>> ERIC: JUNE 30TH.

IT'S A BUSY DAY IN THE POLITICAL WORLD.

MINNESOTA IS GETTING READY TO ENACT A PLETHORA OF NEW LAWS ON JULY 1ST.

AND IN D.C., THE U.S. SUPREME COURT FINISHED ITS TERM EARLIER TODAY, CAPPING OFF A WEEK OF BIG DECISIONS FROM THE HIGH COURT.

LET'S SEE WHAT THIS WEEK'S POLITICAL PANEL HAS TO SAY ABOUT THE BUSY WEEK LEADING UP TO THE LONG HOLIDAY WEEKEND.

REPUBLICANS UP FIRST.

FRITZ KNAAK IS A FORMER STATE SENATOR NOW PRACTICING LAW JUST DOWN THE STREET.

JEN DEJOURNETT IS A POLITICAL OPERATIVE AND VETERAN OF CAMPAIGNS.

DFLERS ON THE COUCH TONIGHT, FORMER STATE SENATOR IS ALSO A LABEL YOU CAN GIVE JEFF HAYDEN, AND WE WELCOME BACK WINTANA MELEKIN, DFL ACTIVIST WHO SPENT MANY HOURS AT THE LEGISLATURE THIS YEAR.

LET ME JUST TOO BRIEFLY DESCRIBE THE LAST PART OF THE SUPREME COURT'S CALENDAR HERE, COLLEGES CAN'T USE RACE FOR COMMISSIONS, BUSINESSES DON'T HAVE TO SERVE GAYS, EMPLOYERS MUST ACCOMMODATE RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND PRESIDENT BIDEN CAN'T UNILATERALLY CANCEL STUDENT DEBTS.

POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS OF ALL THAT?

>> HURRAY, I'LL START WITH THAT.

FOR THOSE OF US WHO EVER HAD 20 KIND OF GRIT OUR TEETH WITH A LOT OF THE CRITICISM THAT TRUMP HAD BEEN RECEIVING, THE ONE THING WE CAN SAY, T LEAST SOME OF US, IS THIS IS THE JUSTIFICATION, THIS IS THE PAY-OFF.

YOU KNOW, THE DESIRE AMONG CONSERVATIVES WAS FOR THE COURT TO FIND A WAY TO EXTRICATE THE FEDERAL JUDICIARY FROM THE POLITICAL PROCESS DIRECTLY FROM BECOMING THE POLICY-MAKING BODY, THE UNELECTED POLICY-MAKING BODY AND YOU'RE SEEING THAT IN THIS CASE.

I JUST, ONE AFTER ANOTHER, I WAS GOING YOU BETCHA, THAT'S ALL GOOD.

>> Eric: SENATOR.

>> WOW, I DIDN'T EXPECT THAT OUT OF YOU.

I FEEL EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE.

>> OF COURSE.

>> OT NECESSARILY, I'LL LET FRITZ SPEAK TO THE -- IF HE FEELS LIKE FEDERAL COURTS ARE MAKING POLICY, IT'S REALLY SAD FOR US, SAD FOR AMERICA, SAD FOR THE UNITED STATES AND I THINK IT WILL BE REALLY SAD FOR REPUBLICANS POLITICAL.

>> Eric: HOW SO?

FIRST OF ALL, WE DON'T WANTS COLLEGES TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A REALLY ROBUST AND DIVERSE GROUP OF PEOPLE?

WE'RE NOT RECOGNIZING STRUCTURAL AND HISTORIC RACISM IN THIS COUNTRY?

RIGHT, LIKE WHERE -- WE'RE CAN EXCITED ABOUT THOSE KIND OF THINGS?

WE'VE SEEN IT IN CALIFORNIA WHERE THEY HAD A REFERENDUM, 50% OF THE PEOPLE OF COLOR, ESPECIALLY BLACKS AND LATINOS DON'T GO TO THE CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITIES SYSTEM.

WE THINK THAT'S GOOD FOR AMERICA?

>> Jearlyn: JEN, IS IT GOING TO BE BAD FOR REPUBLICANS?

>> LAST AUGUST, WE SAW THE ELECTION IMPLICATIONS OF WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THAT SUPREME COURT RULING AND THERE WAS CATASTROPHIC POLITICAL MACHINE FAILURE.

I THINK WHAT WE'LL SEE HERE IS VERY SIMILAR, UNLESS REPUBLICANS GET ON THEIR GAME VERY, VERY QUICKLY AND BUILD THE MACHINE BECAUSE AS JEFF SAID, THEIR SIDE IS GOING TO BE VERY MOTIVATED.

POLITICS IS ALWAYS PERSONAL.

PEOPLE VOTE WHEN THEY'RE MAD, THEY DO THINGS WHEN THEY'RE MAD, THEY DOOR-KNOCK, DONATE, ALL OF THAT.

