♪♪ >> ERIC: THE LIGHTNING-FAST PACE OF THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION CONTINUES WITH MORE BILLS SIGNED INTO LAW THIS WEEK, AS CONSERVATIVE GROUPS THREATEN LAWSUITS.

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES ARE FRONT-OF-MIND AS VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS VISITED ST.

CLOUD YESTERDAY TO TOUR AN E.V.

PLANT.

JOINING US ON THE COUCH THIS WEEK, OUR PANEL OF POLITICAL ANALYSTS.

WE'LL START WITH REPUBLICANS THIS WEEK.

AMY KOCH IS A FORMER SENATE MAJORITY LEADER.

ANDY BREHM IS A FORMER CONGRESSIONAL STAFFER AND ATTORNEY.

DFLERS JOINING US THIS WEEK ARE FORMER LEGISLATIVE STAFFER, NOW ATTORNEY, ABOU AMARA.

AND LONGTIME PARTY ACTIVIST CARIN MROTZ.

SENATOR, YOU HAVE BEEN ACTIVE IN A CONSERVATIVE GROUP THAT WAS DEALING WITH THE ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT AND I WAS VERY CURIOUS WHAT YOU THOUGHT OF THIS 100% RENEWABLE BY 2040 BILL THAT WAS SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR THIS WEEK.

>> RIGHT.

SO ACTUALLY CONSERVATIVE GROUP THAT WAS IN ALL OF THE MIX, RENEWABLES, GOOD, I'M CERTAINLY ON BOARD WITH RENEWABLES FOR LOTS AND LOTS OF YEARS.

I VOTED AND WAS A PART OF THE GROUP THAT NEGOTIATED THE 25 BY 25, WHICH AT THAT TIME WAS THE MOST AGGRESSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARD AS WELL AS THE NEXT GENERATION ACT.

>> Eric: HOW DOES THIS STRIKE YOU?

>> SO, THAT'S WHAT -- I DID ALL THAT, I SUPPORTED ALL THAT.

100% BY 2040 IS IRRESPONSIBLE, IT'S NOT ATTAINABLE.

A MIX OF ENERGY IS WHAT'S IMPORTANT.

EVERY ENERGY HAS AN UPSIDE, EVERY SOURCE OF ENERGY LAST A DOWN SIDE AND TO CHOOSE 100% OF ANYTHING, WHETHER IT'S COAL, NUCLEAR, I LOVE NUCLEAR BUT A 100% OF NUCLEAR IS RIDICULOUS AND THIS IS ALSO THE SAME.

IT DRIVERS UP COSTS, IT CREATES UNRELIABLE GRIDS.

>> Eric: OVERREACH.

>> THAT'S NOT WHAT THE BILL DOES.

IT DOESN'T SAY 100% NUCLEAR OR 100% SOLAR PAGES, IT SAYS 100% CARBON FREE.

IT'S MAKING SURE WE HAVE A DIVERSE ENERGY PORTFOLIO AND YOU'RE INCENTIVIZING BUSINESSES TO GET INVOLVED.

XCEL ENERGY IS INVESTING IN PLANTS.

THIS WILL GALVANIZE THE -- >> THE LEGISLATURE REJECTED NUCLEAR, THE ONLY CARBON-FREE IS AS RENEWABLES.

>> Eric: WHEN THE REPUBLICANS ARE ON THE FLOOR, THE WORD "EXTREME" COMES UP A LOTS.

AND I WONDER, IS THIS AN EXAMPLE OF DFL OVERREACH HERE?

>> SO, THE REPUBLICANS ARE IN THE MINORITY, WHICH MEANS THAT IT IS THEIR JOB TO NOT GET THINGS DONE BUT TO TELL A STORY.

THEY COULD HAVE THE OPTION OF GETTING THINGS DONE, THEY COULD PARTICIPATE IN A BIPARTISAN WAY AND THE STORY THAT THEY TELL COULD BE HOW THEY WORKED TOGETHER WITH DEMOCRATS.

THE STORY THAT REPUBLICANS ARE TELLING THIS SESSION IS THAT DEMOCRATS ARE EXTREMISTS, DEMOCRATS ARE DOING LIKE ALL THESE TERRIBLE, AWFUL RADICAL THINGS AND THEY'RE TELLING THIS STORY BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THEY'VE GOT.

