THANKS.

[Applause] >> ERIC: WAS THE END OF THE 2024 LEGISLATIVE SESSION THE MOST CHAOTIC EVER?

WE'VE ASSEMBLED A GROUP OF FORMER LEGISLATIVE LEADERS TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION AND MORE.

REPUBLICANS UP FIRST TONIGHT, KURT DAUDT IS A FORMER SPEAKER OF THE MINNESOTA HOUSE.

MICHELLE BENSON WAS A DEPUTY MAJORITY LEADER IN THE SENATE.

DEMOCRATS WITH US TONIGHT, JEFF HAYDEN, ALSO A DEPUTY MAJORITY LEADER IN THE SENATE.

AND WE WELCOME BACK SUSAN KENT WHO SERVED AS SENATE MINORITY LEADER.

SENATOR BENSON, THIS HAPPENS IN THE HOUSE PERIODICALLY BUT THE SENATE!!

>> I KNOW.

IT WAS -- >> Eric: WHAT?

>> IT WAS A TERRIBLE NIGHT FOR THE SENATE.

>> Eric: WHAT HAPPENED?

>> I THINK THE MITCHELL ISSUE AND THE FACT THAT THERE WAS AN 11-HOUR GAP ON SATURDAY WHERE NO NEGOTIATIONS, THE MINORITY WASN'T INVOLVED.

AND I HAD THE MIXED BLESSING OF ALWAYS HAVING A GOVERNOR OF A DIFFERENT PARTY WHEN WE WERE IN THE MAJORITY AND SO YOU HAD TO PAY ATTENTION TO SOME OF THOSE OTHER VOICES, AND THERE HAD TO BE A PROCESS BECAUSE YOU WEREN'T GOING TO GET ANYTHING ACROSS THE FINISH LINE IF THE GOVERNOR DIDN'T SAY, ALL RIGHT, I'LL CHOKE IT DOWN BUT YOU GOT DO THIS FOR ME.

SO IT WAS -- IT WAS VERY DIFFERENT AND THAT FORCED SOME DECORUM BECAUSE THE EN NORTH HAD A LOT MORE STRENGTH WITH THE GOVERNOR OF THEIR PARTY.

>> Eric: I WANT TO GO DOWN THE LINE AND CLEAN UP WITH SPEAKER DAUDT.

YOUR THOUGHTS FOR HE SAKE OF THE SENATE.

>> YEAH, I THINK THE DECORUM HAD BEEN KIND OF GOING DOWN OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, MAYBE THAT STARTED WITH COVID WHEN PEOPLE DIDN'T GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER AND THEY WEREN'T THERE, THERE IS A LOT OF COVID FRESHMEN, NOT TO BLAME IT ON THEM, BUT I THINK THE COLLEGIALNESS OF THIS PROCESS HAS KIND F FADED SINCE COVID AND I THINK THAT SENATOR BENSON SAID IT'S RIGHT, LIKE THERE WERE A LOT OF THINGS THEY NEEDED TO GET DONE AND THERE WAS A BIG GAP ON SATURDAY.

AND LET'S JUST SAY THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF TALKING GOING ON AND I THINK THAT HE HOUSE SHOWED THE KIND OF FILIBURGER, LIKE 52 HOURS OWN A PARTICULAR ISSUE, SO THAT WAS GOING ON, AS WELL.

I WANT TO POINT OUT.

>> YEAH, I ACTUALLY WAS OUT OF TOWN THIS PAST WEEKEND SO I JUST WATCHED TODAY AND IT WAS DISGRACEFUL.

IT WAS REALLY DISAPPOINTING AS THOSE OF US HO HAVE LOVED THAT INSTITUTION AND WORKED HARD THERE BUT I AGREE WITH JEFF, I THINK -- I WOULD SAY SOME OF THIS IS THAT SOME OF THE STUFF WE'RE SEEING IN WASHINGTON MAKES IT WAY TO St. PAUL AND THAT'S UNFORTUNATE.

