>> LESS THAN A MONTH LEFT IN SESSION AND MERE MINUTES UNTIL THEY'RE DUE DOWN ON THE FLOOR.

WE ARE VERY LUCKY TO HAVE THE HOUSE LEADERS WITH US.

DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY LEADER JAMIE LONG AND REPUBLICAN MINORITY LEADER LISA DEMUTH.

FIRST TELL US WHAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO DO OR GO BACK TO DOING DOWN HERE.

>> SURE, WE'RE GOING TO BE TAKING UP THE JUDICIARY POLICY BILL RIGHT AFTER THIS AND THEN WE HAVE OUR HEALTH BUDGET BILL WHICH IS COMING UP LATER TONIGHT SO A BIG ONE.

>> A LOT OF LATE NIGHTS.

ARE YOU EXHAUSTED?

I JUST HEARD A MEMBER.

MINORITY CAUCUS SAY I AM EXHAUSTED ON THE RECORD.

>> IT'S BEEN A LOT OF LATE NIGHTS BUT I HAVE TO SAY AS WE WORK TOWARD THIS DURING SESSION, THIS IS KIND OF WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO, GETTING THE VOTES ON THE FLOOR AND SEEING WHERE WE'RE AT AND IT DOES REQUIRE SOME LATE NIGHTS, THEY WON'T GO ON FOREVER BUT A LITTLE BIT TIRED, LITTLE FATIGUED.

>> SO LET'S TALK ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY THAT'S KIND OF THE JOB OF TODAY.

THERE WAS A RALLY LAST NIGHT ON THE CAPITOL STEPS, YOU STARTED WITH THE PUBLIC SAFETY BILL LAST NIGHT.

CONTINUED TODAY.

TALK ABOUT WHAT'S IN IT IN PARTICULAR GUNS BECAUSE THAT WAS A RALLY FOR GUN CONTROL.

>> SURE, WELL, WE ARE STEPPING FORWARD AND PASSING COMMONSENSE GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION MEASURES, MEASURES THAT 90% OF THE PUBLIC SUPPORT, FOLKS HAVE BEEN CALLING FOR.

>> WHAT ARE THOSE MEASURES?

>> SO WE HAVE UNIVERSAL BACKGROUND CHECKS WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT THE GOVERNOR IN TENNESSEE AFTER THE TRAGIC SHOOTING THERE IS ASKING THE REPUBLICAN LEGISLATURE IN TENNESSEE TO PASS AND WE ALSO HAVE RED FLAG LAWS TO TRY TO HELP WITH FOLKS WHO ARE STRUGGLING WITH TEMPORARY MENTAL ILLNESS WHERE THEY MIGHT POSE A THREAT TO THEMSELVES OR OTHERS THAT IF WE COULD TEMPORARILY TAKE AWAY THE WEAPONS UNTIL THE THREAT IS PASSED.

>> I DIDN'T HEAR A LOT OF REPUBLICAN UPPORT FOR THOSE IDEAS.

>> THERE WAS NOT A LOT OF SUPPORT.

THE GUN LAWS THAT WE ALREADY HAVE ON THE BOOKS WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ACTUALLY ENFORCING THOSE AND HOLDING CRIMINALS ACCOUNTABLE.

SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS AND BEING ABLE TO BE SAFE GUN OWNERS IS SOMETHING THAT WE SUPPORT.

WE OFFERED A NUMBER F AMENDMENTS TO CHANGE THINGS, THEY WEREN'T ACCEPTED BUT IT'S WHERE IT IS AND IT WILL PROBABLY GO TO CONFERENCE COMMITTEE.

>> SO IS THAT A LAW ENFORCEMENT PROBLEM OR PROSECUTOR PROBLEM WHEN YOU HEAR THAT LAWS AREN'T BEING ENFORCED?

SO I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE PROBLEM.

