♪♪ >> Mary: WELL, IT'S BEEN AN UNPRECEDENTED YEAR HERE IN THE LEGISLATURE.

WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE HOUSE AND SENATE.

BUT WE'RE GOING TO TALK ITH THE GOVERNOR, WE HAVE BLOIS OLSON, HEAD OF INFLUENCE MEDIA AND YOU CAN HEAR HIM ON WCCO RADIO.

SO, BLOIS, THE STATE WORKERS UNION SAYS THEY WERE JUST BLIND-SIDED BY THE GOVERNOR.

I THINK WE'RE PERSONALLY A LITTLE SURPRISED BECAUSE DIDN'T WE KIND OF NOW THIS WAS COMING?

>> WELL, IT'S BEEN OUT FOR A LITTLE WHILE.

I KNEW ABOUT IT TWO WEEKS AGO.

BUT I DIDN'T CHASE IT BECAUSE IT WAS -- I KNEW IT HAD TO ROLL OUT PRETTY SMOOTHLY.

BUT I DON'T THINK THE UNIONS FOUND OUT UNTIL MONDAY, LATE MONDAY.

AND THAT'S ODD FOR A DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR TO DO THAT.

>> Mary: WHO'S BEEN ON GOOD TERMS WITH THE UNION.

>> OVERALL HE'S BEEN ON GOOD TERMS WITH UNIONS AND THE LABOR MOVEMENT.

>> Mary: YUP.

>> HE HAS NEVER BEEN AS POPULAR AS GOVERNOR DAYTON WITH STATE EMPLOYEE NIONS, INCLUDING MAPE SPECIFICALLY.

>> Mary: JUDGE IS THAT?

>> YOU KNOW, EARLY ON, I THINK THEY JUST GOT OFF ON THE WRONG FOOT ON A FEW THINGS.

SOME OF THE ACCOUNTABILITY STUFF ON I.T., SOME F THAT STUFF.

I THINK THEY FELT LIKE THEY WERE BEING TREATED DIFFERENTLY.

AND YOU REMEMBER THAT NEITHER ONE OF THOSE UNIONS ENDORSED HIM IN THE PRIMARY IN 2018 AND WE KNOW THAT EVERYBODY HAS LONG EMORIES IN POLITICS.

>> Mary: AND ISN'T THAT A PRIMARY WHERE HE RAN AGAINST ERIN MURPHY WHO'S NOW THE SENATE MAJORITY LEADER?

JUST TO REMIND EVERYONE HOW THIS ALL COMES BACK AROUND.

>> IT IS.

AND THAT IS WHO THOSE UNIONS ENDORSED IN 2018.

>> Mary: YUP.

>> SO JUST KNOW THAT THAT'S A RELATIONSHIP TO WATCH.

>> Mary: LET ME GIVE YOU A COUPLE QUOTES.

BECAUSE MAPE CALLED THEM A BAD BOSS.

AFSCME SAID BLATANT DISRESPECT.

I MEAN, IS THIS DAMAGING GOING FORWARD FOR HIM IF HE REALLY DOES WANT TO RUN AGAIN?

>> SO, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN WORKING ON IS, DOES HE HAVE A STRATEGY TO RUN AGAIN?

OR IS IT JUST, HERE'S WHO I AM, HERE'S WHAT I'VE DONE, LET'S GO.

POLITICAL OPERATIONS NEED FACTIONS AND COALITIONS.

AND WHILE THEY'RE NOT GOING TO GO TO SOME REPUBLICAN, THERE'S STILL A CHANCE HE'S CHALLENGED IN A PRIMARY AND THAT THEY WOULD ENDORSE HIS OPPONENT.

SO, THERE ARE BIG -- THEY'RE BIG PIECE OF THE PUZ HIS HE WILL FOR THE DFL PRIMARY.

>> Mary: AND IF HE CAN'T WIN HIS PRIMARY AND STILL HAS NATIONAL AMBITIONS, THAT COULD BE A PROBLEM.

>> YES.

HE HAS TO EITHER NOT RUN AGAIN AND PURSUE NATIONAL AMBITIONS OR WIN A THIRD TERM WHICH IS ALSO VERY CHALLENGING.

>> Mary: AND WHAT ABOUT HIS TRAVELS, BECAUSE HE'S BEEN DEFENDING IT, SAYS IT'S NIGHTS, WEEKENDS, AND ALSO MAKING THE POINT, AND I DO HEAR A LOT OF DEMOCRATS SAYING, THERE ISN'T A VOICE FOR THE PARTY NATIONALLY.

AND HE SAYS HE'S FILLING A VOID, USING HIS PLATFORM.

IS IT WISE?

>> WELL, I'M NOT GOING TO SAY WHETHER IT'S WISE.

I KEEP COMING BACK TO THIS.

DOES HE HAVE A PLAN AND A STRATEGY?

NOBODY ON THE DEMOCRATIC SIDE IS LAYING OUT A VISION FOR THE FUTURE.

BUT POLITICIANS HAVEN'T DONE THAT IN THE LAST TWO YEARS.

>> Mary: HE IS GETTING A CROWD, PEOPLE ARE SHOWING UP.

>> PEOPLE ARE SHOWING UP.