WHAT WE SEE ON OUR SIDE IS WHEN THEY WIN THESE POLITICAL SUPREME OURT DECISIONS, OUR SIDE GOES TO SLEEP AND THERE'S NO INFRASTRUCTURE TO THEN TURN OUT THE VOTE AND MAKE SURE EVERYBODY VOTES AND THEN WE LOSE BIG.

AND THEN THAT HAS LONG-TERM IMPLICATIONS.

I DON'T THINK IT'S NECESSARILY -- I DON'T THINK WE'RE PREPARED AND I THINK WE NEED TO GET PREPARED VERY, VERY QUICKLY.

>> Cathy: WINTANA, WHAT DO YOU THINK?

>> WE'RE LOOKING AT A SUPREME COURT THAT HAS BEEN CAUGHT WITH TAKING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF GIFTS FROM MAJOR DONORS AND SHOWING US HOW CORRUPT THEY ARE AND THEY JUST DECIDED TO TURN THEIR BACK ON YOUNG PEOPLE, QUEER FOLKS, AND COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, AND I THINK IT'S ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING AND EMBARRASSING.

BUT ALSO I THINK IT'S GOING TO HAVE A MASSIVE IMPACT ON ELECTIONS FROM CITY TO FEDERAL LEVEL BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE UNHAPPY WITH THE WAY THE SUPREME COURT IS MOVING, NOT ONLY FROM THE WAY THAT THEY'RE MOVING FINANCIALLY BUT ALSO THE WAY THAT HEY'RE MAKING THEIR LEGAL DECISIONS AND SO I THINK IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR DEMOCRATS TO TAKE BACK A LOT OF POWER BUT IT'S ALSO VERY SAD FOR OUR COMMUNITIES BUT WE'RE GOING TO SOME OF BECAUSE OF IT.

>> YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON BUT SENATOR KNAAK, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT JEN JUST SAID ABOUT REPUBLICANS NOT MAYBE HAVING THE MACHINE?

>> WELL, I THINK SHE'S SPOT ON WHEN IT COMES TO THE ABORTION ISSUE.

I THINK WHAT HAPPENED THERE IS REPUBLICANS WHO HAD BEEN ADVOCATING THAT THIS SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE A DECISION MADE BY THE STATES FOR YEARS THAT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE POLITICAL ARENA, WHEN THE SUPREME COURT FINALLY TURNED AROUND AND SAID THAT'S WHERE IT'S GOING TO BE, I THINK REPUBLICANS ESPECIALLY AND PRO-LIFE ORGANIZATIONS ESPECIALLY WERE CAUGHT COMPLETELY FLAT-FOOTED.

ALL THESE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAD SPENT DECADES BASICALLY CREATING THE SUPPORTIVE SYSTEM WEREN'T READY FOR THE POLITICAL CONSEQUENCES.

I DON'T THINK THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN AGAIN.

SECONDLY, I THINK YOU'RE DEALING WITH AN ISSUE IN ABORTION WHERE YOU'VE GOT A MAJORITY OF PEOPLE THAT WEREN'T FAVOR OF A STRONG RESOLUTION ANTI-ABORTION RESOLUTION, THAT'S NOT THE CASE IN THE -- IF YOU LOOK AT THE POLLING ON AFFIRMATIVE ACTION, A FEW OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO THE IMMEDIATE POLITICAL CONSEQUENCES LIKE THAT ARE LIKELY TO BE LESS.

>> Eric: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE ELEMENTS OF THE DFL MACHINE AS JEN IS TALKING ABOUT, THE ORGANIZATION, THE AMOUNT OF SPECIAL INTERESTS GROUPS, INTEREST GROUPS BACKING THE DEMOCRATIC CAUSE.

HOW IS THAT ALL EVOLVED?

>> I MEAN, I JUST THINK ABOUT AFFIRMATIVE ACTION.

WE HAVE -- WE KNOW THAT IN THIS COUNTRY, COMMUNITIES OF COLOR WILL HAVE LL OF THE MERIT, ALL THE RIGHT ATTRIBUTES AND STILL NOT BE ACCEPTED TO UNIVERSITIES.

WE CREATED AFFIRMATIVE ACTION TO GIVE FOLKS EQUAL ACCESS, IT'S BEEN RIPPED FROM THEM ND WHAT COMMUNITIES OF COLOR KNOW IS THAT WE AN CHANGE THAT RESULT BY GOING TO THE BALLOT.

MANY OF US WILL BE DOING IT, AND IT'S BEEN OBVIOUS TO US THAT IT'S THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY THAT IS IN ALIGNMENT WITH US ON THIS ISSUE AND THAT IS GOING TO BE THE PARTY THAT FOLKS SHOW UP FOR, AND SO I THINK THAT'S WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO.

