>> Mary: WELL, YOU JUST SAW THEM THERE AND NOW THEY'RE HERE UP FROM THE HOUSE FLOOR WHILE THEY'RE IN ACTION.

THEY CAN RUN AWAY AND VOTE IF THEY HAVE TO.

YEAH.

HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER JAMIE LONG AND MINORITY LEADER LISA DEMUTH.

THANK YOU YOU TWO FOR JOINING US.

>> THANK YOU.

>> YOU BET.

>> Mary: FIRST OF ALL, WHERE'S THE GLOBAL DEAL?

THERE'S DAYS LEFT, SHOULDN'T THAT BE HAPPENING SOON?

>> WELL, BY GLOBAL DEAL, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BONDING BILL.

I KNOW THOSE DISCUSSIONS ARE HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.

AND, SO, THERE ARE LOTS OF POSTURING AT THIS STAGE OF SESSION, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THERE SHOULD BE INTEREST IN GETTING THAT DONE FROM BOTH PARTIES.

WE KNOW THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE A BILL THAT HELPS OUT EVERYBODY IN MINNESOTA, GETS INFRASTRUCTURE BUILT, MAKES SURE OUR UNIVERSITIES ARE TAKEN CARE OF.

SO I'M CONFIDENT WE CAN GET THERE.

>> Mary: ARE YOU CONFIDENT YOU'RE GOING TO GET THERE BECAUSE THEY NEED YOUR VOTES?

>> THEY NEED OUR VOTES.

>> Mary: ON THE BONDING BILL, THUS, THE GLOBAL DEAL.

>> THEY DO NEED OUR VOTES.

THE FOUR LEADERS HAVE BEEN MEETING.

IT'S BEEN VERY INTERESTING.

WE'VE BEEN EXCHANGING OFFERS, I WOULD SAY THEY'RE LESS THAN SERIOUS RIGHT NOW, WITH LESS THAN FOUR DAYS, TODAY WAS FOUR DAYS LEFT, WITH LESS THAN THAT, TIME IS WINDING DOWN.

WE'RE UNDER 100 HOURS.

THERE IS SOME MOVEMENT, BUT NOTHING TO EALLY REPORT.

WE DID HAVE A PRESS CONFERENCE YESTERDAY TO LET PEOPLE KNOW WHERE WE WERE AT.

BUT NOT REAL SERIOUS YET.

>> Mary: WE ALWAYS JOKE WHEN THERE'S PUBLIC PRESS CONFERENCES AND WE SEE PUBLIC OFFERS, IT'S NOT VERY SERIOUS IN PRIVATE YET.

IS THAT FAIR?

>> WELL, I CERTAINLY WOULD SAY THAT THE OFFER THAT WAS PUT FORWARD YESTERDAY WAS NOT VERY SERIOUS.

I THINK IT WAS TAKING OFF THE TABLE OTHER UNRELATED BILLS THAT WE ARE WORKING ON HERE, LIKE THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT, WHICH WE'RE TAKING UP TODAY.

SO I THINK THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, THE MINORITY HAS TO KNOW WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE PART OF A CONDITION WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A INFRASTRUCTURE BILL.

BUT I AM HOPEFUL THAT WE CAN FOCUS ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE BILL, GET TO A PLACE WHERE WE CAN GET AGREEMENT WITHIN THE WALLS OF THAT DEAL.

>> Mary: YOU WANT IT ALL LINKED, RIGHT?

>> IT WILL BE LINKED, AT SOME POINT.

YOU KNOW, THE BONDING BILL, WE ARE LOOKING FOR THOSE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS ACROSS THE STATE THAT ARE GOOD, ROADS, BRIDGES, WASTE WATER, THE THINGS THAT WE TYPICALLY SUPPORT.

THE SIZE OF THE BILL, THE CONTENT OF THE BILL MATTERS.

BUT ALSO HOW WE FINISH OUT THIS SESSION WITH THE CONCERNS THAT ARE OVER IN THE SENATE.

IF DEMOCRATS IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA WOULD RATHER WORK WITH AN ARRESTED FELON, FOR THE 34th VOTE TO PASS THINGS, WE'RE LOOKING FOR BIPARTISAN AGREEMENT.

ON ANYTHING THAT E DO AND WWE NOT NECESSARILY SEEING THAT AT THIS POINT.

>> Mary: SO YOU SAID EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT, AND SHE SAID FELON.

