AN ELECTION TO DONALD TRUMP.

♪♪ >> Mary: WELL, AS THE STANDOFF PERSISTS HERE IN THE HOUSE, WE'VE BEEN CALLING IN FORMER LEADERS, AND TONIGHT WE HAVE REPUBLICAN KURT DAUDT, WHO HELD THE GAVEL AT THE FRONT OF THE CHAMBER AS A FORMER SPEAKER.

WELCOME, Mr. SPEAKER.

>> THOSE WERE THE DAYS.

>> Mary: RIGHT.

DO YOU MISS IT?

>> NO, NOT RIGHT NOW.

>> Mary: NOT RIGHT NOW.

WHAT YOU WHAT WOULD YOU -- WHAT WOULD YOU DO IN THIS POSITION, WITH HALF OF THE CHAMBER MISSING?

>> I THINK REPUBLICANS ARE DOING WHAT THEY SHOULD DO.

SHOW UP EVERY DAY.

THEY'RE ONLY EXPECTING TO HAVE AN ELECTION FOR SPEAKER ON THE FIRST DAY, RIGHT?

THAT'S NOT UNREASONABLE, THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENED ON THE FIRST DAY OF SESSION.

>> Mary: WHICH THEY CAN DO WITH 66 VOTES.

>> I THINK IT HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST ONCE.

>> Mary: AT LEAST TWICE.

>> I THINK THEY'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING.

I THINK NOW THERE'S A HIGH-STAKES CHESS GAME GOING ON HERE.

AND DEMOCRATS HAVE TO DECIDE, ARE THEY GOING TO TRY TO STAY OUT FOR SEVEN WEEKS JUST TO PREVENT REPUBLICANS FROM ELECTING SOMEBODY SPEAKER?

>> Mary: AND WE CAN'T EVEN SAY SEVEN WEEKS FOR SURE, BECAUSE THAT WAS BASED ON A SPECIAL ELECTION THAT HAS NOT BEEN CALLED YET.

>> CORRECT.

>> Mary: AND CAN'T BE CALLED, RIGHT, UNTIL THEY'RE IN SESSION?

DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT PART OF -- >> WELL, I THINK THE GOVERNOR POTENTIALLY COULD INTERPRET THAT SESSION DID START ON THE 14th OF JANUARY.

AND THAT BOTH HOUSES ARE IN SESSION.

EVEN HOUGH THIS CHAMBER'S NOT ORGANIZED YET.

THEY STILL DID GAVEL IN.

>> Mary: IS THE SENATE ENOUGH FOR HIM TO PULL THE TRIGGER ON IT.

>> IT SAYS THE LEGISLATURE.

AND, IF YOU READ IT, IT'S 22 DAYS AFTER THAT THE GOVERNOR CAN THEN CALL THE ELECTION, AND HE HAS TO DO IT WITHIN 35 DAYS, THAT'S WHERE YOU GET THAT SEVEN WEEKS.

>> Mary: WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE TWO MESSAGES WE'RE HEARING, VERY DIFFERENT MESSAGES, SPEAKER HORTMAN HAS BEEN SAYING, WE'RE GETTING VERY CLOSE, THERE RE MAKING -- THEY'RE MAKING PROGRESS.

SPEAKER DEMUTH IS SAYING, NO, THIS ISN'T GOING WELL.

>> FROM WHAT I'M HEARING ON THE INSIDE, THEY'RE NOT MAKING PROGRESS.

AND I THINK THAT MELISSA', YOU KNOW, SPEAKER HORTMAN, IS, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, AKING ON WATER.

I THINK SHE'S GOING TO HAVE TROUBLE -- I THINK SHE'S ALREADY HAVING TROUBLE KEEPING HER OWN CAUCUS TOGETHER AND KEEPING THEM OUT OF HERE.

I THINK HER MEMBERS WANT TO COME BACK AND GET TO WORK.

AND THE LONGER THIS GOES ON, THE MORE DIFFICULT THAT GETS.

IT'S REALLY GOING TO TEST HER LEADERSHIP ABILITY TO HOLD THEM TOGETHER AND I THINK THE LONGER IT GOES, HE MORE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO QUESTION THAT STRATEGY.

AND I -- I DON'T KNOW IF I AGREE WITH IT.

IT'S -- THIS IS A HIGH-STAKES GAME THAT SHE'S PLAYING.

>> Mary: AND IT'S A HIGH-STAKES GAME TO SAY YOU'RE NOT GOING TO SEAT A MEMBER WHO WON THROUGH A RECOUNT, WON THROUGH JUDICIAL DECISION, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BRAD TABKE SEAT.

>> YEAH.

>> Mary: WHICH IS THE REASON DEMOCRATS WON'T COME OUT.