>> Eric: YOU'RE HEADING AROUND THE STATE, ARE YOU CONVINCING REPUBLICAN GROUPS TO EMBRACE EARLY VOTING, IS THAT PARTS OF YOUR MISSION?

>> YEAH, SOME TRAVEL AROUND THE STATE SINCE DECEMBER OF LAST YEAR, PROBABLY THE ONLY REPUBLICAN THAT HAS TRAVELED AROUND THE STATE, I HAVE 20,000 MILES ON MY CAR, BACK AND FORTH, TEACHING INDIVIDUALS ABOUT THE NEED TO VOTE, TO TURN IN YOUR VOTE AND ALSO TO EARLY VOTE.

FOR EXAMPLE, 20,000-PLUS KNOWN CONSERVATIVES ACROSS THE STATE WHO HE LIVE IN RURAL AREAS WHO VOTED -- WHO CAN ONLY VOTE BY MAIL FAILED TO RETURN THAT BALLOT.

>> Eric: HOW MANY?

>> 20,000 PLUS.

AND THAT'S UNFOR THE NATURE AND THE SECRETARY OF STATE HAS 119,000 INDIVIDUALS WHO RECEIVED AN ABSENTEE BALLOTS IN THE STATE, DID NOT RETURN THEM, THAT'S SOME OF THEIRS AND SOME OF OURS, BUT THE POINT IS A LOT OF PEOPLE CHOOSE TO LISTEN TO SOME BAD INFORMATION ABOUT VOTING AND EARLY VOTING AND LISTEN TO SOME ERRORS AND THEN DIDN'T RETURN THEIR VOTE.

OR JUST FAILED TO VOTE AT ALL AND THAT IS UNFORTUNATE.

I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT EVERYBODY VOTES BUT THEY ALSO -- THE LEFT WHAT I'VE ALWAYS APPRECIATED IS THEY ORGANIZE IN A DIFFERENT WAY, THEY ORGANIZE ON ISSUES, ON THE GROUNDS AND THEY BUILD COALITIONS, AGAIN, TO BRING THOSE VOTES FORWARD LIKE THE PRO LIFE COMMUNITY, THEY SHOULD HAVE VOTED AND BROUGHT THOSE VOTES TO THE TABLE AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS MATTER AND IT'S IMPORTANT GOING FORWARD.

>> Cathy: SO LET'S SWITCH FOCUS AND TALK ABOUT THE -- WE HAD THE STATE AUDITOR HERE, THE SOUTHWEST LIGHT RAIL LINE IS -- THAT'S A HOT MESS.

SO IM WONDERING HERE, NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION, DOES THE MET COUNCIL HAVE A TARGETS ON ITS BACK?

>> ABSOLUTELY, 100%.

I WAS EXPIRATIONED THEY DIDN'T DO IT THIS YEAR, I THINK THERE WERE SO MANY THINGS IN FRONT OF IT.

THAT SEEMS TO BE BIPARTISAN AND WHEN YOU HAVE TOMORROW LIKE SENATOR DIBBLE AND REPRESENTATIVE HORNSTEIN -- >> AND DRAZKOWSKI ON THE OTHER SIDES.

>> EXACTLY, WHEN YOU START TO MUTTS THAT TOGETHER, I THINK THEY WANT TO BE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT IT, THEY WANT TO BE SMART AND FIGURE IT OUT BUT IT IS CLEAR THEY NEED MORE OVERSIGHT AND PROBABLY ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE AREA.

>> Eric: THE ELECTED MET COUNCIL HAS BEEN UP RIOR, RIGHT?

>> FOREVER, THAT'S THE PROBLEM IS GETTING SOME KIND OF ACTUAL CONCRETE RESOLUTION TO IT AND THE QUESTION THAT GETS ASKED IS, WELL, YOU KNOW, ARE WE JUST GOING TO CREATES ANOTHER LEVEL OF ELECTED OFFICE AND DOES THAT REALLY CREATES A SITUATION WHERE YOU GOT PEOPLE ANSWERABLE OR DO WE CHANGE WHAT THE COUNTIES ARE?

DO WE TURN IT INTO A METROPOLITAN COUNTY, FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THESE ELECTED OFFICIALS?

THERE ARE ALL KIND OF POSSIBILITIES THAT ARE OUT THERE ON THIS AND THERE ARE ARE THERE IS NO EASY ANSWER OR IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DONLAR.

>> Cathy: SAY, I'M ALSO WONDERING ABOUT THIS.

THE SEARCH IS ON FOR THE HEADS OF THE OFFICE OF CANNABIS MANAGEMENT.

DO WE KNOW HOW POLITICAL THE PROCESS IS GROWING TO BE TO GETS ONE OF THE LICENSES TO BE A DISPENSARY?