ARE THINGS GOING TO COME TOGETHER NEATLY?

IT'S BEEN A LITTLE TOUGH.

ARE YOU GOING TO GET TO THE BILL?

YOU DIDN'T GET O ON MONDAY.

CAN THE SENATE PASS IT WITH THEIR NARROW MARGIN?

>> WE HAD A SEVEN-HOUR FILIBUSTER ON ONE BILL ON MONDAY.

SO WE WEREN'T ABLE TO TAKE IT UP.

BUT I AM HOPING WE CAN TAKE IT UP TODAY SEEMS LIKE THINGS ARE MOVING AROUND AT A NORMAL PACE.

>> Mary: MUCH LATER TONIGHT?

>> WE'LL SEE.

THAT'S NOT UP TO US.

WE'RE HOPING WE CAN TAKE IT UP TODAY.

IT'S AN IMPORTANT DISCUSSION.

WE'D LIKE TO HAVE THE DEBATE.

IT'S OKAY IF FOLKS DISAGREE, BUT WE WANT TO PUT THIS BEFORE THE VOTERS AND GIVE THEM AN OPTION TO VOTE FOR EQUAL RIGHTS IN OUR CONSTITUTION, WHICH WE KNOW FOLKS HAVE BEEN FIGHTING FOR FOR A LONG TIME.

>> Mary: WHAT ABOUT THE SENATE SIDE OF THINGS?

THE SENATE HAS A DIFFERENT BILL.

>> HEY DO.

WE'VE BEEN TALKING TO THEM, THEY THINK THEY'LL BE ABLE TO PASS THE BILL WE SEND OVER.

>> Mary: ARE YOU FILIBUSTERING AGAIN, ARE YOU TRYING TO STOP THE EQUAL RIGHTS?

>> WE ARE NOT TRYING TO STOP THAT.

IT WAS NOT A FILIBUSTER.

WE HAD CONCERNS OVER A CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REPORT, THAT'S WHAT WE STAYED ON MESSAGE AND TALKED ABOUT.

IN THE BACKGROUND, THOUGH, THE QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THE RELIGIOUS EXEMPTION ON THE HUMAN RIGHTS ACT WOULD GET SIGNED BY THE SPEAKER, PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND MAKE ITS WAY TO THE GOVERNOR, THAT HAD NOT HAPPENED, WE HAD BEEN GUARANTEED THAT WOULD HAPPEN, FINDING OUT THAT THAT WAS NOT THE CASE ON MONDAY ALLOWED US TO TALK LONGER ON A CONCERNING CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REPORT UNTIL WE WERE SURE THAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN.

AS FAR AS THE EQUAL RIGHTS, THE SENATE VERSION LAST YEAR PASSED WITH BIPARTISAN SUPPORT.

THE LANGUAGE THAT IS PROPOSED HERE IN THE HOUSE IS NOT TRANSPARENT.

IT WOULD CONFUSE THE VOTERS.

AND THERE ARE DEFINITE CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE FOR WHAT IS PROPOSED RIGHT NOW.

HAPPY TO HAVE THOSE DISCUSSIONS.

BUT IF IT DOESN'T MOVE THROUGH AS IT IS RIGHT NOW, THAT WOULD BE BETTER FOR MINNESOTA.

>> Mary: WHAT ABOUT THE NOT FILIBUSTER LONG DEBATES, AT SOME POINT DO YOU JUMP IN AND CALL THE QUESTION AND CUT OFF DEBATE SO YOU CAN GET DONE?

>> THAT'S CERTAINLY NOT OUR HOPE, RIGHT.

WE'RE HERE TO HAVE THE DEBATE.

>> Mary: YOU CAN DO IT, IT'S IN YOUR ARSENAL, RIGHT?

>> IT IS.

IT'S A TOOL WE HAVE.

OUR HOPE IS WE CAN HAVE THE DEBATES WE NEED TO HAVE, WE CAN HAVE THE VOTES WE NEED TO HAVE.

WE'RE INTERESTED IN THAT.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY HAS TIME TO HAVE THE DISCUSSION, TO OFFER AMENDMENTS.

BUT WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE GETTING OUR WORK DONE.

THESE ARE IMPORTANT DISCUSSIONS THAT WE HAVE.

AND WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE VOTES TO PUT THOSE QUESTIONS BEFORE THE PUBLIC.