>> RIGHT.

I UNDERSTAND THAT.

I THINK THEY HAVE A CASE TO SAY, HEY, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, 14-VOTE MARGIN AND 20 VOTES MISSING, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE COURT SAID, YOU KNOW, MORE THAN LIKELY HE WOULD HAVE WON THAT RACE.

BUT WE DON'T KNOW THAT.

AND JUST, IN THE SAME WAY THAT DEMOCRATS' ARGUMENT RIGHT NOW IS, WELL, WE NEED TO RESPECT THE WILL OF THE VOTERS, THEY'RE TRYING TO PRETEND LIKE THERE'S A TIE IN THIS CHAMBER RIGHT NOW.

THERE'S A VACANT SEAT, AND WHILE THEY MAY WELL IN IT, WE SHOULD RESPECT THE WILL OF THE VOTERS AND ACTUALLY LET THE ELECTION HAPPEN AND LET THE VOTERS DECIDE WHO'S GOING TO REPRESENT THAT DISTRICT.

BECAUSE I REMEMBER, AND I WISH I COULD REMEMBER THE YEAR RIGHT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT WE WON A SPECIAL ELECTION IN BLOOMINGTON AFTER ANN LENCZEWSKI RETIRED THAT NOBODY THOUGHT THAT WE COULD WIN.

SO, WE SHOULD LET THE VOTERS DECIDE.

AND RIGHT NOW THE HOUSE IS NOT TIED.

>> Mary: YOU'RE NOT THINKING IT'S A GIVEN IN ROSEVILLE, DESPITE A HUGE MARGIN?

>> NO.

WELL, WE WON ANN LENCZEWSKI'S SEAT AFTER SHE RETIRED AND NOBODY THOUGHT WE COULD DO THAT.

WE ONLY HELD IT FOR A SHORT TIME BUT IT IS POSSIBLE.

YOU KNOW A SPECIAL ELECTION IS DIFFERENT THAN A GENERAL ELECTION.

>> Mary: VERY SMALL TURNOUT.

SO WE THOUGHT MAYBE THE SUPREME COURT STEPPING IN WOULD CHANGE THINGS.

IT DIDN'T CHANGE THINGS YET.

WHAT BREAKS THE LOG JAM HERE IF THAT DIDN'T DO IT?

>> IT DIDN'T.

YOU KNOW, THERE IS A SECTION, I BROUGHT A COPY OF THE CONSTITUTION -- >> Mary: NOT THE FIRST FORMER LEADER TO BRING THE CONSTITUTION.

I LOVE NERDING OUT.

YES, GO FOR IT.

>> RIGHT.

BUT ARTICLE IV, SECTION 13, THE SAME SECTION THAT TALKS ABOUT A QUORUM, THE MAJORITY OF EACH HOUSE CONSTITUTES A QUORUM TO TRANSACT BUSINESS, COULD MA, BUT A SMALLER NUMBER MAY JUDGED AWRN FROM DAY TO DAY AND COMPEL THE ATTENDANCE OF ABSENT MEMBERS IN THE MANNER AND UNDER THE PENALTIES IT MAY PROVIDE.

RIGHT NOW, STEVE SIMON IS COMING IN, SECRETARY OF STATE, AND CONVENING THE SESSION EVERY DAY.

BUT HE'S NOT ALLOWING THE REPUBLICAN MEMBERS, THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO ADJOURN THE SESSION.

HE DOESN'T HAVE THE RIGHT OR THE ABILITY TO DO THAT.

>> ary: AND THAT COULD BE THE NEXT LAWSUIT.

WE DID HEAR -- >> I CAN ALMOST GUARANTEE IT THAT THEY WILL GO TO COURT.

>> Mary: REPRESENTATIVE DEMUTH SAID THAT'S THE NEXT THING, THEY'RE GOING TO COURT.

>> THEY ALSO GET TO MAKE MOTIONS ON THE FLOOR, ON THE LAST PART OF THAT, WHICH IS THAT A SMALLER NUMBER MAY COMPEL THE ATTENDANCE OF THE ABSENT MEMBERS IN THE MANNER AND UNDER THE PENALTIES WHICH IT MAY PROVIDE.

RIGHT?

SO THEY GET TO DECIDE HOW THEY'LL -- THEY'RE GOING TO FORCE THOSE DEMOCRATS TO COME IN AND DO THEIR JOB.

>> Mary: HOW MUCH LONGER, WEEKS, MONTHS?

DAYS?

>> I'D BE SURPRISED IF IT GOES SEVEN WEEKS.

BUT IT SEEMS RIGHT NOW LIKE EVERYBODY'S DUG IN.

IT WILL BE HISTORY.

EITHER WAY.

>> Mary: IT IS.