HELL IS ABOUT MONEY.

>> Mary: JOINING US NOW LIVE IS REPUBLICAN SPEAKER DESIGNATE LISA DEMUTH.

WE DO WANT TO SAY THAT WE INVITED AND DID GET CONFIRMATION FROM DFL SPEAKER DESIGNATE HORTMAN WHO HAS DECIDED NOT TO JOIN US BECAUSE THE CAUCUS IS NOT COMING TO THE CAPITOL.

SO WE'LL DIVE IN HERE RIGHT AWAY.

YOU PROBABLY SAW THERE, SO FAR THE DFL CAUCUS IS SAYING, THEY'RE NOT COMING BECAUSE YOU WILL REFUSE TO SEAT BRAD TABKE.

IS THAT TRUE?

WILL YOU KICK HIM OUT OF THIS CHAMBER?

>> THAT IS WHAT THE DFL CAUCUS IS CLAIMING RIGHT NOW, BUT I REALLY THINK THAT IT'S A DIFFERENT ISSUE WITH THE DFL CAUCUS.

RIGHT NOW WE KNOW THAT REPUBLICANS HAVE 67, AND BECAUSE THEY ENDORSED A CANDIDATE THAT WON AN ELECTION IN ROSEVILLE WHO HAD LIED ABOUT HIS ESIDENCY AND THE COURTS FOUND THAT HE COULD NOT TAKE THE OATH OF OFFICE, HE COULD NOT BE A MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, THAT SEAT IS UNFILLED.

SO, THERE ARE -- >> Mary: AND IT WON'T BE FILLED NOW, IT LOOKS LIKE, UNTIL MARCH 11th, THAT IS PROBABLY THE NEW UPDATE.

WE DON'T HAVE THE CALLING OF A SPECIAL ELECTION FOR THAT, SPECIAL ELECTION IS STILL GOING ON OVER IN THE SENATE.

BUT LET ME COME BACK, YES OR NO, HAVE YOU CAUCUSED, HAVE YOU TAKEN A POSITION, DO YOU HAVE THE VOTES NOT TO SEAT BRAD TABKE?

>> I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE RECOGNIZE, AGAIN, DEMOCRATS HAVE 66 MEMBERS RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF THE SPECIAL ELECTION THAT IS GOING TO BE CALLED EVENTUALLY BY THE GOVERNOR IN ROSEVILLE.

THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH BRAD TABKE'S SEAT.

BRAD TABKE'S SEAT -- THEY'RE MAKING IT ALL ABOUT THAT.

WHAT IF THE COURTS COME BACK AND SAY, THERE WASN'T A QUORUM, IF THE COURTS DELEGITIMIZE EVERYTHING, THEY STILL SAID, THAT DON'T DOESN'T MEAN WE COME BACK, WE DON'T KNOW IF A MEMBER, TURNS OUT HE WON, I KNOW IT WAS CLOSE, 14 VOTES, I KNOW 20 VOTES WERE TOSSED AWAY BUT A JUDGE AID HE WON, AND THEY RE SAYING, NEVER BEFORE HAS SOMEBODY WHO WON NOT BEEN SEATED.

>> RIGHT.

AND IT'S IMPORTANT FOR YOUR VIEWERS TO RECOGNIZE, AGAIN, BRAD TABKE WON THAT ELECTION WITH 14 VOTES.

HE DID NOT DO ANYTHING WRONG IN THAT.

BUT THERE WERE 20 BALLOTS, NOW WE FOUND 21, THAT WERE DESTROYED.

AND THAT WAS PROVEN BY THE COURTS.

>> Mary: BUT HE SAID HE WON.

DO YOU BELIEVE HE WON ULTIMATELY?

>> HE WON THAT ELECTION BY WHAT WAS KNOWN RIGHT THERE.

THE PROBLEM IS, AFTER ELECTION NIGHT, IT WAS FOUND, THROUGH THE COURT -- THROUGH THE RECOUNT AND THE COURT PROCEEDINGS, SO EVEN THOUGH HE WON ELECTION NIGHT, THERE WERE 20 BALLOTS THAT WERE THROWN AWAY.

