♪♪ >> MARY: JOINING ME NOW ARE TWO FIRST-TERM LAWMAKERS WHO ARE ALREADY DIVING HEAD FIRST INTO LIFE AT THE CAPITOL.

DFL SENATOR NICOLE MITCHELL AND REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIE DANNY NADEAU JOIN ME TO SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS ON THE BUDGET AND THIS JAM-PACKED LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

WELCOME TO YOU BOTH.

SENATOR MICHIGAN 'EM, LET'S START WITH YOU.

FOR ANYONE WHO MAY OT KNOW, YOU'RE PART OF A GROWING FLEET OF METEOROLOGISTS IN THE LEGISLATURE, SO -- >> TRUE.

>> Mary: WE WENT FROM ZERO TO TWO.

IT'S NOTABLE.

WHY MAKE THIS JOB CHANGE?

>> WELL, IT'S SOMETHING I'VE THOUGHT ABOUT FOR YEARS, NOT JUST AS A METEOROLOGIST AND THE FACT THAT WE NEED MORE SCIENCE REPRESENTATION, OR EVOLVING CLIMATE, SO MUCH INTEREST IN ENVIRONMENT BUT OF COURSE I'M A 30-YEAR MILITARY VETERAN.

'6" A DONE A LOT OF ADVOCACY WITH CHILDREN IN NEED, CURRENTLY AS A FOSTER PARENT.

I HAVEI HAVE A LAW DEGREE, I DON'TUSE IT ABOUT THE I THINK I BRING KIND OF A DIVERSE BACKGROUND THAT MAKES ME MORE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND AND SPEAK TO SOME OF THE ISSUES OF THE DAY.

>> Mary: SPEAKING OF UNDERSTANDING, REPRESENTATIVE, YOU KNOW THIS PLACE VERY WELL AS A STAFFER, YOU'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN GOVERNMENT AT A LOT OF DIFFERENT LEVELS.

TELL US YOUR BACKGROUNDS AND WHY YOU DECIDED TO RAISE YOUR HAND AND RUN.

>> YEAH, THANK YOU.

I'VE BEEN AROUND IN GOVERNMENT A LONG TIME AND I CURRENTLY WORK AT HENNEPIN COUNTY, AND PRIOR TO THAT I WAS AT COMMERCE AND I WAS HERE FOR A WHILE WORKING AS STAFF AND IT'S BEEN INTERESTING WITH REDISTRICTING, IT CREATED AN OPPORTUNITY.

I THINK FOR PEOPLE TO STEP UP INTO THESE DISTRICTS THAT HAVE THE ABILITY TO SEE BOTH SIDES, OF AN ISSUE AND WE DON'T HAVE TO ALWAYS AGREE ON EVERYTHING BUT WE CAN FIND THROWS AREAS OF COMMONALTY AND TRY TO BUILD ON THOSE THINGS AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT MOST MINNESOTANS ARE LOOKING FOR, WHERE CAN WE FIND SOME AGREEMENT?

WE DON'T HAVE COULD COMPROMISE ON BAD IDEAS BUT WHERE CAN WE FIND SOMETHING AND MOVE THE BALL FORWARD?

>> Mary: YOU'RE FINDINGS SOMETHING, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT.

BUT I WANT TO KIND OF IDENTIFY STAND I OUT MOMENTS FOR BOTH OF YOU.

THE ABORTION ISSUE AND THAT DEBATE IS WHERE -- HE GOVERNOR EVEN CALLED YOU OUT SPECIFICALLY ABOUT WHAT YOU SHARED IN YOUR PERSONAL STORIES AT THAT BILL SIGNING.

TALK ABOUT THAT PROCESS FOR YOU.

>> WELL, IT WAS HARD TO HEAR THAT NIGHT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WERE BEING SAID ABOUT THE WOMEN THAT HAVE TO MAKE THESE VERY, VERY DIFFICULT DECISION ATTENTION SO I SHARED MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF LOSS BECAUSE I THINK PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW THE IMPACT TO WOMEN HAD THINGS GO WRONG, EVEN LATER IN A PREGNANCY ABOUT ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE HAVING TO THINK ABOUT AND HOW PERSONAL THAT DECISION IS AND HOW THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE LEGS LATED.

THAT IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD ABSOLUTELY BE TRUSTED TO A WOMAN.

