PEGGY FLANAGAN JOINS US NOW TO TALK LEGISLATIVE POLITICS AND MORE.

SHE HAS EXPERIENCED THE FINAL COMMITTEE DEADLINE DAY AS A MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATURE, AND NOW AS PART OF THE ADMINISTRATION.

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, WELCOME BACK.

I AM REALLY INTERESTED TO HEAR -- GET YOUR VIEW ON THIS SITUATION GOING ON IN NORTHWESTERN MINNESOTA WITH THE WHITE EARTH BAND AND THE TRANSFER OF LAND FROM THE STATE PARK TO THE BAND'S TERRITORY.

AND YOU'RE AN ENROLLED MEMBER.

>> I AM.

>> Eric: ARE YOU IN THE MIDDLE OF NEGOTIATING THIS?

IT SOUNDS LIKE BECKER COUNTY AND THE TRIBE ARE AT ODDS.

>> WELL, OUR ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, A LONG TIME SUPPORTER OF WORKING TO BUILD OUR TRIBAL STATE, YOU KNOW, ELATIONSHIP, AND I'M PROUD OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE.

WE RECENTLY RETURNED A STATE PARK TO THE YELLOW MEDICINE PEOPLE.

>> Eric: THAT DIDN'T SEEM TO HAVE A BIG DEAL.

>> IT WAS ONE PARCEL OF LAND, AND IT WAS A STATE PARK.

IT STILL TOOK ABOUT 20 YEARS TO GET THAT DONE.

AND IT TOOK THE GOVERNOR GOING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR TO MEET WITH THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY, ALONG WITH PRESIDENT GENERALS VOLD FROM THE UPPER SIOUX COMMUNITY.

SO I THINK THERE IS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN, CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COUNTIES, WITH COMMUNITIES.

JENSVOLD.

I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF MISINFORMATION OUT THERE AND I THINK THOSE CONVERSATIONS NEED TO HAPPEN ON THE FRONT END, I THINK, BEFORE THIS CAN MOVE FORWARD.

>> Cathy: AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 155,000 ACRES OF LAND, SO A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT IN TERMS OF STATE FOREST LANDS.

ARE YOU HELPING TO BROKER, ARE YOU HELPING TO MAYBE SOFTEN SOME OF THE RANCOR THAT IS IN NORTHWESTERN MINNESOTA BETWEEN BECKER COUNTY AND MAYBE SOME RESIDENTS AND TRIBAL -- THE TRIBAL NATION?

>> WELL, I AVE MET, YOU KNOW, WITH LEADERSHIP FROM WHITE EARTH AND, YOU KNOW, HAVE SHARED WITH THEM, I THINK THERE'S A REAL NEED FOR RELATIONSHIP BUILDING, AND I THINK THAT THEY HAVE STARTED, YOU KNOW, TO DO THAT WORK, TO MEET WITH THE COUNTIES.

I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO GET DONE THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION, BUT I DO THINK WE'RE IN A MOMENT WHERE WE ARE STRENGTHENING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS.

I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO STRENGTHEN THEIR RELATIONSHIPS WITH TRIBES AS WELL.

AND, YOU KNOW, THIS IS LONG -- YOU KNOW, THIS WORK TAKES A LOT OF TIME AND THOUGHT AND ATTENTION.

AND I THINK THAT THERE'S JUST, LIKE, A LOT OF RUMORS THAT ARE MOVING.

AND WE JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS ARE BUILDING THAT TRUST, LOOKING EACH OTHER IN THE EYE AND TALKING ABOUT WHAT THEIR CONCERNS ARE, THE TRIBE CAN ADDRESS THOSE CONCERNS AND HOPEFULLY PEOPLE CAN MOVE FORWARD TOGETHER.

>> Eric: ANOTHER TOPIC.

YOU'VE BEEN QUOTED AS SAYING THAT THE DFL FOCUS IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS ON MAKING THE STATE THE BEST STATE IN WHICH TO RAISE CHILDREN, I THINK YOU CALLED IT AN EXPERIMENT.

AND I'D LIKE TO YOU KIND OF EXPAND ON WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY AN EXPERIMENT EXACTLY?

>> WELL,, YOU KNOW, I'M THE PREVIOUS FORMER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE CHILDREN'S DEFENSE FUND.

AND MANY OF THE THINGS, YOU KNOW, THAT WE WERE WORKING TOWARDS AT CDF, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH IN THE WALZ/FLANAGAN ADMINISTRATION, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THIS LEGISLATURE.

THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, BREAKFAST AND LUNCH FOR ALL KIDDOS AT SCHOOL.

IT'S BEEN INCREDIBLE TO FEED CHILDREN, YOU KNOW, BREAKFAST AND WATCH, YOU KNOW, THEIR FACES JUST LIGHT UP.

THEY GET TO VISIT WITH THEIR FRIENDS, THERE'S NO QUESTIONS ASKED.

>> Eric: TOO EXPENSIVE?

>> I THINK IT'S ONE OF THE BEST INVESTMENTS THAT WE CAN MAKE.

WE SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S HAPPENING IN SCHOOLS, TEACHERS, PRINCIPALS, SOCIAL WORKERS ARE SAYING, THEY'RE GETTING GREAT RESULTS.

AND I DON'T THINK THERE SHOULD BE ANY ARGUMENTS AROUND, YOU KNOW, FEEDING KIDS.