I THINK THERE WAS A LOT OF DELAY THAT HAPPENED, YOU KNOW, BEFORE ANY OF THIS, THAT DOESN'T GET PICKED UP, NOBODY HEARS ABOUT THAT AND SO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE TRYING TO GOVERN, YOU GOT TO MOVE, YOU GOT TO GET STUFF DONE AND WE ARE EEING THERE IS A PARTY THAT IS INTO CHAOS AND OBSTRUCTION IN WASHINGTON AND HERE BUT I WILL SAY, I'VE THOUGHT ABOUT YOU, SENATOR BENSON, I CAN'T MA'AM YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES THAT WE SERVED WITH DOING ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

>> Cathy: NOW, SPEAKER DAUDT, IT HAS HAPPENED PERIODICALLY IN THE SENATE -- >> Eric: IN THE HOUSE.

>> Cathy: EXCUSE ME, IN THE HOUSE, PART ME, IT'S HAPPENED IN THE HOUSE, THERE IS BEAN VERBAL FOOD FIGHTS AT THE END.

DIDN'T YOU HAVE A MUTE BUTTON INSTALLED?

>> UH-HUH.

>> Cathy: JUST BECAUSE OF.

>> THAT.

>> I WILL SAY WE'RE ONE OF THE ONLY LEGISLATURES IN THE COUNTRY WHERE WE HAVE LIFE MICROPHONES AND I DID BECAUSE OF SOMETHING LIKE THIS AND ACTUALLY A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T REMEMBER BUT IF YOU GO BACK AND LISTEN TO THE AUDIO FROM THAT IGHT, IT WAS SPEAKER HORTMAN WHO WAS SHOUTING INTO THE MICROPHONE.

AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK -- I WAS MOST DISAINTERESTS POD THIS YEAR AT THE BLAME OF REPUBLICANS.

THIS ISN'T -- YOU DON'T GET TO BLAME REPUBLICANS.

DEMOCRATS HAVE POLITE ONTROL OF STATE OVERNMENT, THEY MISMANAGED THE CLOCK, THEY WERE -- YOU KNOW, THEY WOULD ISSUES WITH A FELONY ARREST OF ONE OF THE MEMBERS, THEY HAD A SITUATION WHERE A SENATOR HELD THE CHAMBER HOSTAGE FOR 11 HOURS ON SATURDAY UNTIL THE UBER LIFT BILL GOT DONE.

THEY DIDN'T MANAGE THE CLOCK WELL ENOUGH TO GET THEIR WORK DONE ON TIME.

AND IT'S NOBODY'S FAULT BUT THEIR OWN AND THIS WILL HURT THE INSTITUTION AND IT WILL HURT THE PROCESS GOING FORWARD.

IT WAS THAT BAD.

>> WELL, I WANT TO SAY THAT, YES, THERE WERE TIME MANAGEMENT ISSUES OF ALL KIND ACROSS THE BOARD BUT IF WE JUST FOCUS ON THIS PARTICULAR SESSION, THAT MAY BE THE CASE BUT I REMEMBER N 2021 N JUNE WHEN WE WERE DOING A SPECIAL SESSION TO GET THE BUDGET DONE BECAUSE WE WERE DOING SPECIAL SESSIONS ALL THE TIME BECAUSE OF COVID AND WE HAD THAT FEDERAL MONEY WE HAD TO DO AND I WENT BACK TO MY TWITTER FEED FROM THAT TIME PERIOD AND I HAD A FEW THINGS TO SAY ABOUT WHAT YOU GUYS WERE DOING IN THE MINORITY IN THE HOUSE WHEN WE IN THE MINORITY IN THE SENATE WERE TRYING TO GET WORK DONE.

