POLITICAL WEEK.

MINNESOTA WAS ONE OF 16 STATES CHOOSING PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES BY PARTY ON SUPER TUESDAY, PRESIDENT BIDEN DELIVERED HIS STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS ON THURSDAY, AND LEGISLATORS WERE BUSY ALL WEEK LONG AT THE STATE CAPITOL.

SO MANY TOPICS FOR OUR PANEL TO TACKLE TONIGHT.

WE'VE GATHERED A GROUP OF FORMER AND SOON-TO-BE-FORMER LAWMAKERS TO FILL THE COUCH.

DEMOCRATS UP FIRST.

JEFF HAYDEN IS A FORMER STATE SENATOR NOW LOBBYIST.

FORMER STATE SENATOR IS ALSO A LABEL YOU CAN ATTACH TO SUSAN KENT.

REPUBLICANS JOINING US TONIGHT, FORMER SENATE MAJORITY LEADER AMY KOCH.

AND ROUNDING OUT THE GROUP TONIGHT, STATE REPRESENTATIVE PAT GAROFALO, WHO RECENTLY ANNOUNCED HE WILL BE RETIRING AFTER THIS SESSION.

SENATOR HAYDEN, LET'S TALK SUPER TUESDAY FOR A MOMENT HERE.

46,000 DEMOCRATS VOTED UNCOMMITTED, THAT'S ABOUT 20%, AND I WAS TALKING TO GOVERNOR WALZ EARLIER IN THE WEEK ON MPR, AND HE KIND OF BRUSHED OFF ANY THOUGHTS THAT IT COULD BE ISSUES, SAID IT WAS JUST A MATTER OF PEOPLE EXERCISING -- IT WAS A MATTER OF DEMOCRACY, EXERCISING THEIR RIGHT TO SEND A MESSAGE TO THE PRESIDENT BUT I'M WONDERING, ARE THERE ANY STORM CLOUDS ON THE HORIZON BECAUSE OF THAT NUMBER?

>> WELL, I THINK THERE COULD BE AND A LOT OF THOSE UNCOMMITMENTED VOTERS WERE PEOPLE WHO I REPRESENTED.

IF YOU GO LOOK AT THE PRECINCTS N SOUTH MINNEAPOLIS AND OTHER VERY PROGRESSIVE PLACES SO I THINK THAT THERE COULD BE SOME STORM CLOUDS.

I THOUGHT THAT THE PRESIDENT YESTERDAY STARTED TO ALLEVIATE E STORM CLOUDS.

I THINK HE'S GOING TO BE MUCH MORE AGGRESSIVE IN GAZA, BUT WHAT I'M WORRIED ABOUT IS THAT IT STARTS WITH THIS KIND OF ISSUE OF GADA AND IT STARTS TO TURN INTO OTHER THINGS HAT PEOPLE ESPECIALLY PROGRESSIVES ARE UPSET ABOUT, SO I OULD BE WORRIED AND PAY CLOSE ATTENTION.

>> Cathy: WHAT DO THE REPUBLICAN FRIENDS THINK ABOUT THIS?

>> WELL, SO, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY SURPRISE THAT PRESIDENT BIDEN, FORMER PRESIDENTS TRUMP WERE THE WINNERS IN THE PRIMARY BUT BOSS OF THEM, INCLUDING 20% UNCOMMITTED VOTING AGAINST HIM, NOT A WORRY FOR THE PRIMARY.

THEY EASILY SAILED THROUGH THE PRIMARY.

THE QUESTION S WILL THOSE UNCOMMITTED THAT DIDN'T VOTES FOR PRESIDENT BIDEN, COME HOME, VOTE FOR HIM IN THE GENERAL, BECAUSE IF THEY DO NOT, HE'S GOT A MASSIVE PROBLEM.

AND THE SAME CAN BE APPLIED TO FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP BECAUSE ALMOST 30% VOTED FOR IN THIS CASE KEY HALEY AND WHERE WILL THOSE VOTERS GO.

THEY WON THE PRIMARIES BUT REALLY ABOUT THE GENERAL ELECTION NOW.

>> Eric: DO YOU SENSE A POLITICAL ATTITUDE AMONG THE VOTER THAT WE DON'T WANT THESE TWO GUYS RUNNING AGAIN, WHAT'S OUTS THERE AS FAR AS THESE TWO FELLOWS ARE CONCERNED?

>> I DO THINK THAT IN OUR SOCIETY NOW, EVERYBODY WANTS THE NEW THING AND WE WANT SOMETHING DIFFERENT, AND THIS IS A LITTLE HISTORIC THAT WE'RE IN THIS POSITION.

BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK LAST NIGHT WITH THE STATE OF THE UNION, I THINK IT REALLY SET AN IMPORTANT TONE.

I THINK NOW THAT IT REALLY DOES COME TO THESE TWO PEOPLE AND YOU CAN COMPARE TRUMPS PRESIDENCY AND BIDEN'S, I THINK PEOPLE WILL -- WHO WOULD BE BIDEN SUPPORTERS, HAVE BEEN BUY DEB SUPPORTERS IN THE PAST LARGELY WILL COME BACK.

I THINK THE REASON THE NUMBERS WERE THE WAY THEY WERE ON TUESDAY IS BECAUSE A LOT OF DEMOCRATS WHO WOULD HAVE SUPPORTED BIDEN KNEW HE WAS GOING TO BE SAFE AND PROBABLY DIDN'T I THE TURNOUT WAS LOPSIDED BETWEEN REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS AND I THINK IT WILL WORK OUT OKAY.

>> Eric: DID SOME DEMOCRATS VOTE FOR NIKKI HALEY?

>> DON'T KNOW, WE'LL FIND OUT WHAT THE DATA COMES OUT BUT I THINK THE IMPORTANT THING TO KNOW IS THESE CANDIDATES FOR PRESIDENT ARE HISTORIC.

THEY'RE HISTORICALLY OLD, OKAY?

WE HAVE A 77-YEAR-OLD ONE-TERM PRESIDENT RUNNING AGAINST AN 81-YEAR-OLD ONE-TERM PRESIDENT.

AND THE PUBLIC OVERWHELMINGLY ARE TELLING PEOPLE RIGHT NOW, THEY WOULD PREFER TO HAVE OTHER CHOICES, AND THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO GET.

WE'RE GOING TO GET TRUMP VERSUS BIDEN AND THE FACTOR IS GOING TO BE THE YOUNG AND SPRY, 70-YEAR-OLD ROBERT KENNEDY RUNNING THE INDEPENDENCE CAM MAINLY.

SO HOW THAT AS AN INDEPENDENT CAMPAIGN, HOW HE OES, WHO DOES HE TAKE FROM, THE TRADITIONAL REPUBLICAN VOTERS, DEMOCRAT VOTERS?

THAT'S GOING TO BE ONE OF THE FACTORS IN THE UPCOMING ELECTION, BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT, THE COUNTRY IS HISTORICALLY DIVIDED 50-50, THIS IS GOING TO BE A CLOSE RACE.

>> Cathy: SOME DEMOCRATS STAYED HOME, HOW WILL THAT AFFECT THE DOWN-BALLOT RACES.

ALL 134 SEATS ARE UP IN THE HOUSE.

>> THAT GETS -- REPRESENTATIVE GAROFALO CAN TALK ABOUT THAT, THAT'S GOING TO BE DISTRICT BY DISTRICT.

THE SUBURBS, A COUPLE SEATS IN GREATER MINNESOTA SO I DON'T KNOW, LIKE, IN A GENERAL ELECTION, I WOULD LIKE THAT AT -- OR STATEWIDE ELECTION BUT THOSE HOUSE SEATS N PARTICULAR, I THINK THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE MUCH MORE LOCALIZED IN TERMS OF IF THE GOP CAN FLIP THE HOUSE.

>> RIGHT, THE BIGGER ISSUE, THE TOP OF THE TICKET CERTAINLY MATTERS BUT IN MINNESOTA, THE DFL HAS TOTAL CONTROL OF GOVERNMENT BUT IN THE LEGISLATURE THEY HAVE VERY SLIM MAJORITIES.

AND HISTORICALLY, IT IS DEBATE IN MINNESOTA HAS ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT ARE WHICH A SETTLE LEFT OR A CENTER RIGHT STATE?

THAT'S BEEN ONE OF THE CAMPAIGN STRATEGIES.

NOW IN THE LAST EAR, WE'VE SEEN A NEW STRATEGY AND THAT IS THAT MINNESOTA SAY HARD LEFT, FAR LEFT STATE, OREGON, CALIFORNIA, AND THAT'S THE REFERENDUM THAT'S BEFORE MINNESOTANS, SO IN RURAL AREAS, REPUBLICANS WILL PICK UP SEATS BUT HOW WILL WE DO IN THE SECOND-TIER SUBURBS?

THE GOOD NEWS IS, THE SECOND TIER VOTERS DON'T LIKE BIDEN IN THE FAR LEFT AGENERAL DAMP THE BAD NEWS IS THEY DON'T LIKE TRUMP AND THEY DON'T LIKE THE FAR RIGHT AGENDA SO HOW THOSE SECOND TIER SUBURBS PLAY OUT WILL DECIDES.

