>> HE JOINS US.

CONGRATULATIONS.

>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

>> YOU'RE SITTING HERE THOUGH BECAUSE OF POLITICAL VIOLENCE.

I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT WENT THROUGH YOUR MIND WHEN YOU HEARD ABOUT CHARLIE KIRK'S MURDER.

>> YEAH, IT REALLY DID BRING A LOT OF IT BACK FOR ALL OF US IN OUR CAUCUS.

VIOLENCE HAS NO PLACE IN OUR POLITICS AND I THINK WE SHOULD ALL BE -- ELIMINATE THAT.

WE ARE A DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY, WE SHOULD SOLVE OUR DISPUTES WITH A PERSON EAT THE BALLOT BOX, NOT WITH VIOLENCE.

>> THERE WAS A VERY INTERESTING INTERVIEW THIS MORNING WHO STUDIED POLITICAL VIOLENCE FOR THE LAST 30 YEARS, HE SAID BOTH SIDES HAVE TO APPEAR TOGETHER ON VIDEOTAPED STATEMENTS DECRYING THIS.

AND I WONDER -- IS THE TWO -- TOOTHPASTE OUT OF -- >> SEASONS OF POLITICAL VIOLENCE IN THIS COUNTRY BEFORE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU THINK ABOUT 1960s OR YOU CAN GO EVEN EARLIER.

AND THE IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER IS THAT THOSE SEASONS CAME TO AN END AND THIS ONE CAN TOO.

WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO WORK AT IT.

WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT IT.

I THINK THE IDEA YOU MENTIONED IS A GREAT ONE AND I WOULD DO THAT IN A HEARTBEAT.

BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE LIKE THIS.

AND I DON'T BELIEVE IT WILL BE LIKE THIS FOREVER.

>> Eric: VIOLENCE IS GOING TO BE THE SUBJECT OF THE SPECIAL SESSION WHICH GOVERNOR WALZ INDICATES HE'S GOING TO CALL.

AND ANYTHING GET -- GET EVERYBODY ON RECORD WHETHER THEY SUPPORT A BAN ON ASSAULT WEAPONS OR NOT?

WHAT DO YOU SEE HAPPENING IN THE SPECIAL SESSION?

>> WELL, I THINK LISTENING TO THE AMILIES, LISTENING TO THE BROADER COMMUNITY, IF THEY'RE LISTENING TO THE PEOPLE OF MINNESOTA THEN STUFF WILL HAPPEN BECAUSE I THINK IF YOU BO OUT AND TALK TO REGULAR MINNESOTANS THEY THINK THIS IS A REALLY COMMONSENSE THING.

THAT YOU DON'T NEED WEAPONS OF WAR ON THE STREET.

THAT YOU DON'T NEED A -- - CONTROVERSIAL IDEAS TO MINNESOTANS, THEY MAY BE CONTROVERSIAL AT THE CAPITOL BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S -- I THINK IT'S A COMMONSENSE THING.

>> Eric: IT'S A TIED HOUSE.

WHAT'S THE GUN CONTROL ATTITUDE OF YOUR CAUCUS?

>> MY CAUCUS IS VERY UNITED IN WANTING TO DO SOMETHING MEANINGFUL TO DECREASE GUN VIOLENCE, VERY UNITED.

>> Cathy: ARE YOU STILL TALKING WITH REPUBLICANS ABOUT AN AGENDA?

YOU DON'T WANT TO GO IN WITH AN OPEN AGENDA.

>> WE'RE TALKING -- YOU TALK ABOUT THE SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEMS WE'RE IN NOW, IT'S GOING TO INVOLVE A LOT OF LISTENING -- ABSOLUTELY, WE'RE HAVING GOOD AND PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS >> Eric: HOW DO YOU AND THE SPEAKER GET ALONG, REPUBLICAN DEMUTH >> DEMUTH AND I CAME INTO THE LEGISLATURE TOGETHER IN 2018, WE'VE WORKED TOGETHER OVER THE YEARS.

AND PARTICULARLY THE LAST SIX MONTHS WHEN I WAS COCHAIR OF THE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE AND WE WERE DOING BUDGET NEGOTIATIONS, WE HAVE POSITIVE -- WE DON'T ALWAYS -- OKAY.

>> CFSS >> Cathy: I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN COMPARED TO MELISSA HORTMAN IN THAT YOU WORK CLOSELY WITH HER.

