♪♪ >> JOINING US NOW, THE COCHAIRS OF STATE GOVERNMENT.

WE HAVE REPUBLICAN IM NASH AND DEMOCRAT GINNY KLEVORN.

REPRESENTATIVE NASH, FIRST OF ALL, TARGETS ARE OUT, I MEAN, THIS IS LIKE THE GUN GOING OFF AT THE BEGINNING OF A RACE.

THIS IS REAL, HOW REAL AND HOW IMPORTANT IS IT HITTING THOSE TARGETS?

>> WELL, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN WORKING IN COMMITTEE WELL ON POLICY THINGS AND OTHER THINGS BUT THE SUPER BOWL IF YOU WILL IS THE FINANCE BILL AND TARGETS CAME OUT AND REPRESENTATIVE KLEVORN AND I PRETTY MUCH GOT ON THE PHONE MINUTES AFTER WE HEARD WHAT THEY WERE AND SAID, OKAY, WE'LL HAVE TO FIGURE THIS OUT AND I THINK WHAT A LOT OF FOLKS ARE WONDERING IS HOW DO YOU IN A TIE STICK THAT LANDING BECAUSE THERE ARE GOING TO BE CUTS, THERE ARE GOING TO BE OTHER THINGS THAT HAVE TO GET NEGOTIATED, BUT I THINK THAT WE'RE OFF TO A GOOD START.

WE HAD OUR FIRST IN EARNEST MEETING YESTERDAY AND I THINK WE'RE MAKING GROUND IN A GOOD FASHION.

>> HOW ABOUT THE TARGETS, THE JOKE KIND OF IS THAT EVERYBODY HATES THEIR TARGETS, DO YOU EQUALLY HIT HATE YOUR TARGET >> I IKE OUR TARGET MUCH MORE THAN JIM DOES.

>> I WAS ADVOCATING FOR ZERO.

>> OKAY.

>> BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO REALIZE THAT THOSE TARGETS, THEY'RE NUMBERS, RIGHT?

BUT THEY REPRESENT PEOPLE, THEY REPRESENT JOBS, THEY REPRESENT SERVICES TO THE STATE AND THINGS THAT PEOPLE DEPEND ON AND WILY ON IN THEIR EVERYDAY LIVES.

SO WHILE WE JOKE ABOUT WHO GOT THE BIGGER ONE OR LITTLE ONE WE STILL HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT AT THE HEART OF IT IS MINNESOTANS.

>> AND WHILE WE'RE TALKING NUMBERS THERE IS A LOT OF POLICY BEHIND THE NUMBERS.

WHAT CAN PEOPLE EXPECT?

WHAT CHANGES, WHAT'S INTERESTING IN YOUR BILL DO YOU THINK >> SURE, WE ACTUALLY HAVE TWO BILLS.

WE ACTUALLY HAVE A POLICY BILL BECAUSE BOTH OF US OVER THE YEARS WE'VE WORKED TOGETHER THOUGHT IT WAS BETTER TO PUT A RELATIVELY BENIGN POLICY BILL OUT THAT WE CAN LARGELY AGREE ON AND THEN WE'LL HAVE THE FINANCE BILL WHERE WE HAVE TO NEGOTIATE IT.

BUT THE POLICY BILL WE PUT TOGETHER IN FAIRLY SHORT ORDER AND I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO BE CONTROVERSIAL AT ALL.

>> ANY HIGHLIGHTS?

>> YEAH, I WOULDN'T SAY THAT IT'S A BENIGN BILL, IT'S A DIFFERENT BILL, IT'S A SEPARATE BILL, BUT IT DOES REALLY IMPORTANT THINGS, RIGHT?

IT HAS GOOD FRAUD PREVENTION IN IT THAT WE ARE BOTH INTERESTED IN MAKING SURE THAT THE MONEY GOES WHERE THE MONEY IS SUPPOSED TO GO AND IS USED FOR THE REASONS IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE USED, RIGHT?

BUT THE BILL ITSELF HAS REALLY I THINK REALLY GOOD THINGS FOR BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE.

>> SO WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS WHOLE MODEL?

HOW'S IT GOING?

BECAUSE I KNOW SOME PEOPLE ARE LOVING THE COCHAIR, SOME NOT SO MUCH, GIVE US THE HONEST ANSWER.

>> WELL, SO, CHAIR KLEVORN AND I HAVE HAD EXPERIENCE WITH EACH OTHER FOR QUITE A FEW YEARS NOW AND I THINK WE KNOW HOW TO INTERACT WITH ONE ANOTHER.

THERE WILL BE TIMES AND THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHERE WE DISAGREE OUT IN THE OPEN BUT WE ALWAYS DO SO RESPECTFULLY AND WHAT I WOULD SAY FROM THE WHAT WE'VE LEARNED FROM MY PERSPECTIVE IS REMEMBER THAT YOU HAVE A JOB THAT YOU HAVE TO DO BUT YOU ALSO AVE TO DO IT RESPECTFULLY AND THAT'S BEEN THE ENTIRE EFFORT THAT I'VE BROUGHT TO MY LEGISLATIVE CAREER IS AM I FORCEFUL?

YES, AM I STRAIGHTFORWARD?

YES?

AM I FIRM WHERE I BELIEVE?

YES BUT I'M ALSO WILLING TO WORK WITH PEOPLE AND NOT ABUSE WHO THEY ARE IN THE PROCESS.