>> Mary: THE COURT DECISION WAS LONG AND DETAILED.

>> THERE AS.

>> Mary: THAT THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE A SPECIAL ELECTION, THAT THEY PROVED THE MATH.

IF THAT'S THE BARRIER TO GET THIS SESSION GOING IN A BIPARTISAN WAY WITH THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AISLE, ARE YOU READY TO CONCEDE, YOU'LL SEAT HIM?

>> I THINK THAT WE NEED TO SEE THAT THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AISLE IS WILLING TO COME AND DO THEIR WORK.

SO BRAD TABKE RIGHT NOW, AND HE WAS FIRST ELECTED IN '19, LOST, CAME BACK, YOU KNOW, SO IT'S BEEN A LITTLE BIT -- >> Mary: IT IT IS A SWING DISTRICT.

VERY CLOSE ONE, IT WAS ONE OF OUR RACES TO WATCH, TURNS OUT IT WAS.

>> IT WAS VERY VERY MUCH A SWING DISTRICT, STILL IS, BUT THAT'S NOT SO MUCH THE CASE.

THE THING IS, IF HE WAS SERIOUS ABOUT WANTING TO SERVE HIS CONSTITUENTS, HE, OF ALL PEOPLE RIGHT OW, YOU WOULD THINK WOULD ACTUALLY BE HERE WANTING TO DO THE WORK.

AND PROVING -- >> Mary: IF HE DOESN'T GET TOSSED, I THINK HE SAYS, I'LL COME, IF YOU DON'T KICK ME OUT.

>> AND WE'RE HEARING SENIOR MEMBERS OF YOUR CAUCUS ARE RELUCTANT TO DO THIS AND THERE ARE NOT THE VOTES TO KICK HIM OUT.

>> WHAT I CAN TELL YOU, THAT IS NOT TRUE.

>> Mary: REALLY?

>> UM-HUM.

>> Mary: OKAY.

>> WE HAVE NOT MADE A FINAL DECISION ON THIS.

>> Mary: OKAY.

>> AT ALL.

BECAUSE WE WERE WAITING FOR THAT COURT DECISION JUST TO SEE WHERE THAT WOULD LAND.

>> Mary: WHICH WAS A WEEK AGO, THEY KEEP POINTING OUT.

>> A WEEK AGO TUESDAY.

BUT, AGAIN, THE TABKE, ON THEIR SIDE, WHEN THEY PRESENTED, THEY SAID THIS SHOULDN'T BE UP TO THE COURTS.

IT SHOULD E UP TO THE HOUSE.

WELL, WE KNOW THAT THE HOUSE IS THE ONE THAT CAN JUDGE THE ELIGIBILITY OF ITS MEMBERS.

>> Mary: AND THAT'S BASED ON COURT PRECEDENCE PREVIOUSLY.

>> YES.

WE ARE TALKING ABOUT 20 VOTERS THAT THEIR VOTES WERE COMPLETELY DESTROYED, DISENFRANCHISED.

NOW IN THAT FINDING, TOO, IT DID SAY THAT THEY COULD NOT COMPLETELY PROVE BEYOND A SHADOW OF A DOUBT THAT THAT'S EXACTLY THOSE SAME VOTERS WHEN THEY DID THE MATH.

>> Mary: BUT THEY FOUND THE VOTERS WHO TESTIFIED, HEY, I VOTED FOR HIM, THE MATH WON'T CHANGE.

LET'S PIVOT, THOUGH, BECAUSE YOU HAD A RESOLUTION TODAY, URGING THE GOVERNOR TO USE THE STATE PATROL TO COMPEL DEMOCRATS TO COME IN.

>> SURE.

>> Mary: THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE SAID TO ME TONIGHT, THEY'RE NOT ORGANIZED.

WE DON'T RECOGNIZE ANYTHING, AND YOU KNOW, THEY'VE TURNED DOWN ANY MESSAGES.