>> Mary: REPRESENTATIVE NADEAU, I BELIEVE YOU WERE THE ONLY REPUBLICAN TO VOTE FOR RESTORING THE VOTE.

>> WELL, THERE WAS ONE MORE.

[Overlapping Conversation] >> Mary: AND THE ONLY FRESHMAN, DO I HAVE THAT RIGHT?

>> IT WAS REPRESENTATIVE MYERS AND MYSELF.

>> Mary: YEAH, SO TALK ABOUT STANDING OUT.

YOU SPOKE UP, THERE WEREN'T MANY REPUBLICANS IN THAT LONG DEBATE WHO HE STOOD UP AND SAID I'M GOING TO VOTE FOR THIS, I LIKE THIS IDEA.

>> YEAH, IT'S ONE OF THOSE ISSUES WHERE, HONESTLY, IT'S -- WE SHOULD BE THAT PARTY THAT LOOKS AT THE FIRST DAY THAT SOMEBODY IS INCARCERATED IS THE FIRST DAY WE START PREPARING THEM TO COME BACK INTO SOCIETY.

99.9% GET OUT AND I DON'T THINK WE DO A GOOD ENOUGH JOB PREPARING THOSE PEOPLE.

I DON'T THINK THAT WE NEED TO -- THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO PUNISH PEOPLE NOT LETTING THEM VOTE WHEN THEY'RE BACK IN SOCIETY, THEY'RE GETTING OUT OF PRISON, THEY'RE GETTING OFF PROBATION, WE SHOULD LET THOSE PEOPLE PARTICIPATE AS MUCH AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.

IT'S NOT THE BIGGEST ISSUE FOR THEM, THEY NEED DRIVER'S LICENSES, THEY NEED JOBS, THEY NEED TO REINTEGRATE ACK INTO THEIR COMMUNITY AND WE NEED TO HELP THEM ANY WAY WE CAN.

>> Mary: THIS HAS BEEN IN THEORY A BIPARTISAN ISSUE FORMER STATE REPRESENTATIVE ROD HAMILTON RETURNED, HE WAS A SPONSOR, WERE YOU SURPRISED YOU DIDN'T SEE MORE REPUBLICANS GETTING ON BOARD AND THAT WASN'T MORE BIPARTISAN IN THE SENATE?

>> YEAH, I'M AN ELECTION JUDGE, TOO, AND I HAVE BEEN FOR YEARS SO I JUST THINK IF WE REALLY WANT TO -- WHOEVER THEY DECIDE ON, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO BRING PEOPLE TO THE TABLE AND MAKE THEM FEEL EMPOWERED TO VOTE AND EMPOWERED TO BE PART OF OUR SOCIETY SO T WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE TO HAVE MORE OF THAT BIPARTISANSHIP IN THE SENATE, AS WELL, BUT I'M SO GLAD THAT WE WERE ABLE TO BRING THOSE VOICES TO THE TABLE.

>> Mary: WHAT ABOUT PACE?

YOU'VE BEEN AROUND FOR A WHILE, YOU KNOW THIS IS UNUSUAL.

>> YEAH.

>> Mary: MAYBE FOR SOME FRESHMEN, THEY THINK THIS IS HOW IT ALWAYS GOES, IT DOESN'T.

>> THIS IS CRAZY, IT REALLY IS.

IN THE MINORITY, IT'S HARD BECAUSE YOU DON'T CONTROL THE AGENDA, YOU DON'T KNOW WHEN THE BILLS ARE COMING, YOU REACT VERY QUICKLY.

IT MAKES IT REALLY HARD TO PARTICIPATE IN A PROACTIVE WAY SO OFTENTIMES, WE'RE ACCUSED OF BEING VERY NEGATIVE AND THAT'S NOT THE CASE, WE'RE JUST TRYING TO GET OUR HEADS WRAPPED AROUND THE BILLS AND PARTICIPATE N A WAY THAT WE CAN.

>> SO MY PREDECESSOR, SUSAN KENT WARNED ME, SHE SAID BEING A FRESHMAN IS LIKE TRYING TO DRINK FROM A FIRE HOSE, BUT THEN ON TOP OF THAT, EVERYONE IS SAYING HIS IS THE FASTEST PACE WE'VE EVER HAD SO OUR JOKE AMONGST THE FRESHMEN IS THAT IT'S MORE LIKE THREE OR FOUR FIRE HOSES ALL AT THE SAME TIME.

>> Mary: I'M SO GLAD THE TWO OF