WHEN YOU'RE N THE MINORITY, THAT'S YOUR WEAPON.

THEY'RE LOOKING AT THE NEXT ELECTION AND THAT IS THE STORY THAT THEY'RE GOING TO TELL.

DO I THINK IT MIGHT BE EFFECTIVE FOR THEM TO BE PARTICIPATING AND GETTING SOME THINGS DONE FOR MINNESOTANS SO THAT THERE IS ANOTHER STORY FOR THEM TO TELL?

COULD BE GOOD.

>> WELL, YOU KNOW, I -- I'M NOT A FAN OF STORIES, I'M A FAN OF FACTS AND THE FACTS ARE THAT THIS AGENDA IS EXTREMELY EXTREME.

WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS NO NUCLEAR ENERGY, NO COAL, I MEAN, THIS BILL, WHAT IT WILL DO, IT WILL RAISE PEOPLE' UTILITIES BY THROUGHS OF DOLLARS.

YOU SAY THIS IS PRO-BUSINESS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT INCREASING ANNUAL PREMIUMS BY HUNDREDS OF THROUGHS OF DOLLARS, NOT TO MENTION THE BLACKOUTS THAT WILL COME AS A RESULT OF THIS.

SO YOU CAN CALL IT A STORY ALL YOU WANT.

WHAT THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN AS AMY SAID, I MEAN, WHY IN THE WORLD WASN'T NUCLEAR PART OF THIS, THERE'S NO SCIENCE TO BACK THAT UP.

IT IS AN IRRESPONSIBLE PIECE OF LEGISLATION AMONG OTHERS.

>> WILL LET'S TALK ABOUT EXTREME.

THE DEMOCRATS HAVE CONTROL OF ALL THE GOVERNMENT BECAUSE THE REPUBLICANS WHICH ARE THE EXTREME PARTY AND THAT GAVE THE POWER TO THE DFL.

>> I WORKED ON THOSE ENERGY BILLS, WE HAD BIPARTISAN BUY-IN ND WE HAD BIPARTISAN WORK.

THESE BILLS PASSED THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE IDENTICAL.

THERE WAS NO CONFERENCE COMMITTEE ON THIS.

HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?

THEY HAD MULTIPLE COMMITTEES THAT WENT THROUGH AND NOT A SINGLE AMENDMENT WAS ACCEPTED, NOT A SINGLE CHANGE WAS MADE IN EITHER BODY ON A MASSIVE BILL LIKE THAT.

THAT'S JUST NOT HOW THE LEGISLATURE WORKS.

THE SENATE IS DIVIDED 34-3.

THAT MEANS IF YOU DIED OUT THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE, HALF OF -- HALF OF MINNESOTA'S LIKE DISTRICTS WERE NOT HEARD ON THIS ISSUE AT ALL AND NOT A SINGLE AMENDMENT, NOT SINGLE CHANGE WAS MADE IN THE HOUSE OR THE SENATE.

>> Cathy: KARIN, FINAL COMMENT ON THIS?

>> APPRECIATE THE FACTS, THE ENERGY BILLS ARE GOING UP IN CREDIBILITILY REGARDLESS OF HOW WE ADDRESS THE CRISIS AND IT'S NOT REALLY WORTH MORTGAGING THE FUTURE OF OUR CHILDREN AND OUR ENTIRE CLIMATE IN ORDER TO KEEP DOING IT THE WAY WE ARE RIGHT NOW.

>> Eric: AND THERE MAY BE THE NORTH DAKOTA LAWSUIT OUT OF THIS SO WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

DFL BILLS ON ELECTIONS AND VOTING.

HAD TO BE BIPARTISAN IN THE OLD DAYS.

IS THAT GONE AWAY OR -- >> I THINK IT HAS AND I THINK A BIG REASON IT'S GONE AWAY IS 10, 20 YEARS AGO, YOU HAD A REPUBLICAN PARTY THAT ACCEPTED THE RESULTS OF ELECTIONS, AND NOW YOU HAVE REPUBLICAN ELECTION DENIERS, AND SO IT'S NOT ABOUT REPUBLICAN-DEMOCRAT IN THIS CONTEXT, IT'S ABOUT DO YOU SUPPORT DEMOCRACY OR AUTHORITARIANISM.

THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE, WE DON'T HAVE GOOD FAITH PARTNERS WHO ARE TRYING TO MAKE OUR ELECTIONS MORE ACCESSIBLE AND SECURE AT THE SAME TIME.

>> Eric: RELEASED FELONS CAN VOTE, 16 AND 17-YEAR-OLDS CAN PRE-REGISTER.

>> IT'S VERY EXTREME STUFF AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT REPUBLICANS HAVE OFFERED SENSIBLE AMENDMENTS, FOR INSTANCE, ON THESE DRIVER'S LICENSES, THE DEMOCRATS WANTS TO PROVIDE TO ILLEGAL ALIENS TO SAY IT CAN'T BE USED FOR VOTING, THAT'S BEEN REJECT FINDS.

BUT THIS RHETORIC OF CALLING EVERY REPUBLICAN AUTHORITARIAN, THAT'S GETTING OLD.

>> EXTREMISM ILLEGAL, I UNDERSTAND THE TALKING POINT FAX WENT OUT THIS AFTERNOON BUT WHAT I WANT TO SAY ABOU S RIGHT, IT'S NOT JUST 20 YEARS AGO, I WORKED ON VOTER PREREGISTRATION FOR 16-YEAR-OLDS EIGHT YEARS AGO?

AND NOT ONLY WAS IT BIPARTISAN, OUR AUTHOR WAS DEAN URDAHL, A REPUBLICAN, A CIVICS TEACHER WHO NDERSTOOD THE WAY THAT VOTER PREREGISTRATION WOULD GET KIDS WHO ARE IN THE CLASSROOM HAVING A CIVICS EDUCATION PREREGISTERED TO VOTE AT A GREAT TIME IN THEIR LIFE WHEN THEY WERE LEARNING ABOUT POLITICS.

ABOUT THE NOW REPUBLICANS DON'T WANT KIDS LEARNING ABOUT POLITICS OR THE WAY THE WORLD WORKS SO WE DON'T WANTS THEM TO PRE-REGISTER TO VOTE BECAUSE WE DON'T WANTS A CIRCUITS CURRICULUM AT ALL.

>> Cathy: I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE BILL -- HAD AN INTRODUCTION THIS WEEK, MINNESOTA HEALTHCARE FOR ALL THROUGH A PUBLIC OPTION.

ONLY A HANDFUL OF STATES HAVE TRIED THIS, IT'S RUN INTO POLITICAL AND FISCAL ISSUES SO MINNESOTA WANT TO TRY TO DO THIS ON ITS OWN?

DO YOU SEE ANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS?

>> WELL, I THINK THE BEST TIME TO FIX THE ROOF IS WHEN THE SUN IS SHINING SO NOW MINNESOTA HAS A $17 BILLION SURPLUS.

NOW I THINK IT'S TIME TO THINK ABOUT ABOUT HOW DO WE REIMAGINE THE HEATS CARE SYSTEM?

THIS ISN'T SAYING YOU CAN'T GO TO THE PRIVATE MARKET AND BUY PRIVATE HEALTH CARE, THIS IS SIMPLY SAYING THERE'S GOING TO BE ONE OPTION THAT MINNESOTANS CAN BUY INTO PROVIDED BY THE STATE AND I THINK THAT'S GOING TO HELP DRIVE DOWN HEALTH CARE COST ATTENTION.

WE'VE SIGN IN MINNESOTA A GREAT STATE FOR HEALTH CARE, EVEN WE ARE SEEING INCREASES IN HEALTH CARE COSTS AND ONE WAY TO DRIVE DOWN THOSE COSTS ARE TO PROVIDE A COMPETITIVE OPTION FOR MINNESOTANS TO HAVE IN THE MARKETPLACE.

>> Cathy: IS THIS GOING ANYWHERE?

>> YEAH, I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING ANYWHERE, IT'S TOO EXPENSIVE, BEEN PROVEN OVER AND OF.

NOT TO SAY THAT 7 SHOULDN'T GET ON BOARD WITH SOME HEALTH CARE REFORM.