WE WOULD MAKE -- HAVE A FEW AMENDMENTS, SAY SOME STUFF ON THE FLOOR BUT WE WERE THERE BECAUSE WE KNEW WE NEEDED TO GET IT DONE.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT WASHINGTON AND LOOK AT St. PAUL THESE DAYS, THE PATTERN TENDS TO BE THAT IT IS REPUBLICANS WHO RE MORE ABOUT OBSTRUCTION AND THE DEMOCRATS ARE REALLY TRYING TO FOCUS ON THE PEOPLE'S WORK.

>> I HAVE TO SAY LIKE THE E.R.A., THEY KNEW EARLY ON WASN'T GOING TO PASS THE SENATE SO THEY SPENT A LOT OF TIME -- I THINK THEY RESTARTED THREE TIMES BEFORE THEY TOOK A VOTE.

THEY RESTARTED DEBATE ON THE ERA SEVERAL TIMES AND IT WAS GOSSIP AT THE CAPITOL THAT THE SENATE THE DIDN'T HAVE THE VOTES.

>> YEAH, BUT THAT'S GOSSIP AT THE CAPITOL AND THAT'S DIFFERENT IF YOU ACTUALLY KIND OF WHIP IT AND FIGURE OUT WHAT GETS PASSED AND WHAT COMES OVER BUT THIS -- THE ISSUE, THE REASON WHY THEY HAD TO START AND STOP IT THREE TIMES IS BECAUSE THE REPUBLICANS WERE FILIBUSTERING AND THEY WERE ASKING QUESTIONS THAT DIDN'T MAKE ANY SENSE, SO THEY HAD TO CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD AND TRY TO GET THE BILL DONE.

>> HARE NISKA IS NOT A DOESN'T MAKE SENSE GUY.

HE WAS ASKING VERY CLEAR QUESTIONS SO THAT FIT PASSED -- >> I DON'T KNOW ABOUT HARRY BUT THERE WERE A WHOLE BUNCH OF OTHERS NOT MAKING ANY SENSE.

>> I GUESS MY POINTS IS, THEY COULD HAVE PASSED THE RA BEFORE DEADLINES.

ANOTHER THING THAT HAPPENED -- >> THEY HAD TO CALL THE QUESTION TO CAUSE IT.

>> YOU HAVE BIN ON THE RULES COMMITTEE, AN UNPRECEDENTED NUMBER OF LATE BILLS SO DEADLINES EVIDENTLY HAD NO MEANING IN THIS SESSION, WHICH JUST GUMS THINGS UP BECAUSE THEN PEOPLE HAVE THE EXPECTATION THAT THEY CAN JUST GET THEIR BILL THROUGH AT THE LAST MINUTE.

>> Eric: TIME LIMITS ON THE DEBATE?

>> THERE IS A LOT OF OTHER STATES THAT DO TIME LIMITS.

IT PROBABLY IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD HELP THE PROCESS.

WE TALKED IN THE BACK ABOUT ANOTHER THING THAT I THINK IS REALLY MPORTANT THAT THEY'VE GOTTEN AWAY FROM, WE ALWAYS USED TO HAVE REAL CONFERENCE COMMITTEES WHERE YOU WENT THROUGH EVERY BILL AND YOU VOTED ON AND DISCUSSED EVERY AMENDMENT SO THE MEMBERS KNEW WHAT WAS GOING ON.

YOU GET THESE DELETE-ALL AMENDMENTS THAT SHOW UP AT THE LAST MINUTE AND GET POPPED INTO THE BILL.

>> I MEAN, EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE -- WE KIND OF WORKED TOGETHER SOMETIMES ME YOU AND TOM AND OTHERS AND DAVID THAT HAD SOME THINGS THAT WENT INTO THE BILL SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ALL DO WHAT WE DO BUT THIS WAS DIFFERENT ABOUT THAT.

>> THIS IS FROM THE POINT OF PURETY, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEES CAN BE REALLY TOUGH.

BUT THAT'S NOT AN EXCUSE NOR NOT DOING THEM, WHEN I WAS A FRESHMAN, WHEN I WAS LEAD WITH TONY LOUREY, SENATOR LOUREY, WE DID CONFERENCE COMMITTEES.

