HIS OLIGARCHS ARE DRIVING US RIGHT OVER A CLIFF.

>> Mary: WELL, THE HOUSE IS IN ITS HISTORIC OWER-SHARING AGREEMENT, AND WE HAVE ANOTHER SET OF CO-CHAIRS WE'RE GOING TO CHECK IN TO SEE HOW THEY'RE DOING.

THESE ARE THE FOLKS FROM CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, AND WE HAVE REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE NOLAN WEST AND DFL REPRESENTATIVE CARLIE KOTYZA-WITTHUHN.

FIRST OF ALL, HOW'S IT GOIN'?

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

I EAN, I POSTED A PHOTO OF YOU GUYS LITERALLY SHARING THE GAVEL, BUT YOU DON'T LITERALLY SHARE IT, RIGHT?

WHO WANTS TO JUMP IN?

>> I EAN, YEAH, YOU CAN'T.

SOMEBODY'S GOT TO HAVE THE HAMMER.

BUT I ALWAYS -- IT IS AN INTERESTING EXPERIENCE.

WE GET ALONG BETTER THAN MOST, I WOULD SAY.

I HAVE HEARD SOME DOOR SLAMMING STORIES.

BUT I TELL PEOPLE, YOU CAN WASH YOUR BRAINS IN OUR COMMITTEE BECAUSE WE DEAL WITH ACTUAL CONTENT AND NOT ALL THE KIND OF NONSENSE THAT YOU HEAR A LOT.

>> WE'VE GOTTEN LOTS OF COMPLIMENTS THROUGHOUT THE SESSION OF PEOPLE COMING TO OUR COMMITTEE JUST TO SIT AND WATCH AS A PALATE CLEANSER FROM SOME OF THE OTHER COMMITTEES.

>> Mary: THAT'S SOMETHING.

>> I WILL SAY THAT I'M LEFT HANDED AND NOLAN IS RIGHT-HANDED SO WE TECHNICALLY COULD SHARE THE GAVEL, THOUGH THAT WOULD BE REALLY DIFFICULT, EVEN MORE DIFFICULT THAN THIS ENTIRE SITUATION.

>> Mary: LET'S TALK ABOUT THE DIFFICULT SITUATION, NOT ONLY THE POWER SHARING AND THE TIE, BUT THIS IS A TOUGH BUDGET, AFTER SURPLUS, THERE'S A LOOMING DEFICIT, THERE'S THE UNKNOWN FEDERAL.

HOW HARD IS THE BUDGET SIDE OF THIS?

>> WELL, OUR DIFFICULTIES IN THE BUDGET ARE DIFFERENT THAN MOST COMMITTEES.

YOU KNOW, SO, LIKE, IF YOU WATCH THE COMMITTEE TODAY, IT WAS ABOUT MY CAMERA BILL AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE KEEPING TRACK OF KIDS IN DAY CARES AND THAT WE'RE ABLE TO HOLD ABUSERS ACCOUNTABLE AND THAT TURNED OUT TO BE THE BIGGEST STICKING POINT IN OUR BUDGET AGREEMENT.

IT WASN'T ABOUT MONEY, IT WAS ABOUT A CAMERA BILL.

>> Mary: IS THERE A FISCAL NOTE ON THAT?

>> YEAH, ZERO DOLLARS.

>> WELL, EXCEPT FOR THE APPROPRIATION THAT IS A GRANT.

>> Mary: I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A LITTLE BIT.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT ALL THE BUDGETS?

>> WE WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET A POSITIVE TARGET IN THE FIRST BIENNIUM, CUT TARGET IN THE SECOND BIENNIUM.

INSIDE OF OUR CURRENT COMMITTEE JURISDICTION, CHILD PROTECTION.

THE SOCIAL SERVICES INFORMATION SYSTEM, SSIS, IS WHERE MOST OF OUR ALLOCATED BUDGET SPENDING IS GOING TO BE.

THIS IS A SYSTEM THAT I THINK WAS FIRST CREATED AS A PART OF THE OVERALL HUMAN SERVICES SYSTEM, SOFTWARE.

>> Mary: YOU'RE KIND OF A BREAKOFF COMMITTEE FROM THE -- WHAT USED TO BE PART OF HUMAN SERVICES?

>> CORRECT.

>> AND HEALTH.