WHAT DO WE THINK ABOUT THAT?

>> YEAH, I DON'T HAVE AN IMMEDIATE ANSWER.

I THINK THAT WE ARE IN VERY EARLY STAGES AND THERE IS A LOTS TO FIGURE OUT.

I'LL BE TRANSPARENT, FOR ME IT COMES DOWN TO RACIAL EQUITY, ARE WE GOING TO MAKE SURE IT IS FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN THE MOST HARMED ARE THE FOLKS GETTING THE MOST ACCESS.

I DON'T FEEL CONFIDENT YET BECAUSE I WANT TO SKI MORE INFORMATION.

I WANT TO SIGH WHO'S HIRED AND HOW IT'S STRUCTURED.

>> AND I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE COLLABORATION WITH LOCAL ENTITIES AND LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES AND THE COUNTIES.

SO, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN THEY PASSED THE LAW, THEY DIDN'T ACTUALLY GO BACK TO SOME OF OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND SAY, WHAT DO WE NEED AND WHAT DO YOU NEED SO THAT YOU CAN PASS THE PROPER ORDINANCES AND SO THEY'RE CONSISTENT ACROSS ALL LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

NOW, SOME LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ARE STARTING TO DO THAT IN A COLLABORATIVE SPACE SO THAT THEY HAVE THOSE SIMILAR LAWS BUT THERE IS A HOLE FLEET OF UNSOLVED AND UNTIED-UP PIECES AROUND THAT IN ADDITION TO FILLING GOVERNMENT -- >> LETS ME SAY THIS, I WANT -- AS JEN WALKS DOWN THERE, FOLKS HAVE TO -- THEY DIDN'T LIKE IT, THEY DIDN'T WANTS TO DO IT SO IT'S ALWAYS HARD TO COLLABORATE IF I'M SITTING DOWN TALKING TO YOU AND YOU DON'T WANT TO DO IT, THEN I'M GOINGS TO THINK WHAT'S BEST.

NOW THAT'S THE LAW AND I THINK THOSE THINGS WILL START TO HAPPEN.

BUT IF YOU IDN'T WANT IT AND YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY NOT, WE DON'T WANT TO DO IT, THEN YOU'LL PROBABLY GET SOMETHING YOU DON'T LIKE.

>> UNDERSTAND THAT CITIES IN PARTICULAR ARE LOCAL UNITS OF GOVERNMENT, THEY'RE VERY NERVOUS ABOUT THIS.

WE HAVEN'T SEEN THIS KIND OF SUBSTANCE, SO TO SPEAK, REGULATED AND REGULARS ALREADIABLE BY CITIES SINCE ALL HALL, FRANKLY CAME -- PROHIBITION AND O A LOT OF THE SAME QUESTIONS ARE COMING UP ABOUT SAFETY, ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE WANT PEOPLE TO BE SELLING THIS, HOW CLOSE TO SCHOOLS, FOR EXAMPLE, OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

THESE ARE ALL KINDS OF ISSUES FOR WHICH THERE IS NO CLEAR, IMMEDIATE ANSWER AND -- >> THAT'S NOT TRUE, IT'S IN THE BILL.

>> WELL, NO, THINGS -- ON A CASE BY CASE -- WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS, SOMEBODY, MUNICIPALITY, FOR EXAMPLE, IS GOING TO HAVE TO DECIDES, HAT KIND OF REGULATIONS OR LICENSING ARE WE GOING TO DO AND MORE IN PARTICULAR, WHERE ARE WHICH GOING TO ALLOW THIS ACTIVITY TO OCCUR?

>> I'M SAYING IT'S N THE BILL.

FRITZ, YOU HAVEN'T READ THE BILL.

>> I HAVE.

>> BUT THAT STUFF IS SPELLED OUT AND IT'S GIVING CITIES OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT.

THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT YOU CAN'T BE NEXT TO A SCHOOL, THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW MANY LICENSES YOU CAN HAVE PER CAPITA.

>> RIGHTS.

>> THOSE THINGS ARE IN THE BILL.

>> Eric: OPPONENTS FOR AMY KLOBUCHAR.

>> NOPE, THERE'S STILL NO REPUBLICAN OPPONENT YET FOR AMY KLOBUCHAR AND, NO, I'M NOT RUNNING.

>> Eric: DO YOU HAVE ANY ACTIVE PEOPLE CONSIDERING ITS OR... >> NO, NOT ANYBODY IN A SERIOUS WAY.

BUT THERE MIGHT BE.

I MEAN, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE TALKS ABOUT ITS AND UNTIL -- I DON'T THINK THEY'RE SERIOUS UNTIL THEY'RE ACTUALLY SERIOUS SO LET ME CAVEAT