>> YEP, WE DID.

>> AND IT WAS TOUGH.

>> Cathy: DO YOU THINK THERE'S SHORT MEMORIES ON THIS, THOUGH, COMING -- ALL THIS HAPPENED AT THE END OF THIS SESSION BUT NEXT SESSION, DO YOU THINK IT ALL WILL BE KIND OF PEACE IN THE VALLEY?

WHO KNOWS, RIGHT, I GUESS, BUT WHAT DO Y'ALL THINK?

>> I THINK PEOPLE'S MEMORY DOES GET SHORT AND IT JUST DEPENDS ON HOW THE LEADERS ARE GOING TO HANDLE THEM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL IS GOING TO BE BRUTAL, ANYWAYS, BRUTAL AT THE TOP AND IN THE HOUSE AND WE DON'T KNOW THE COUPLE OF SEATS IN THE SENATE BUT I THINK AFTER THAT, PEOPLE WILL FORGET ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN MAY.

I THINK WHAT HEY'LL BE FOCUSED ON IS WHAT HAPPENED ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL.

>> THE QUESTION IS WILL THE LEADERS USE THIS METHOD AGAIN.

WILL THEY LEARN SOME LESSONS?

WILL THERE BE REAL CONFERENCE COMMITTEES?

THAT'S THE KIND OF LEADERSHIP DECISION THAT HAS TO BE MADE.

>> Cathy: YOU MENTIONED SENATOR MICHIGAN I WILL, DO YOU THINK SHE SHOULD RESIGN NOW?

>> I DO.

IF YOU ASK ME WHAT I REALLY THINK IS GOING TO HAND, I THINK SHE'LL PROBABLY PLEA DOWN TO A LESSER CHARGE.

SHE DOESN'T FACE THE ELECTORATE FOR ANOTHER TWO YEARS.

SHE ALREADY SERVED THREE WEEKS HERE SINCE THIS HAS HAPPENED.

I THINK SHE SHOULD.

I THINK, YOU KNOW, SHE CONFESSED TO A FELONY-LEVEL CRIME, SHE WAS CHARGED WITH THAT.

- THE EVIDENCE IS OVERWHELMING.

SHE DOES DESERVE HER DAY AND COURT AND I THINK SHE SHOULD GET THAT BUT LEGISLATORS SHOULD BE HELD TO A HIGHER STANDARD.

>> Eric: DO THE ETHICS RULES NEED TO BE CHANGED?

>> NO, THEY'RE THERE FOR A REASON.

IF YOU CHANGE IT, YOU WEAPONIZE IT ON EITHER IDES SO I THINK THE ETHICS COMMITTEE IS TO GET OUT THE STORY YOU NEED.

>> Eric: I SEE 14 SEATS THAT LOOK COMPETITIVE OUT OF 104 TODAY.

>> THAT'S USUALLY ABOUT RIGHT, WE ALWAYS WOULD SAY WE WOULD RECRUIT FOR ABOUT 20 SEATS THAT WOULD BE COMPETITIVE ND BY THE TIME OF THE ELECTION, IT WAS WHITTLED DOWN.

PROBABLY 14 IS GOOD AND IT WILL GET DOWN TO PROBABLY NINE OR SO.

>> Eric: SEVEN, OH, MY GOODNESS.

>> Cathy: SOME INTERESTING FOLKS RETIRED.

>> YOU SAW REPRESENTATIVE HORNSTEIN, REPRESENTATIVE URDAHL, LIKE THESE ARE INSTITUTIONAL FOLKS.

>> GAROFALO.

>> ANN NUE.

SUCH A CLEAR JOYFUL VOICE.

>> YOU MAY SEE SOME OF OHM HAD NOT COACH AS FORMER LAWMAKERS.

[Overlapping Conversation].

>> >> Eric: THANKS, GUYS.

FUN