>> THERE'S NO MODEL, THERE'S NO TEMPLATE, THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE SO IN LIGHT OF THAT HOW DO YOU THINK IT'S GOING TOO?

>> I ALWAYS SAY I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO BORING.

>> GOOD LUCK THIS SESSION.

[ LAUGHTER ] >> RIGHT, I'VE COME IN, THIS IS MY SEVENTH YEAR SO THE FIRST TERM IT WAS LIKE, OKAY, WOW, FIRST DIVIDED LEGISLATURE IN, YOU KNOW, THE STATE.

WE HAD REPUBLICANS IN HE SENATE AND DEMOCRATS IN THE HOUSE.

THEN WE HAD COVID AND EPNOW WE HAVE A TIE.

SO BORING WOULD BE GOOD.

BUT I THINK TO YOUR EARLIER QUESTION ABOUT HOW RE OUR MEMBERS AND FRIENDS GETTING ALONG, I THINK PEOPLE WHO REALIZE AND FOCUS ON THE IMPORTANT ISSUES THAT WE ARE REALLY DOING WORK, IT'S NOT A PARTY, THEY'LL WORK TOGETHER AND GET THEIR JOBS DONE.

>> BEFORE WE RUN OUT OF TIME AND I LOST COMMUNICATION BACK THERE SO I DON'T HAVE HOW MUCH TIME WE HAVE LEFT BUT THEY'LL TELL ME EVENTUALLY, I WANT TO KNOW SOME OF THE BILLS YOU TWO ARE WORKING AND, YOU BOTH HAVE SOME REALLY INTERESTING THINGS TOO, WE'VE COVERED IT FOR YEARS, YOU TALKING ABOUT ABUSE AND MANDATORY REPORTING, WHERE IS THAT BILL?

>> YEAH, MY BILL PASSED OFF OUR FLOOR LAST WEEK AND THIS IS THE SECOND BILL THAT I'VE DONE TO ELEVATE MANDATORY REPORTERS.

LAST YEAR WE DID A BILL AND I HAD GREAT SUPPORT TO ELEVATE THE CRIME OF MANDATORY -- NOT DOING ANDATORY REPORT.

THIS YEAR WE ACTUALLY CREATED A BILL THAT SAYS YOU HAVE TO PROVIDE TRAINING FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE, THAT TAKES INTO CONSIDERATION PROFESSIONALS.

IT CAME OFF OUR FLOOR 134-NOTHING AND IT WAS HEARD IN THE SENATE TODAY, I FULLY EXPECT THAT IT WILL GO SWIMMINGLY THERE.

AND I WILL REALLY SAY THAT'S A GREAT THING HAT I GET SUPPORT.

MY FRIEND GINNY, NOT REPRESENTATIVE KLEVORN, SHE ALWAYS REACHES OUT TO SEE HOW I'M DOING ABOUT THOSE THINGS BECAUSE IT'S HARD AND SHE HAS BEEN A GREAT FRIEND ON THAT LEVEL.

>> IT'S HARD.

AND PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SUPPORTIVE YOU FEEL LIKE.

>> THEY REALLY ARE, MOST PEOPLE UNTIL I STARTED TALKING ABOUT THIS HAD NEVER SEEN ME TALK ABOUT THAT OR UPSET OR CRY, MY FATHER PASSED AWAY AS I TOLD YOU, IT'S REALLY BEEN CATHARTIC TO DO THESE THINGS NOW MORE THAN EVER.

I HAVE A WIND AT MY BACK AND I'M GOING TO DO EVERYTHING I CAN TO HELP CHILDREN IN MINNESOTA.

>> WE'LL CONTINUE WATCHING THAT, ANOTHER ISSUE I WATCH AFTER DOING THE CAPITOL RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT IS THE MALL, THERE'S SOME HINGS HAPPENING OUT THERE.

>> THERE ARE, WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE THE MALL A LITTLE MORE HUMAN, TREES, BENCHES, WAYFINDING SO PEOPLE WHEN THEY COME TO THE MALL CAN ACTUALLY ENJOY IT FOR THE GRAND SPACE THAT THE CAPITOL IS.

AND IT'S A PLACE TO GATHER WITH YOUR FAMILY, IT'S A GREAT PLACE TO DO THE WORK OF DEMOCRACY.

>> AND THERE WAS SOME MONEY IF PREVIOUS YEARS BUT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR MORE MONEY, IS THAT RIGHT?

>> WELL, WE HAVE REACHED AN AGREEMENT SO THAT ARE GOING TO ALLOW SOME OF MONEY HOPEFULLY TO CONTINUE SO WE CAN GET THE PROJECTS FINISHED.

>> NOT NEW MONEY.

>> JUST NOT NEW ONEY.

>> THAT'S HOW YOU GOT THERE.

>> THAT'S HOW E GOT THERE.

>> OKAY, ARE WE GOING TO LAND THIS SHIP ON TIME?

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

YOU TWO ARE GETTING ALONG SWIMMINGLY.

>> YEAH.

>> YEAH.

THE STATE GOVERNMENT FINANCE BILL WILL BE DONE.

>> ON TIME.

>> ON TIME.

>> THE REST OF THE BUDGET TOO?

>> WE CAN ONLY CONTROL WHAT WE CAN CONTROL.

>> WE ARE NOT THE CHAIRS OF ANY