>> Mary: AND HEALTH.

>> AND SOMETHING ELSE.

YEAH.

>> Mary: OKAY.

>> AND IT'S STILL NOT A REAL THING YET, UNTIL THE TRANSITION IS FINISHED.

>> Mary: RIGHTED.

>> JULY 1st.

SO THERE ARE STILL PIECES COMING OVER FROM HS AND THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY YET THIS YEAR.

AND THEN DCYF WILL BE A STANDALONE AGENCY FINALLY.

>> Mary: I WANT TO TALK MORE ABOUT THE BILL, THAT'S PERSONAL FOR YOU, THE DAY CARE SITUATION.

CAN YOU EXPLAIN YOUR PERSONAL CONNECTION, WHAT YOU WANT TO DO ABOUT IT?

>> WELL, YEAH.

FEELS LIKE ANCIENT HISTORY.

SO SIBL AS AT A DAY CARE IN BLAINE, SHE HAD SOME BRUISING, MY IFE WAS VERY SUSPICIOUS, I WAS LIKE, KIDS GET BRUISES, I FEEL LIKE A MORON ON THAT.

LATER, WE FOUND MONTHS LATER, IN JULY, IT CAME OUT THAT THEY HAD BEEN ABUSING MANY CHILDREN, NOT JUST CYBIL.

>> Mary: IT MADE A LOT OF NEWS.

>> EAH, I RAN INTO I AWHOLE MESS OF REPORTERS WHEN I WAS AT A PARENT MEETING REGARDING THIS SITUATION.

I MEAN, SINCE THEN, I'VE BEEN WORKING ON, LIKE WHAT WE FOUND OUT, THE HILDREN WERE OT -- THE ONLY REASON WE'RE SEEING ANY KIND OF JUSTICE IN THIS SITUATION IS BECAUSE IT WAS CAUGHT ON CAMERA IN THE FACILITY.

SO, MY APPROACH IS, WE NEED TO EXPAND CAMERAS, ESPECIALLY WHERE KIDS CAN'T SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.

LIKE SO INFANT IN DAY CARE ROOMS, THEY CAN'T TELL YOU WHAT HAPPENS.

>> Mary: PENALTIES, IS THAT STILL IN?

>> WE'RE WORKING ON THAT.

SO THAT'S ONE-YEAR MANDATORY MINIMUM FOR MALICIOUS TREATMENT OF A CHILD UNDER 4.

I'VE HAD SOME POSITIVE CONVERSATIONS WITH CHAIR MOLLER ABOUT THAT TO TRY AND NARROW IT.

IT IS EXPENSIVE SO WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO NARROW IT SO WE CAN INCLUDE IT.

>> Mary: YOUR BUTTON TELLS THE STORY THAT I WAS GOING TO ASK ABOUT, THE PART THAT'S NEAR AND DEAR TO YOU, THE GREAT START CONCEPT.

>> I'VE RUE INTRODUCED MY PROPOSAL, THE GREAT START AFFORDABILITY PROGRAM, WHICH WOULD EXPAND THE INCOME LIMITS FOR THE EXISTING SUBSIDY PROGRAM FOR THE COST OF CHILD CARE AND TO HELP MORE FAMILIES AFFORD CHILD CARE.

WE KNOW IT'S A STRUGGLE FOR FAMILIES WHO ARE EARNING MEDIAN INCOME OR LESS.

>> Mary: AND EVERYWHERE, AND REPUBLICANS -- IN REPUBLICAN DISTRICTS, DEMOCRAT, URBAN, RURAL, GREATER, IT'S EVERYTHING, RIGHT?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

>> Mary: THERE'S NOT AN AREA THAT ISN'T TRUGGLING WITH THIS ISSUE STILL.

>> IT'S VERY TRUE.

SO WE ARE DOING WHAT WE CAN THIS YEAR.

REPRESENTATIVE WEST AND I BOTH SHARE A REALLY STRONG PASSION FOR OUR EARLY LEARNING SCHOLARSHIPS PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE HERE IN MINNESOTA.

SO WE WERE ABLE TO SET ASIDE SOME ONE-TIME FUNDING TO GO TO THAT SPECIAL REVENUE FUND TO MAKE SURE NAH SOME ADDITIONAL KIDS CAN PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM.