>> Eric: AS SOMEBODY WHO REPRESENTED THE SUBURBS, WHAT DO YOU THINK?

>> I THINK THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE A VERY BIG YEAR.

I THINK THAT SUBURBAN WOMEN AND MEN AND YOUNG VOTERS IN PARTICULAR ARE VERY -- THIS WILL BE MINNESOTA'S FIRST SORT OF REAL-TIME POST DOBBS TO WAY IN ON SOME OF THOSE ISSUES.

IVF IN ALABAMA HAS BEEN A BIG EE ARE NERVOUS ABOUT CONTRACEPTION NOW AND RIGHT LIE SO, NOT TO MENTION EVERYTHING ELSE THAT'S GOING ON AND I THINK, GAIN, ONCE WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT THE TWO OPTIONS, AND THE PART -- THE FACT THAT ELECTED REPUBLICANS AT ALL LEVELS HAVE ENABLED THE MAGA ATTITUDES AND EXTREME POSITIONS, I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO SEE SUBURBAN PEOPLE SAY, NO, WE'RE NOT HAVING ANY PARTS OF THAT AND WE WANT TO TAKE CARE OF THE ISSUES THAT CALIFORNIA CARE OF MINNESOTANS.

>> Eric: WANT TO FOCUS WITH THE REPUBLICANS FOR A SECOND BECAUSE THE REPUBLICAN VOTES WILL BE NEEDED FOR THIS NEAR BILLION-DOLLAR BONDING BILL THAT'S CONTEMPLATED.

11 VOTES ARE NEEDED IN THE HOUSE, SENATE NEEDS TO PROVIDE, REPUBLICANS HAVE TO PROVIDE, HOW IS THAT GOING TO FIT INTO IT IS INDEPENDENCE OF SESSION STUFF?

>> YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT -- I ACTUALLY THINK THEY'LL COME TO A BONDING BILL BECAUSE IT IS AN ELECTION YEAR AND BOTH SIDES HAVE PROJECTS AND THEY CAME UP WITH LAST YEAR AND THE REPUBLICANS BROUGHT UP SOME VOTES, BUT I THINK THAT THE LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY SPENT, $17 BILLION SURPLUS, REALLY SPENT AN ADDITIONAL $3 BILLION OR -- AROUND 3 BILL EXTRA NOW, WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH THAT.

I THINK THE SPENDING ISSUE IS GOING TO BE FRONT AND CENTER FOR BOTH SIDES OF THE CAMPAIGN, RIGHT, THE DEMOCRATS ARE GOING TO TOUT ABOUT ALL THE THINGS THAT THEY INVESTED IN AND THE GOOD THINGS THEY DID AND THE REPUBLICANS ARE GOING TO SAY, $18 BILLION, MY GOODNESS, WHERE DID IT GO, AND BONDING WILL BE A PART OF THAT BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO BE A SMALLER PART OF A BICKER CONVERSATION.

>> Eric: IF I DID MY MATH RIGHT, 11 VOTES WILL BE NEEDED FROM THE REPUBLICAN HOUSE CAUCUS.

WHAT WILL BE THE PRICE FOR THOSE 11?

INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS OR SOME BROADER ISSUE?

>> WHAT DO YOU NEED?

[Laughter] >> NO, I THINK IF I WAS A BETTING MAN, AND I AM A BETTING MAN, I WOULD SAY WE'RE PROBABILITY NOT GOING TO HAVE A BONDING BILL THIS YEAR AND THE REASON WHY IS THAT LAST SESSION, THE BUDGETS WAS INCREASED BY 36.5%.

36.5%.

NO STATE IN THE COUNTRY INCREASED SPENDING AS MUCH AS THE DEMOCRATS IN MINNESOTA DID.

AND BECAUSE OF THAT, NOW WE'RE SHOCKED, SHOCKED, TO FIND OUT THAT OUR BUDGET IN THE TAILS IS UPSIDE DOWN.

EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE ASSUMING THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE CUTTING SPENDING, WE STILL HAVE REVENUES COMING IN BELOW SPENDING -- >> Eric: THIS IS A FEW YEARS IN THE FUTURE.

>> THE NEXT BUDGET, SO THIS IS GOING TO BE A POTION-ELECTION PROBLEM BUT EOPLE WHO ARE LOOKING AT THINGS UNDERSTAND THAT EVEN IF THE ECONOMY CONTINUES TO GROW, MINNESOTA'S BUDGET IS ALL MESSED UP AND IT'S VERY HARD FOR US AS CONSERVATIVES TO MAKE THE CASE THAT MINNESOTA GOVERNMENT'S TOO BIG, SPENDS TOO MUCH MONEY, IF WE'RE OUT THERE RACKINGUP THE STATE'S CREDIT CARD.

