THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER.

APPRECIATE THAT.

>> MARY: THIS WEEK'S FIRST-TERM LAWMAKER ISN'T AFRAID TO REACH ACROSS THE AISLE, AND THE REPUBLICAN IS FROM A COMPETITIVE SUBURB WHERE A BIPARTISAN APPROACH MATTERS.

THE QUESTION WE START WITH EVERYONE, WHY DID YOU WANT TO RETURN FOR OFFICE?

>> HONESTLY, I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM SOMEBODY THAT SAID, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE MADE SOME DECISIONS AS A CITY COUNCILMEMBER, AS A CITY COUNCILMEMBER IN A SMALL CITY AND THEY SAID, YOU MADE THESE DECISIONS TO REPRESENT YOUR CITY.

YOU TOOK SOME HEAT FOR IT AND A FEW OTHER CITIES BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'D LOVE TO HAVE SOMEBODY THAT'S WILLING TO STAND UP FOR THEIR COMMUNITY.

GOT TO BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, WORK WITH EVERYBODY AND IT'S OKAY TO, YOU KNOW, VOTE WITH THE MAJORITY, IT'S OKAY TO VOTE WITH THE MINORITY AS LONG AS YOU EXPLAIN YOURSELF AND YOU MAKE YOURSELF ACCESSIBLE SO THAT YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO YOUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE THIS JOB TO ME IS SO MUCH PUBLIC SERVICE VERSUS -- I'M NOT THE MOST POLITICAL PERSON, I TAKE A LOT OF PRIDE IN KNOCKING ON THOSE DOORS TO TALK TO PEOPLE IF SOMETHING COMES TO ME AND I HAVE TO VOTE ON IT, I HAVE TO KNOW WHERE MY COMMUNITY WANTS ME TO BE.

>> Mary: YOUR COMMUNITIES IS COMPETITIVE, POLITICALLY, IS THAT FAIR?

>> IT'S ONE OF THE FEW SEATS THAT I HAVE, YOU KNOW, A DFL SENATOR AND I HAVE A DFL COUNTERPART ON THE OTHER SIDE, MAKES MY JOB MORE DIFFICULT BUT IT MAKES IT MUCH MORE REWARDING.

>> Mary: NOT A TON OF REPUBLICANS WON IN COMPETITIVE DISTRICTS WITH I ADFL SENATOR LIKE YOU.

>> I'M THE REPRESENTATIVE FOR 11 CITIES AND SO TO REALLY GET IN THERE AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THE CONCERNS ARE OF THE COMMUNITY AND, YEAH, YOU CAN LOOK AT SOME OF THOSE OVER-ARCHING EDUCATION, AFFORDABILITY, MENTAL HEALTH, BUT YOU'RE LSO LOOKING WITHIN YOUR PARTICULAR DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, THOSE HIGHWAY 7 SAFETY, YOU KNOW, THE PARKS AND TRAILS IN EXCELSIOR, CLEAN WATER ISSUES, I MEAN, ENVIRONMENT, I'VE GOT A BIG BEAUTIFUL LAKE IN LAKE MINNETONKA HERE AND WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE TO PROTECT THAT LAKE BOTH FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PURPOSES AND FOR ECONOMIC PURPOSES.

>> Mary: YOU TALKED ABOUT IT EARLIER, I THINK LOOKING AT YOUR VOTING RECORD AND SOME OF THE ISSUES YOU WORKED ON, SEEMS LIKE YOU WERE ABLE TO ACTUALLY MAKE FRIENDS ACROSS THE AISLE, BE BIPARTISAN.

THAT'S HARD, ISN'T IT?

>> IT IS.

I EAN, YOU KNOW, I WENT IN, AGAIN, NO IDEA WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE IN THE MAJORITIES, IN THE MINORITY.

I HEARD FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE SAYING, OH, MY GOSH, THE PACE, I'VE NEVER SEEN IT LIKE THIS AND 30 YEARS, OH, ISN'T THIS NORMAL?

BECAUSE THIS WAS ALL I KNOW.

I ASSUMED THAT WAS THE CASE AND, YOU KNOW, AS BILLS CAME THROUGH COMMITTEE, I SAW OPENINGS TO BE ABLE TO SAY, HEY, I THINK OPERATIONALLY, WE CAN DO THIS A LITTLE BIT BETTER AND I HAD SOME SUCCESS, YOU KNOW, I GOT SOME, YOU KNOW, AMENDMENTS ACCEPTED, I GOT SOME BILLS PASSED.

