>> Mary: WITH LAWMAKERS BACK FROM BREAK, IT'S THE PERFECT TIME TO CATCH UP WITH A COUPLE OF OUR FAVORITE FORMER LAWMAKERS.

THEY'RE BOTH SENATORS.

WE HAVE DEMOCRAT KARLA BIGHAM AND REPUBLICAN MICHELLE BENSON.

WELL, FIRST OF ALL, YOU GUYS SAW AT THE TOP OF THE SHOW THERE SENATE MAJORITY LEADER DZIEDZIC DOING HER FIRST TV INTERVIEW.

YOU BOTH KNOW HER REALLY WELL.

SHARE SOME YOUR REFLECTIONS ON HEARING HER SPEAK.

>> WELL, IT'S NOT EASY.

SHE'S AN EXTREMELY PRIVATE PERSON, I CAN IMAGINE HOW DIFFICULT NOT ONLY THE DIAGNOSIS WAS BUT THE PUBLICITY AROUND IT.

SHE IS SO STOIC AND YOU COULD TELL FROM THE INTERVIEW, SHE'S THE FIRST ONE HERE, LAST ONE TO GO HOME.

SHE'S REALLY FOCUSED ON UNITING PEOPLE AND PASSING GOOD POLICY.

AND I REALLY FEEL LIKE SHE ISN'T MISSING A BEAT, TO BE HONEST, LIKE THIS IS JUST WHO SHE -- YOU KNOW, WHO SHE IS AND WE WISH HER SO MUCH LOVE, SUPPORT, PRAYERS, NO MATTER THE FIGHT WITH KARI, I'M GOING TO BE THERE EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.

TWO OF YOU BOTH ARE REALLY KNOWN AS WORK HORSES, SEEN AS SIMILAR LAWMAKERS.

>> FIRST OF ALL, I WISH SENATOR DZIEDZIC ALL THE BEST.

I'VE MESSAGED HER AND, KARI, I UNDERSTAND WHY YOU'RE NOT GETTING BACK TO ME, YOU'VE GOT A LOT ON YOUR PLATE.

SHE NEEDS TO MAKE SURE THAT SHE'S TAKING CARE OF HERSELF.

BEING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF AN ELECTION CERTIFICATE THIS JOB IS VERY STRESSFUL.

AND I HOPE THAT AS MUCH AS SHE POURS HERSELF INTO HER WORK, SHE IS VERY SOLUTION DRIVEN, SHE'S FAIR, HE IS HARDWORKING, BUT I HOPE SHE IS DOING SOME GOOD SELF-CARE BECAUSE THIS IS A CRITICAL MOMENT IN ER LIFE WHEN SHE NEEDS TO PUT ERSELF FIRST AND THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO WILL RALLY AROUND HER ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE.

AND, SO, I HOPE SHE USES THOSE STRENGTHS IN HER PERSONALITY TO DRIVE TOWARDS SOLUTIONS AND GETTING THINGS DONE WITHOUT POURING HERSELF COMPLETELY OUT.

>> Mary: IT'S A REMINDER FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T LIVE AND WORK IN THIS BUILDING, IS HOW QUICKLY MANY LAWMAKERS HAVE TO TURN AROUND DURING CRISIS, DURING MEDICAL CHALLENGES.

YOU BOTH HAVE DONE IT.

>> YEAH.

WE'RE HUMAN.

YOU KNOW?

I MEAN, PEOPLE LOSE SPOUSES, LOSE, YOU KNOW, CHILDREN, THEY GET MARRIED.

>> Mary: BUT YOU HAVE TO BE HERE, DON'T YOU?

>> YOU GO THROUGH LIFE DOING THAT.

I MEAN, WE HAVE TO EAL WITH LIFE JUST AS WE'RE DEALING UP HERE AT A VERY HEAVY PACE.

>> Mary: AND IN THE SENATE YOU REALLY HAVE TO BE HERE.

>> NOBODY ELSE CAN PUSH YOUR BUTTON IN THE SENATE.

I HAD A C-SECTION ON A FRIDAY, CAME BACK TO WORK ON A MONDAY.

BUT MY HUSBAND SUPPORTED ME, MY MOM WAS THERE, THE ENTIRE CAUCUS MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR ME TO HAVE MY DAUGHTER WITH ME.

BUT YOU STILL NEED SOME SELF-CARE.

REMEMBER WEDNESDAY NIGHT CAUCUS, SOMEBODY TAPPING ME ON THE SHOULDER, AND SAID, YOU FELL ASLEEP, YOU SHOULD MAYBE GO HOME.

SO I HOPE SOMEBODY IS LOOKING OUT FOR KARI THE WAY THAT FOLKS LOOKED OUT FOR ME.

>> IT'S A FAMILY.

BOTH CAUCUSES, EVEN.

IT IS A FAMILY.

WE GIVE GRACE AND DEFERENCE ON THINGS LIKE THAT.

AND I KNOW PEOPLE ARE STEPPING UP.

>> Mary: THE HARDEST WORK REALLY IS STILL AHEAD.

>> CORRECT.

>> Mary: THE BUDGET.

RECORD BUDGET SURPLUS.

BUT SOME POLICY.

WHERE DO WE SEE MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION GOING RIGHT NOW?

OR NOT?

>> I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO GET TRACTION THIS YEAR.

I THINK THERE ARE TOO MANY OTHER THINGS THAT ARE BEING MOVED FORWARD.

SO IT NEEDS MORE WORK.

FOR SURE.

>> YEAH, I THINK IT'S PROBABLY SOMETHING THAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT YEAR.

I JUST THINK IT'S A HEAVY LIFT.

THERE'S A LOT OF ISSUES THAT STILL NEED TO BE IRONED OUT.