DOES THAT DO ANYTHING IF HE'S NOT RECOGNIZING THAT YOU'RE IN SESSION?

>> YOU KNOW, THAT'S UP TO THE GOVERNOR.

AND HE CLEARLY COULD CHOOSE TO SEE THAT A QUORUM OF 133 MEMBERS THAT WERE ELIGIBLE, 133 ELECTIONS OF CERTIFICATE ON DAY ONE, HE COULD RECOGNIZE THE QUORUM OF 67, IT'S JUST A BASIC MATH ISSUE.

HE COULD CALL THAT SPECIAL ELECTION.

WE ALSO TOOK THE STEP LAST WEEK TO SAY THAT IN THE 40B ELECTION, SO THAT IS THE CASE IN ROSEVILLE, ENDORSED CANDIDATE, NO RESIDENCY, EMPTY SEAT, SAYING THAT WE WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING FURTHER TO PLEASE GO AHEAD AND CALL THAT ELECTION.

SO, REALLY, IT'S GOVERNOR WALZ THAT IS DELAYING REPRESENTATION FOR THE ROSEVILLE SEAT.

WE KNOW THAT RIGHT NOW.

BECAUSE HE IS CHOOSING TO SAY, I DON'T WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE HOUSE RIGHT NOW.

WE GO TO THE SUPREME COURT AT 1:00 TOMORROW.

>> Mary: THAT WAS MY NEXT QUESTION BECAUSE THE SUPREME COURT TOMORROW POTENTIALLY CAN DECIDE WHETHER YOU'RE ACTUALLY ORGANIZED OR NOT.

WHAT IS YOUR ARGUMENT?

>> WE JUST ARE VERY LEAR IN SAYING 133 ELIGIBLE MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

THAT A QUORUM IS 67.

WE ALSO KNOW THE SEPARATION OF GOVERNMENT.

SO WE KNOW THE SEPARATION WITHIN THE GOVERNMENT, THE JUDICIAL BRANCH IS DOING THEIR JOBS, AS THE JUDICIAL BRANCH.

>> Mary: AND THEY COULD SAY, WE'RE NOT EVEN GO TO SAY ANYTHING.

>> THEY COULD.

>> Mary: THEY COULD SAY SEPARATION OF POWERS, WE'RE NOT GOING TO WEIGH IN.

>> THEY COULD.

>> Mary: HOW BUT AND SPEAKER DESIGNATE HORTMAN, ARE YOU STILL TALKING, NEGOTIATING, WHAT'S THE STATUS THERE?

>> I WAS REALLY -- WE REALLY ARE.

I WAS REALLY DISAPPOINTED THAT SHE CHOSE NOT TO BE HERE TONIGHT.

WE MET BRIEFLY YESTERDAY.

WE ARE STILL TALKING.

WHAT I HAVE BEEN CLEAR TO SAY, IF ND WHEN THEY OULD RETURN TO A TIE, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW ROSEVILLE BELONGS TO THE VOTERS, IT DOESN'T BELONG TO THE DEMOCRAT PARTY -- >> Mary: BUT IT WAS A BIG DFL -- >> IT WAS, ABSOLUTELY, BUT RIGHT NOW, IF IT GOES BACK TO THAT, WHENEVER THE GOVERNOR CHOOSES TO ACTUALLY CALL THE ELECTION AND WHEN THE VOTERS IN THAT AREA HAVE MADE THEIR FINAL DECISION, IF WE GO BACK TO A TIE, I AM HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN THE THOUGHTS ABOUT A POWER SHARING.

EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS.

>> Mary: THAT COULD BE MARCH, THAT COULD BE QUITE A WAYS OFF.

>> OR -- OR IT WOULDN'T HAVE TO BE.

BECAUSE, CLEARLY, BY NOT SHOWING UP AND DEMOCRATS DAY NINE ARE NOT SHOWING UP FOR WORK, THEY'RE PROVING THAT THEY DO OT WANT TO WORK WITH REPUBLICANS.

RIGHT NOW.

SO IT BRINGS IT ALL INTO QUESTION.