>> Eric: NEW DFL LEADERSHIP TEAM IN THE SENATE.

IS THE SENATE MOVING ALONG WELL OR -- >> YEAH, THINK THE -- SENATOR MURPHY SEEMS TO BE SETTLING IN.

SHE'S A VETERAN OF LEADERSHIP SO SHE UNDERSTANDS ABOUT LEADERSHIP.

SENATOR CHAMPION SEEMS TO BE RUNNING THE SENATE SMOOTHLY AS A ALWAYS HAS DONE.

THEY HAVE SOME NEW AND YOUNGER FACES IN ON THE STAFF BUT I'VE BEEN WALKING AROUND AND TALKING AND THINGS SEEM TO BE WELL.

>> Eric: WHY ALL OF THIS BILL INTRODUCTION, RECORD PACE.

IS IT EARLY DEADLINES OR BONDING PROJECTS?

>> I THINK A LITTLE BIT OF EARLY DEADLINES, THE DEADLINES FOR ALL THE NERDS OUT THERE, USUALLY THE FIRST DEADLINE COMES AND A WEEK LATER IS THE SECONDS, THEY'RE BOTH PILED UP ON MARCH 22 GOALTEND.

SO I THINK YOU'VE HAD SORT OF A RUSH THIS YEAR, FEELS LIKE A VERY SHORTS SESSION.

>> Cathy: THE S.R.O.

BILL CAME UP FOR VOTE, 124 TO 8, WERE THOSE 8 DFLers?

WHAT HAPPENED THERE.

>> THIS IS A PROBLEM WE'RE SEEING IN BOTH PARTIES, S YOU EVER LARGER AND LARGER NUMBERS OF FRINGE CANDIDATES AND MEMBERS OF BOTH PARTIES AND SO ON THAT SIDES, THE DEMOCRATS NEEDED REPUBLICANS O VOTE FOR THE BILL, WHICH WE DID, WE UNANIMOUSLY VOTED IN FAVOR OF IT TO GET OUR SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS BACK INTO THE CLASSROOMS.

AND, AGAIN, THESE PROBLEMS EXIST ON THE LEFT AND THE RIGHT BUT ON THE LEFT RIGHT NOW, THERE'S THE DFL AND THEN THERE'S THE DSA, THE DEMOCRATS SOCIALISTS OF AMERICA.

THE DSA IN THEIR PLATFORM SAYS THEY WANT NO LAW ENFORCEMENT PRESENCE AT ALL IN CLASSROOMS AND THOSE EIGHT MEMBERS ALIGNED THEMSELVES WITH THAT.

BUT, AGAIN, THE IMPORTANT THING IS WE GOT TOGETHER, WE HELPED FIX THE MATTER, NOW IT'S OVER IN THE SENATE AND IT WILL BE A GOOD THING TO GET THE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS BACK IN SCHOOLS.

>> Cathy: WE SHOULD PROBABLY ASK ABOUT THIS.

GOING BACK HERE TO SUPER TUESDAY, SO, DEAN PHILLIPS DROPPED OUT.

WHAT'S HIS FUTURE?

GIVEN EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENED?

>> WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT THAT.

>> Cathy: I BET YOU WERE.

>> THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION AND I -- YOU KNOW, HE'S TALENTED AND THIS HAS BEEN AN INTERESTING ADVENTURE AND I WILL BE INTERESTED TO SEE WHAT HE DOES.

>> YOU KNOW WHAT, I THINK POLITICAL MEMORIES ARE SHORT AND I ALSO THINK IF DONALD TRUMP WINS AND PRESIDENT BIDEN LOSES, I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GOING SEE DEAN PHILLIPS AND SAY, WELL, THAT'S WHAT HE SAID WOULD HAPPEN.

>> I THOUGHT HE WAS GOING TO GO HOME AND HAVE AN OLD FASHIONED.

>> AS THE GODFATHER OF BETHING IN MINNESOTA, IS IT GOING TO PASS?

30 SECONDS LEFT.

>> I THINK IT IS AND HERE'S WHY.

I HAVE A SECRET WEAPON, I HAVE A SECRET WEAPON AND I'M GOING TO TALK TO THE CAMERA AND TELL YOU.

EVERYONE KNOWS I'M NOT RUNNING FOR REELECTION, DFL MEMBERS IF YOU DON'T PASS SPORTS GAMBLING THIS YEAR, I'M GOING TO RESCINDS MY RETIRING AND COME BACK.

>> DO IT TO KEEP PAT OUT.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

>> I LOVE IT.