SHE WAS KIND OF A MENTOR OF YOURS.

>> MM-HMM.

>> Cathy: WHAT WOULD BE YOUR LEADERSHIP STYLE?

I MEAN, YOU'VE EARNED FROM HER BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE YOUR OWN STYLE SO HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR LEADERSHIP STYLE ESPECIALLY AS IT RELATES TO -- >> ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, MELISSA HORTMAN WHEN I WAS 17 YEARS OLD AND I'M 41 YEARS OLD NOW SO I'VE KNOWN HER MOST OF MY ADULT LIFE.

AND THERE ARE THINGS SHE DID THAT I ABSOLUTELY WANT TO FOLLOW -- TREATMENT THAT THEY DESERVE.

I AM SOMEONE WHO I TRY TO BE MORE OF A SERVANT LEADER, I'M GOING TO SERVE THIS CAUCUS REMEMBERING THAT -- WORKS FOR THE CAUCUS, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.

>> Eric: WHAT'S THE IDEA BEHIND MAYBE INCREASING SECURITY EVEN TEMPORARILY DURING THE SPECIAL SESSION?

IS THAT GOING TO COME UP -- >> IT ABSOLUTELY IS GOING TO COME UP BEFORE THE SPECIAL.

AND FRANKLY I DON'T THINK IT CAN BE TEMPORARY.

THE CAPITOL NEEDS TO BE AN ACCESSIBLE PLACE TO THE PUBLIC.

IT WAS BUILT SO THAT PEOPLE CAN WITNESS THEIR GOVERNMENT IN ACTION.

BUT THAT ISN'T ACCESSIBLE IF IT'S NOT SAFE.

IF PEOPLE DON'T FEEL SO THEY WON'T GO AND THEN THE WHOLE THING FALLS APART.

WE NEED TO MAKE THE CAPITOL A SAFE PLACE FOR MINNESOTANS TO GO TO.

AND BY THE WAY THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE WHO WORK THERE, NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT ELECTED, NONPARTISAN STAFF DAY IN AND DAY OUT, THEY DESERVE TO HAVE A SAFE WORKPLACE TOO.

>> Cathy: CAN METAL DETECTORS BE INSTALLED?

WHAT CAN BE DONE PRETTY FAST HERE?

>> THAT NEEDS TO BE -- STATE OF MINNESOTA, YOU HAVE TO WALK THROUGH METAL DETECTORS.

I THINK IF YOU HAVE TO DO THAT TO GET INTO THE KOOCHICHING COUNTY COURTHOUSE YOU SHOULD HAVE TO DO IT TO GET INTO THE STATE CAPITOL.

WE'RE AN OUTLIER ON THIS, WE'RE ONE OF THE FEW STATES THAT DON'T HAVE WEAPONS SCREENS IN THE STATE CAPITOL.

>> Eric: HAT HAPPENS TO -- REPRESENTATIVE HORTMAN WAS SPEAKER EMETA.

ARE YOU TWO GOING TO WORK IN TANDEM?

HOW IS THAT GOING TO WORK?

IS IS >> ABSOLUTELY.

REPRESENTATIVE LONG AND I HAVE BEEN FRIENDS A LONG TIME, HE'S A CRITICAL MEMBER, WE HAVE THINGS WE NEED TO ACCOMPLISH.

WE TALK ABOUT GUN VIOLENCE AND THERE'S ALSO THIS ISSUE OF AFFORDABILITY THAT IS THE NUMBER ISSUE WHEN YOU HEAR WHEN YOU TALK TO MINNESOTANS ACROSS THE STATE ABOUT THE COST OF HEALTH INSURANCE AND HOUSING AND CHILDCARE ARE ALL JUST STRANGLING THE MIDDLE CLASS.

>> Eric: CANDIDATE RECRUITMENT, HOW'S THAT GOING?

>> REALLY WELL.

WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE EAGER TO WORK.

I HEARD WHAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT EARLIER -- MAYBE PEOPLE WOULDN'T RUN OR STEP AWAY.

I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT HASN'T BEEN THE EXPERIENCE.

ACTUALLY A LOT OF PEOPLE RECOGNIZE THE MOMENT WE'RE IN, THE SERIOUSNESS OF IT, THEY WANT TO GET TO WORK.