I MEAN, THIS IS A TYPE OF BILL THAT THE POLICY HAS TO BE SPOT ON.

AND YOU WANT TO DO IT RIGHT.

THIS ISN'T SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN JUST CLEAN UP LATER.

RIGHT?

AND THAT'S A PROBLEM.

AND, SO, THEY HAVE TO MAKE SURE THEY GET IT RIGHT.

I HAVE TO COMMEND SENATOR PORT, REPRESENTATIVE STEPHENSON FOR BRINGING IN THE STAKEHOLDERS AND WORKING TOGETHER, BUT I STILL THINK THERE'S WORK TO BE DONE.

>> Mary: AND IT WAS A NEW BILL FOR THE SENATE.

THE HOUSE HAD HEARD THIS AND DEALT WITH IT.

THE SENATE'S BEEN GOING THROUGH COMMITTEE.

IT'S BRAND-NEW FOR THAT CHAMBER.

THAT'S A SLOWER CHAMBER, TOO.

>> AND IT'S GOT TO BE AMENDED, FRANKLY, IT IS SUCH A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE THAT IF THEY DON'T PAUSE, THEY'RE GOING TO END UP DOING IT WRONG.

AND IT WILL HURT MINNESOTA.

IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT'S GOING ON IN COLORADO, THEY ACTUALLY SPEND MORE ON THE CONSEQUENCES OF MARIJUANA THAN THEY GET IN REVENUE.

AND, SO, LET'S GIVE MINNESOTANS A CHANCE TO REALLY SEE WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, BE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT THE DECISIONS ARE.

BUT I DON'T THINK MARIJUANA'S THE BIGGEST ISSUE.

WE'VE GOT TAX POLICY, WE'VE GOT CRIMINALS BEING LET OUT OF PRISON, THE JUDICIARY BILL, PUBLIC SAFETY BILL IS MOVING AND IT LETS PRISONERS OUT AT 50% OF THEIR TIME SERVED INSTEAD OF 2/3.

WE HAVE LITERACY COMPLETELY ABSENT FROM THE SENATE AND HOUSE EDUCATION BILLS, EVEN THOUGH THERE'S MASSIVE SPENDING.

SO, IF IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN THIS YEAR, LET'S SET MARIJUANA ASIDE AND FOCUS ON THE THINGS THAT A BUDGET IS SUPPOSED TO TAKE CARE OF.

>> Mary: THERE'S A LOT OF POLICY IN BUDGET BILLS.

>> THERE IS.

I WILL SAY THIS, THERE'S RECORD AMOUNT OF SPENDING ON EDUCATION TO CLOSE THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP AND TO HELP THE UNFUNDED MANDATES.

THERE'S PROPERTY TAX RELIEF.

THERE'S $3 BILLION WORTH OF TAX CUTS FOR THE HOMESTEAD CREDIT, FOR DEPENDENT CARE, FOR WORKING FAMILIES.

I MEAN, THESE TAX CUTS AND CREDITS ARE DIRECTED TOWARDS THE PEOPLE THAT NEED THEM THE MOST.

BUT THERE IS A LOT OF GAME LEFT TO PLAY.

>> Mary: PAID FAMILY LEAVE, DOES THAT GET THROUGH?

>> IT HAS OVER $IS00 -- $100 MILLION OF UNFUNDED MANDATES TO LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND GOVERNMENT.

>> Mary: IT'S GOING TO PASS?

>> IT NEEDS TO PASS BECAUSE FAMILIES ARE DEPENDING ON IT.

AND IT IS WHAT -- IT'S WIDELY POPULAR AND IT IS STUFF THAT YOU HEAR EVERY DAY FROM CONSTITUENTS.

>> BUT IF YOU LISTEN TO THE SUPERINTENDENT IN STILLWATER, THE SUPERINTENDENT IN BURNSVILLE, THEY'RE REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT HOW MUCH IT'S GOING TO COST THEIR SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED IN WASHINGTON, IT'S NOT ACTUARIALLY SOUND.

THEY KEEP RAISING THE RATES IN ORDER TO MEET THE OBJECTIVE.

SO LET'S NOT MAKE THOSE MISTAKES.

WE CAN DO A SHRUNK-DOWN VERSION THAT ACTUALLY WORKS.

BUT IT'S GOING TO TAKE SOME COMPROMISE TO GET THAT DONE.

>> Mary: SPORTS BETTING, IT'S SOMETHING YOU CARED A LOT ABOUT OVER THE YEARS.

>> I THINK IT'S ONE OF THE THOSE THINGS THAT COULD SNEAK IN AT THE END.

YES, THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN, TOO.

AGAIN, THERE ARE OTHER PRIORITIES.

BUT I DO THINK IT IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN.

AS DOES CANNABIS.

DOES -- AS DOES PAID FAMILY LEAVE, AS DOES THE TAX CUTS THAT PEOPLE ARE REALLY REALLY WAITING FOR.

>> I WOULD HOPE THAT WE FOCUS - ON ACTUALLY GETTING LITERACY INTO OUR SCHOOLS.

SPORTS BETTING IS FINE.

IT WASN'T SOMETHING I EVER FOUGHT AGAINST.

>> Mary: IT'S BEEN BIPARTISAN, ISN'T IT?

>> OR CARED ABOUT.

BUT, REALLY, WE HAVE THE NATION'S LARGEST OPPORTUNITY GAP, WE HAVE SCHOOLS THAT ARE NOT PERFORMING AT STANDARD, AND THERE'S NOTHING IN THE BILLS TO CHANGE THAT.

>> Mary: WE'RE OUT OF TIME.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> RECORD AMOUNT OF EDUCATION GETTING SPENT TO CLOSE THE