>> YOU MENTIONED THE SENATE, TALK ABOUT THE SENATE A LITTLE MORE.

NOR EFFORT TODAY, SENATOR DUCKWORTH TRIED TO GET SENATOR MITCHELL EXPELLED.

NONE OF THAT HAS WORKED, BECAUSE THEY HELD THE 34.

HOW MUCH DOES THAT DRAMA DERAIL OR DISTRACT THE REST OF SESSION?

>> I CAN'T SPEAK TO HE SENATE.

I JUST KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON FROM WHAT GETS REPORTED.

SO I DON'T KNOW THE INNER WORKINGS OVER THERE.

BUT IT DOES CALL INTO QUESTION WHY WOULDN'T THERE BE BIPARTISAN AGREEMENT ON THE THINGS THAT ARE MOVING THROUGH AS OPPOSED TO VOTES AT 34-33.

AND THAT'S WHAT MINNESOTANS ARE LOOKING FOR.

LET'S JUST WORK TOGETHER ON THE THINGS THAT ARE PRIORITIES.

INSTEAD OF HEARING BILLS THAT AREN'T GOING TO MAKE THEIR WAY TO THE GOVERNOR FOR FINAL SIGNATURES AND COME INTO LAW, THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD BE FOCUSING ON, NOT THINGS HAT ARE GOING TO BE CONTROVERSIAL AND DIE IN EITHER BODY.

>> Mary: YOU OBVIOUSLY COULDN'T HAVE PLANNED THIS OR SAW IT COMING.

BUT THE ONE VOTE THAT MATTERS OVER IN THE SENATE IS IN QUESTION.

IS IT SAME QUESTION, DERAILING, DIVERTING ATTENTION FOR YOU?

>> WELL, YOU KNOW, I'M SURE IT IS GOOD POLITICAL THEATER.

WHAT I'D SAY, EVERYBODY IS ENTITLED TO DUE PROCESS.

WE'VE HAD MEMBERS OF BOTH PARTIES CHARGED WITH CRIMES AT POINTS IN THE PAST.

WHEN WE HAD MEMBERS OF BOTH PARTIES CHARGED WITH CRIMES IN THE HOUSE, WE WAITED UNTIL THERE WAS A RESOLUTION TO THE TRIAL, RESOLUTION TO THE CHARGES BEFORE WE MADE ANY DETERMINATIONS ABOUT ETHICS OR ANY OF THOSE OTHER DECISIONS THAT ARE RELATED TO OUR BODY.

SO THAT'S THE PROCESS THAT I THINK THE SENATE IS FOLLOWING.

AND I THINK THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.

>> AND THERE'S NEVER BEEN SOMEONE ARRESTED ON FELONY BURGLARY CHARGES.

>> Mary: NO, BUT THERE WAS A FELONY ARREST LITERALLY ON THE HOUSE FLOOR.

>> YES, THERE WAS.

>> Mary: THAT I WITNESSED.

HOUSE REPUBLICAN, WHO WAS ARRESTED HERE.

FOR A FELONY.

>> YEAH.

>> Mary: YEAH.

HOW DOES THIS PLANE LAND?

WHAT DO YOU SEE THIS ENDING NOW, LAST MINUTE LEFT HERE.

>> I'M HOPEFUL THAT THE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE OTHER THREE LEADERS WILL CONTINUE IN A MEANINGFUL AND INTERACTIVE WAY.

WE OBVIOUSLY PUT OUT AN OFFER.

WE'RE READY TO HAVE DISCUSSIONS ON THAT.

AND THEN BRING IT BACK TO THE CAUCUS, IF THERE ARE ACTUALLY SERIOUS OFFERS.

I BELIEVE WE CAN LAND THIS PLANE.

ON THE THINGS THAT ACTUALLY MATTER TO MINNESOTANS.

THAT CAN MOVE IN A BIPARTISAN WAY, INCLUDING BONDING.

>> Mary: CAN YOU LAND SUNDAY BE MIDNIGHT, YOU CAN'T PASS BILLS ON MONDAY, THE CLOCK IS TICKING.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

THE FINAL FOUR DAYS WILL BE BUSY, WE'RE PASSING BUDGET BILLS, WE'RE TAKING UP THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT, I THINK WE'RE DOING IMPORTANT WORK, WE'LL GET IT DONE.

>> Mary: OKAY, WE'LL