IN THE WORK THAT WE DO BECAUSE THE WORDS THAT WE'RE PUTTING INTO THE LAW REALLY HAVE HUGE CONSEQUENCES FOR THE FUTURE.

SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO -- >> Mary: SENATOR, INTELLIGENT, FEARLESS, CONFIDENT.

>> OOH, I LIKE THOSE!

[ Laughter ] I MEAN, IT'S JUST AN HONOR TO BE HERE AND I THINK FEARLESS REALLY STICKS OUT TO ME, JUST LIKE, I GOTTA FIGHT FOR MY COMMUNITY AND REALLY HONOR THE FOLKS WHO BROUGHT ME TO THIS PLACE.

>> Mary: WHAT ABOUT ONE OF THE BIG TOUGH BILLS AHEAD, TAXES, WE HAVE A RECORD LARGE SURPLUS, TAXES ARE BEING CUT AND TAXES ARE INCREASING.

WHAT'S YOUR SPIN ON BOTH THOSE?

>> YEAH.

I THINK WHEN I WENT OUT AND TALKED TO PEOPLE, WE HAD A MUCH SMALLER SURPLUS, PEOPLE WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW WE WERE GOING TO GET THE SURPLUS BACK IN THE HANDS OF MINNESOTANS, NOT ABOUT RAISING TAXES.

I WAS REALLY SURPRISED WHEN WE HAD A $17.5 BILLION SURPLUS THAT IT WAS A PARTISAN MESSAGE ON OUR SIDE NOT TO RAISE TAXES.

I'M NOT OR RAISING TAXES.

>> Mary: FINAL WORD ON TAXES?

>> WE ARE PASSING THE LARGEST TAX CUT IN STATE HISTORY.

IT'S AMAZING, AND WE'RE MAKING SURE WE'RE FOCUSING ON THE FOLKS WHO NEED IT THE MOST.

SO, I'M EXCITED TO SUPPORT THE BILL.

>> Mary: THANK YOU SO MUCH.