I THINK THE PROBLEM IS THAT WE HAVE GUNS IN THE HANDS OF PEOPLE WHO WANT TO DO HARM AND SO WE HAVE RIGHT NOW TWO LAWS THAT ARE GOING TO BE TAKING AWAY SOME OF THOSE WEAPONS AND THAT'S WHY THE UNIVERSAL BACKGROUND CHECKS HAD SUPPORT FROM EVERY SINGLE LAW ENFORCEMENT GROUP IN THE STATE, WE HAD STRONG SUPPORT FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT FOR THE RED FLAG LAWS BECAUSE WE KNOW HOSE ARE SAFE AND EFFECTIVE PUBLIC SAFETY MEASURES.

>> ONE PROSECUTOR IN PARTICULAR CAME A LOT ON THE FLOOR, THOUGH SHE COULDN'T BE NAMED BY NAME OR THAT WAS DEBATED.

WHAT'S THE ISSUE GOING ON IN HENNEPIN COUNTY?

>> YOU KNOW, WE AVE LOOKED AT A TRAGEDY THAT TOOK PLACE IN HENNEPIN COUNTY WHERE YOUNG WOMAN LOST HER LIFE, THERE WERE TWO MINORS THAT ACTUALLY CAME IN AND COMMITTED THE CRIME AND SHOT HER.

AND THOSE MINORS, JUVENILES, ARE NOT BEING HELD EVEN THOUGH THEIR AGES ARE VERY CLOSE TO BEING I BELIEVE IT WAS 15 AND 17, NOT BEING HELD OR TRIED AS ADULTS.

THAT IS WHAT WE REALLY FEEL SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE.

THAT KIND OF FORMED A LOT OF OUR OPINION AND OUR DECISION AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

WE'VE GOT TO HOLD CRIMINALS ACCOUNTABLE AND EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE JUVENILES, IF THEY ARE REPEAT CRIMINALS OR DOING THINGS THEY HAVE TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE SPECIALLY SOMETHING LIKE TAKING A LIFE.

>> HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH ACCOUNTABLE AND JUVENILES SPECIFICALLY?

>> WELL, THE BILL WE JUST PASSED OFF THE HOUSE FLOOR HAD SOME REALLY IMPORTANT INVESTMENTS IN OUR JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM, WE KNOW THAT IS AN AREA WE NEED MORE WORK.

THERE WAS A REALLY IMPORTANT PILOT PROJECT IN RAMSEY COUNTY AND WE HAD INVESTMENT IN VIOLENCE PREVENTION AND COMMUNITY GROUPS THAT OFTEN WORK WITH CROWD TO TRY TO HELP THEM AVOID FALLING INTO THE TRAPS AND CYCLES WHERE THEY'RE GETTING INVOLVED IN VIOLENCE, SO I THINK WE HAD A LOT OF IMPORTANT STEPS WE TOOK IN THIS BILL.

>> OU KNOW, I HAVE TO GO BACK TO WE'VE GOT, CARJACKING, FOR ANOTHER ITEM, WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE HOLDING CRIMINALS ACCOUNTABLE.

THAT NEEDS TO HAVE CRIMINAL PENALTY, CARJACKING DOES, FENTANYL IS ANOTHER AREA WE HAVE TO INCREASE THOSE PENALTIES.

THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE LOOKING FOR.

>> LET'S PIVOT TO MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION WHICH PASSED WITH BIPARTISAN SUPPORT AND BIPARTISAN OPPOSITION TECHNICALLY IN THE HOUSE.

SENATE'S TAKING THIS UP FRIDAY.

IS THIS GOING TO BE LAW?

>> IT WILL BE, YEAH, IT IS TIME.

MINNESOTA'S READY, THE PUBLIC POLLS SHOW THEY'RE READY AND I THINK WE KNOW THAT PROHIBITION HAS FAILED.

WE HAVE A STATE WHERE CANNABIS IS WIDELY VAILABLE BUT NOT WELL REGULATED, NOT SAFE AND YOUTH CAN GET ACCESS TO IT SO WE'RE TRYING TO FIX ALL OF THOSE THINGS, MAKE SURE IT'S ONLY FOR ADULT USE, MAKE SURE IT'S SAFE.