BUT, AGAIN, THAT ENERGY IS NATURAL.

BUT THE INTERESTING THING IS, IT'S NEGATIVE ENERGY.

DEMOCRATS ARE REALLY WORRIED THEY HAVE A TEA PARTY MOMENT ON THEIR HANDS, HAT THEY HAVE A FACTION OF THEIR PARTY THAT IS GOING TO GO FAR BEYOND SOMETHING THAT CAN WIN, AND WE REMEMBER THAT REPUBLICANS FELT BLOWBACK FROM THE TEA PARTY.

>> Mary: LET'S TAKE IT BACK HERE STATE SIDE NOW.

I MEAN, THE HOUSE TIED, THE SENATE WAS TIED.

I BELIEVE YOU POINTED OUT IN SUNDAY TAKE HOW LONG THE LEGISLATURE WAS ACTUALLY FULLY STAFFED.

HOW LONG?

>> THAT WAS TWO HOURS AND 15 MINUTES.

>> AND RETRACE WHY THAT WAS TRUE.

>> SO THE HOUSE WENT TO A TIE AT 3:30 LAST MONDAY.

AND SENATOR EICHORN, FORMER SENATOR EICHORN WAS ARRESTED AT 5:45 P.M. THAT'S TWO HOURS AND 15 MINUTES THAT WE HAD ALL LEGISLATORS NOT ETAINED, DISQUALIFIED, AND ABLE TO SERVE IN THE LEGISLATURE.

>> Mary: YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT THAT OLD.

BUT WE'VE BEEN AROUND DECADES HERE.

NOTHING LIKE THIS HAS EVER HAPPENED.

>> NO.

NO.

WELL, LIKE, THAT'S WHAT I SAY, NOTHING HAS BEEN SIMPLE ABOUT THIS SESSION.

AND, SO, WHEN PEOPLE SUGGEST THAT THERE IS A WAY TO LAND THIS SESSION AND THIS BUDGET SMOOTHLY, I'M LIKE, HOW COULD YOU EVER THINK THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE A SMOOTH LANDING ON A BUDGET WHEN NOTHING THIS SESSION HAS BEEN SMOOTH?

>> Mary: BUT SO FAR, ESPECIALLY NOW THE HOUSE, I AM HEARING THAT THE CO-CHAIRS ARE REALLY DOING WELL AND THEY THINK THEY'RE MAKING PROGRESS AND THEY'RE JUST GOING TO DO THESE TINY LITTLE OMNIBUS BUDGET BILLS, WHAT THEY CAN AGREE ON.

>> YUP.

>> Mary: AND THEY WENT FROM, YOU KNOW, BOYCOTT TO HATING EACH OTHER, TO SUING EACH OTHER.

TO NOW IT SEEMS LIKE THEY'RE ACTUALLY DOING WELL.

>> WELL, I THINK THE CHAIRS ARE DOING A GOOD JOB.

>> Mary: OKAY.

>> I THINK IN THEIR CAUCUSES, THEY STILL HAVEN'T RELEASED ONE SINGLE VOTE TO VOTE FOR A BIPARTISAN BILL.

THAT'S GOING TO BE -- >> Mary: LIKE A SIMPLE CROSSOVER, THEY HAVE HAD BIG BIPARTISAN BILLS.

>> THEY'VE HAD BIG CROSSOVER.

NOT A ONE OR TWO.

AND THEY'RE GOING TO STAY THAT WAY.

AND I DON'T KNOW THAT REPUBLICANS ARE GOING TO GIVE ONE VOTE TO A BUDGET UNTIL THEY'RE REALLY REALLY READY.

AND THAT'S GOING TO BE TOUGH.

>> Mary: WHAT ABOUT THE ISSUE OF FRAUD, THAT'S A THING I KEEP POINTING OUT, THAT'S THE ONE COMMITTEE, ONE ISSUE THAT DOES NOT GO TO CO-CHAIRS AND DOES NOT STAY BALANCED.

REPUBLICANS HAVE AN EDGE ON FRAUD, DON'T THEY?

>> THEY DO HAVE AN EDGE, THEY HAVE AN EDGE POLITICALLY ON IT.

I'VE BEEN WORKING ON HAT RE THE DIFFERENCES, BECAUSE DEMOCRATS ARE TRYING TO TALK ABOUT FRAUD, TOO, BUT -- AND REPUBLICANS, WHAT RE THE DINNERS BETWEEN THEIR PROPOSALS?

DIFFERENCES.

I THOUGHT THE MOST INTERESTING THING WAS, THE INTERIM COMMISSIONER OF HUMAN SERVICES SAYING THAT THE FRAUD BILL WAS NOT LEGAL, EVEN THOUGH THE GOVERNOR SAID HE WOULD SUPPORT IT AND, SO, THERE'S -- >> Mary: I THINK SHE'S A LAWYER, TOO, BY THE WAY.

I HAPPEN TO KNOW HER FROM BACK IN THE DAY.

>> THERE'S DISSENSION EVEN IN THE ADMINISTRATION ABOUT WHAT THEY CAN AND CAN'T DO WITH RELATION TO FRAUD.

BUT, LOOK, WE'RE GOING TO KEEP HEARING ABOUT FRAUD FOR MONTHS AND YEARS TO COME.