>> Mary: WHAT WOULD BE SIGNIFICANT?

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY WAS SOME OF THE MORE SIGNIFICANT BIPARTISAN WORK YOU WERE ABLE TO DO?

>> YOU KNOW, FOR ME, I THINK WE WERE 60, 70 AMENDMENTS IN AND THEY WEREN'T TAKING ANY AND THEN I WORKED REALLY HARD WITH SOMEBODY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AISLE AND ENDED UP GETTING THE FIRST AMENDMENT TAKEN.

SO PEOPLE WOULD KIND OF GO, HEY, IF YOU WANT TO GETS AMENDMENTS DONE, TALK TO MYERS, MAYBE HE CAN GET 'EM DONE.

SOMETHING SMALL, ON SICK AND SAFE TIME, PAID FAMILY LEAVE BUT I'M TRYING TO FIND THOSE AREAS THAT I CAN DO IT.

ANOTHER ONE WAS I CHIEF-AUTHORED THE KEEP IT CLEAN BILL WHICH, AGAIN, VERY SIMPLE CONCEPT THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR LITTER LAWS ARE NOT BEING ENFORCE >> ON OUR WATERS AND FROZEN LAKES, WE SEE IT ALL THE TIME IF LAKE MINNETONKA, POSTED ON DNR, BUILT THINK CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.

SO I WENT TO CHAIR HANSEN, HE SAID, YEP, LOVE THE IDEA, GIVE ME A COMMITTEE HEARING AND NOW DNR IS ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, WRITE TICKETS TO PEOPLE.

>> I SAT ON BONDING, I HAVE A REALLY GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH CHAIR LEE.

YOU KNOW, SOME -- OVER THERE, HE'S A FRESHMAN, AS WELL.

REPRESENTATIVE REYER, YOU'RE TESTIFYING SHARING WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO YOU AND HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS.

I WENT UP TO, YOU KNOW, CHAIR LEE'S OFFICE SEVERAL TIMES, SAT DOWN WITH HIM AND SAID, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LIKE TO LEARN FROM YOU A LITTLE BIT HOW THE PROCESS WORKS, WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO MY COMMUNITY.

>> Mary: AND YOU GOT SOME OF THE THINGS IMPORTANT TO YOUR COMMUNITY, DIDN'T YOU?

I MEAN, THAT WAS PRETTY SUCCESSFUL.

>> YEAH, SO WE HAVE A -- DEFINITELY HAVE WATER ISSUE IN ONE OF MY COMMUNITIES, MOUND, THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THE PREVIOUS REP MADE IT A PRIORITY, AS WELL, AND I THINK THERE WERE LOOKING FOR FUNDS FOR FOUR YEARS AND I ENDED UP GETTING $10.3 MILLION TO ADDRESS THAT CLEAN WATER.

>> Mary: WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST SURPRISE NOW THAT YOU DO HAVE A SESSION UNDER YOUR BELT?

>> IT'S OKAY TO NOT BRING TO THE LEGISLATURE SOME SORT OF EXPERTISE OR YEARS OF EXPERIENCE BUT IF YOU DO THAT, YOU'VE GOT TO BRING HUMILITY AND SAY, YOU KNOW -- I'LL USE AN EXAMPLE.

SMALL BUSINESS OWNER, YOU KNOW, I'M AN ATTORNEY, YOU KNOW, MEDIATOR, DO A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS BUT WHEN IT CAME TO EDUCATION, YEAH, I HAVE FOUR KIDS IN SCHOOL BUT I'M NOT AN EXPERT.

SO WHAT DID I DO, I TALKED TO MY SUPERINTENDENTS, PRINCIPALS, I SAID, WELL, YOU GUYS ARE THE EXPERTS, YOU GUYS ARE RUNNING VERY LARGE SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

WE SHOULD BE LEADING WITH BOOTS ON THE GROUND AND WHAT I SAW FROM SESSION WAS I THINK A LOT OF THE BOOTS ON THE GROUND WERE LEFT OUT.

I THINK THAT THERE WAS SOME HUMILITY THAT WAS MISSED AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE PUBLIC