THE CHILD TAX CREDIT, I'VE BEEN TRAVELING ALL ACROSS THE STATE OF MINNESOTA, WAS JUST IN BEMIDJI LAST WEEK, TELLING PEOPLE ABOUT THE CHILD TAX CREDIT.

AND WE KNOW THAT THERE IS 20,000 MINNESOTANS WHO FILLED OUT THEIR TAXES FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, LIKELY BECAUSE OF THIS CREDIT.

380,000 CHILDREN HAVE NOW QUALIFIED, THEIR FAMILIES WILL GET THIS CREDIT, AND HE AVERAGE CREDIT PER FAMILY IS $2,500.

THAT'S REAL MONEY FOR FAMILIES.

THESE INVESTMENTS IN EDUCATION, IN CHILD CARE, WE KNOW THAT CHILDREN DON'T COME IN PIECES, AND I THINK THAT'S HOW WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO APPROACH, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE POLICIES THAT WE MOVED LAST SESSION, PAID FAMILY AND MEDICAL EAVE, AND I'M EXCITED.

I THINK THINGS ARE WORKING.

AND I'M HOPEFUL ABOUT THE FUTURE, ESPECIALLY FOR THIS NEXT GENERATION OF MINNESOTANS.

>> Cathy: I WONDER, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT EVERYTHING IN TOTALITY HERE, AS THE SESSION STARTS TO WIND DOWN, THERE ARE A FEW WEEKS LEFT, OBVIOUSLY, WHAT ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT NOT GETTING THROUGH?

WHAT'S THE WALZ ADMINISTRATION WORRIED ABOUT NOT PASSING?

>> WELL, I THINK OUR PRIORITIES, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'VE BEEN PRETTY CLEAR ABOUT THEM.

IT'S TWO THINGS.

IT'S A BONDING BILL AND THEN HOUSING DISCRIMINATION.

SO IN THE BONDING BILL, YOU KNOW, THE GOVERNOR JUST SAID THE MINNEAPOLIS VETERANS HOME, THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, NEEDED REPAIRS THERE, AND WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF, YOU KNOW, OUR WARRIORS AND PROJECTS ALL ACROSS THE STATE.

YOU KNOW, FOR MYSELF, I CARE TREMENDOUSLY ABOUT THE STATE PATROL.

WE JUST HAD THE 6th AND 69th -- 68th AND 69th ACADEMY CADETS GRADUATED TODAY.

WE NEED A STATE PATROL HEADQUARTERS THAT MEETS THE NEEDS OF MODERN LAW ENFORCEMENT.

WE'RE PUSHING FOR THAT.

AND THEN, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW LANDLORDS HAVE THE ABILITY TO DISCRIMINATE AGAINST FOLKS WITH SECTION 8 HOUSING VOUCHERS, DISCRIMINATE AGAINST THEIR SOURCE OF INCOME.

THIS IS MOVING, IT MOVED LAST NIGHT IN THE HOUSING BILL, AND I'M HOPEFUL, AS A KID WHO HAD A SECTION 8 HOUSING VOUCHER, WE KNOW WHEN WE HAVE A HOUSING CRISIS, THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS WE CAN DO TO LESSEN IT.

>> Eric: ONE OF THE PARLOR GAMES AT THE CAPITOL IS, WHAT'S LIEUTENANT FLAN GONE GOING TO DO WITH HER POLITICAL FUTURE?

WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN SIX, EIGHT YEARS?

>> Cathy: YOU ARE ONE OF THE U.S.A. WOMEN TODAY TO WATCH.

>> THANK YOU.

I'LL TELL OU, I'M NOT TRYING TO BE, YOU KNOW, POLITICAL ABOUT IT, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, 2024 IS LITERALLY THE MOST IMPORTANT ELECTION OF OUR TIME.

I DON'T KNOW IF THERE WILL BE AN ELECTION IN 2026 OR 2028 UNLESS WE WIN THIS ONE.

I'M DOING ALL I CAN, THE GOVERNOR IS, TOO, TO RE-ELECT JOE BIDEN AND KAMALA HARRIS.

>> Eric: HAVE YOU TALKED ABOUT A THIRD TERM WITH HIM?

>> YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, CONTINUING TO GET DONE THE GOOD WORK THAT -- BUT WE HAVEN'T MADE A DECISION YET.

I WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR.

GOVERNOR WALZ AND I HAVE NOT YET MADE A DECISION.

BUT WE ARE ALL IN, HIM WITH THE DEMOCRATIC GOVERNORS ASSOCIATION, MYSELF WITH THE DEMOCRATIC LIEUTENANT GOVERNORS ASSOCIATION, WORKING HARD HERE IN MINNESOTA TO RE-ELECT THE HOUSE, BUT ALSO GOING NATIONALLY TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE WINNING DEMOCRATIC VICTORIES UP AND DOWN THE BALLOT.

>> Cathy: YOU WERE WITH US J FIRST LADY BIDEN TONIGHT.

>> I WAS, I WAS.

>> Cathy: IS THAT RIGHT?

>> AND HE ROOM WAS PACKED, FULL OF WOMEN WHO ARE READY TO GET OUT THERE AND VOTE AND ORGANIZE AND I'M EXCITED.

>> Eric: THANKS FOR RUS