>> ADULT IS NOW 21, ORIGINALLY WRITTEN AT 18.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

>> YOUR CAUCUS HAD AMENDMENTS TO OVE THAT UP TO 25.

>> WE DID AND I KNOW YOU SPOKE WITH REPRESENTATIVE ROBBINS ON THAT.

PART OF THE THING IS I THINK THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE SUPPORT FROM REPUBLICANS ON DECRIMINALIZATION BUT TO KNOW WE DON'T HAVE TEST FOR IMPAIRMENT IS VERY CONCERNING FOR LAW ENFORCEMENTS FOR ROADS TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE SIDE OF SAFE, THERE'S SO MANY LEVELS WE CAN'T CHECK.

>> THE PUBLIC SUPPORTS THIS.

IT IS POPULAR.

>> EACH THOUGH THERE'S WIDE PUBLIC UPPORT THERE'S STILL THOSE AREAS OF CONCERN THAT HAVE TO BE WORKED ON.

WE NEED BETTER ACCOUNTABILITY ON THAT.

LOCAL CONTROL WAS ANOTHER THING, I KNOW I WAS HEARING DURING DEBATE I WAS FROM ONE OF MY MAYORS UNTIL ABOUT 11:30 JUST NOT SEEING LOCAL CONTROL TO SEE WHAT TYPE F MARIJUANA BUSINESSES COULD BE IN THE COMMUNITY.

>> ANY CHANCE THAT GETS ADDRESSED IN CONFERENCE COMMITTEE?

IS >> WE DO HAVE REALLY GOOD LOCAL CONTROL OPTIONS RIGHT NOW, CITIES CAN MAKE SURE THERE ARE BUFFER ZONES AROUND SCHOOLS.

>> THEY COULDN'T OUTLAW IT.

>> THEY CAN'T AND IN OTHER STATES WE'VE SEEN WHERE THAT HAPPENS YOU HAVE POCKETS OF BLACK MARKET THAT CONTINUE.

AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO MOVE AWAY FROM.

ONE DIFFERENCE WITH DECRIMINALIZATION AND OUTRIGHT LEGALIZATION, THAT KEEPS THE BLACK MARKET GOING AND WE'RE TRYING TO MOVE AWAY FROM THAT.

>> LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE HEINING UP OKAY, HAVE YOU TWO TAKEN A LOOK AT IT?

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE TAX BILL?

>> I HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THE SENATE OVERING VERY CLOSELY, BUT WE WERE HOPEFUL THERE WOULD BE ENDING ON THE TAX ON ASSOCIATE SECURITY, WE TALKED ABOUT THAT FROM THE BEGIN OF SESSION, WITH A $17.5 BILLION SURPLUS TO NOT BE RETURNING THAT TO MINNESOTANS WAS VERY DISAPPOINTING.

>> WE ARE LIFTING THE EXEMPTIONS FOR SOCIAL SECURITY TAX, SO ONLY THE WEALTHIEST 20% WOULD BE PAYING TAXES ON SOCIAL SECURITY.

SAME NUMBER IN THE HOUSE AND SENATE, SO $100,000 AND RETIREMENT INCOME WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THERE, AND THE REASON IS THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE HELPING WITH SOME OF THE LONG-TERM ISSUES THAT WE HAVE.

WE HAVE OUR SURPLUS IS MOSTLY ONE-TIME.

AND WE DON'T HAVE PROBLEMS THAT ARE ONE-TIME SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE TAKING CARE OF THOSE IMPORTANT INVESTMENTS THAT ARE GOING TO KEEP OUR STATE COMPETITIVE.

>> WHAT ABOUT THE TAX INCREASES IN HERE?

>> TAX INCREASES WE DON'T NEED THOSE, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, I UNDERSTAND MAJORITY LEADER LONG, THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ONE-TIME EXPENSES OR ONE-TIME MONEY ON THE SURPLUS, THE CONCERN IS THAT THERE'S ABOUT $5.6 BILLION THAT ARE ONGOING AND WE NEED TO REDUCE THAT.

SO THERE SHOULDN'T BE ANY TAX