BUT, UNFORTUNATELY, YEAH, WITH THE REALITIES OF THIS BUDGET SITUATION, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO DO AS MUCH AS WE WANT TO.

SO THE GREAT START AFFORDABILITY PROGRAM IS SOMETHING THAT I'M GOING TO KEEP PUSHING FORWARD AND TALKING ABOUT SO THAT FAMILIES KNOW IT'S STILL A PRIORITY.

BUT JUST AS SO MANY BILLS HERE IN THE LEGISLATURE, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO COME BACK YEAR AFTER YEAR, UNTIL WE CAN FIND THE POLITICAL WILL TO GET IT DONE.

>> Mary: WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE STATE BUDGET CHALLENGES, BUT THERE'S ALSO THE FEDERAL BUDGET CHALLENGES BECAUSE YOU GUYS HAVE SOME AREAS THAT ARE AFFECTED BID, RIGHT, START WITH S.N.A.P., RIGHT?

SO SOME OF THE FOOD ASSISTANCE.

HOW ARE YOU DEALING WITH THE FEDERAL CUTS, THE FEDERAL UNKNOWNS, WHERE ARE YOU AT RIGHT NOW ON THAT?

>> WELL, HISTORICALLY CONGRESS NEVER REDUCES SPENDING.

IT NEVER REDUCED IT IN MY LIFETIME, EXCEPT FOR THE BRIEF MOMENT, ACTUALLY, TO CREDIT TO PRESIDENT OBAMA FOR THE SEQUESTRATION SITUATION.

>> Mary: WOW, YOU JUST HEARD THAT.

>> YEAH.

SO, I AM SUSPICIOUS OF WHETHER Y SEE, WHAT ACTUALLY MAKES IT THROUGH THE PROCESS.

YOU KNOW, IT'S ALWAYS MORE FUN TO SPEND MONEY 'IT IS TO REDUCE SPENDING.

WE'LL SEE WHAT THE FINAL PRODUCT IS.

>> Mary: WHAT ARE YOU SEEING?

>> ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND IS THAT WHILE THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS PROPOSING THESE CUTS, THEY'RE PROPOSING THEM TO GIVE TAX CUTS TO THE WEALTHY.

THEY'RE NOT CUTTING THE BUDGET TO BALANCE THE BUDGET.

THEY'RE CUTTING IT TO GIVE MONEY BACK TO BILLIONAIRES.

AND THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY NOT PALATABLE.

WE OVERSEE HEAD START IN OUR COMMITTEE, AND MOST RECENTLY THE REGIONAL OFFICE IN CHICAGO WAS COMPLETELY CLOSED.

SO OUR FOLKS IN MINNESOTA ARE REALLY STRUGGLING, THEY DON'T KNOW WHO TO GET THEIR PAPERWORK TO, THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.

AND THEY'RE REALLY WORRIED ABOUT FUNDING STOPPING BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T GOTTEN THAT INFORMATION TO THE RIGHT PLACE WHERE IT'S GOING TO GO, ND NO DIRECTION HAS COME FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT YET.

>> Mary: BET YOU WANT TO JUMP IN 0 -- N ON THAT.

YOU MIGHT LIKE THE CONCEPT OF TAX CUTS, BUT NOT WHEN IT AFFECTS YOUR BUDGET AREA.

>> WE'RE NOT SPENDING UR MONEY.

WE'RE SPENDING TAXPAYER DOLLARS.

SO I APPROACH IT IN A DIFFERENT WAY THAN MY COLLEAGUES ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AISLE, WHERE I LOOK AT EVERY DOLLAR WITH, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT I WOULD SPEND SOMEBODY ELSE'S MONEY ON?

IS A HIGH BAR TO ME.

AND WHAT WE SEE TOO OFTEN IS MONEY BLOWN FOR SUPERFLUOUS PURPOSES, THEN WE END UP WITH TEMPORARY MONEY FOR WHAT THEY THINK IS PERMANENT PROGRAMS AND THEN PEOPLE GET LEFT OUT IN THE COLD BECAUSE WE HAVE PROGRAMS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN FUNDED ONGOING, EXCEPT THEY'RE FUNDED ONE TIME -- >> Mary: WE'RE JUST ABOUT OUT OF TIME.

YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING TO END ON TIME?

YOU GUYS IN YOUR COMMITTEE