IT'S INCREDIBLY EXPENSIVE, IT'S -- WE DON'T DO HEALTH CARE, WE DO KIND OF SICK CARE, RIGHT, PREVENTION HAS BEEN THROWN OUT THE WINDOW SO THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS TO DO BETWEEN WHAT WE HAVE AND THE PUBLIC OPTION AND THE PUBLIC OPTION, WHEREVER IT'S BEEN TRIED, IT'S TOO EXPENSIVE, IT BUSTS THE BANK AND THAT WON'T BE -- IT WON'T HAPPEN THIS YEAR.

>> Eric: WE KNOW DEMOCRATS ARE GOING TO SPENDS.

DO WE HAVE THE OUTLINES OF A TAX CUT PACKAGE THAT MIGHT OCCUR?

>> I MEAN, THE GOVERNOR HAS ALREADY PROPOSED THE LARGEST TAX CUT IN THE HISTORY OF MINNESOTA, THAT'S WHAT THE ADMINISTRATION HAS PUTS ON THE TABLE.

>> Eric: SO... >> WELL, I THINK IT'S WHERE IT'S CUT IS WHERE -- WHAT'S GOING TO BE AT DISCUSSION HERE.

I THINK IT SHOULD BE 100% OF SOCIAL SECURITY, WE'RE WAIT OUT OF STEP AS A STATE ON THAT.

100% ON 100%, WHETHER IT'S WALZ CHECKS, YOU KNOW, THEY DO A LOT OF INCOME TESTING AND I THINK THAT THEY SHOULD LOOK AT MORE BROAD-BASED TAX RELIEF FOR ALL, HAVE AN $18 BILLION SURPLUS, THAT'S A OT OF MINNESOTANS THAT PAID A LOT OF MONEY INTO THE SYSTEM AND FINDING A WAY TO GET SOME RELIEF FOR ALL FAMILIES I THINK WOULD BE THE RIGHT WAY TO GO.

s. >> Eric: DO YOU LIKE THAT TARGETED TAX CUT APPROACH INSTEAD OF CUTTING INCOME TAXES OR -- >> NO, I WOULDN'T CALL THAT A TAX CUT.

LET'S REMEMBER THE GOVERNOR HAS PROPOSED ACTUALLY INCREASING TAXES DURING THIS TIME, MAKING MINNESOTA THE HIGHEST TAXED STATE IN THE COUNTRY.

THAT'S THE PROPOSAL AND THE PROBLEM WITH THIS IS, WHETHER YOU LIKE HIGH AXES OR NOT, IS MINNESOTANS ARE LOSING.

MINNESOTA'S LOSING POPULATION EVERY YEAR, A LOT OF STATES ARE GAINING IT, WE'RE LOSING ITS.

IF E CONTINUES TO BE SO UNCOMPETITIVE AND THIS IS SUCH AN UNFRIENDLY STATE TO DO BUSINESS IN, WE'RE GOING TO LOSE MORE AND MORE PEOPLE.

MINNESOTA TAXES ARE WAY TOO HIGH.

THEY SHOULD BE CUT PERMANENTLY AND WE SHOULD MAKE OURSELVES MORE COMPETITIVE TO BRING IN BUSINESS.

>> IF THE IT'S SUCH A TERRIBLE PLACE TO DO BUSINESS, WHY DO WE HAVE THE LOWEST UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IN THE STATE'S HISTORY?

WHY DO WITCH THE MOST NOIR TUNE 500 COMPANIES IN THE STATE THAN ANY OTHER COUNTRY?

THE JOBS ARE ERE, THE OPPORTUNITIES ARE HERE.

WE HAVE THE DOOM AND GLOOM ARGUMENTS EVERY TIME, IF IT'S RAINING THEY WANT TAX CUTS, IF IT'S SNOWY, THEY WANT TAX CUTS.

AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT'S JUST RHETORIC.

LOOK AT THE RESULTS, MINNESOTA IS SHOWING IT CAN WORK.

>> Eric: MARGINAL AIDED GROUPS, SEEM TO BE DOING BRETT' WELL PROPERTY-WELL.

YOUR SENSE OF HOW THAT'S GOING.

AND THE IMPORTANCE OF IT.

>> YEAH, LOOK, MANY OF THE GROUPS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT HAVE BEEN WAITING A REALLY LONG TIME TO EVEN GET THEIR VOICES AND THEIR BILLS HEARD.

THERE ARE THINGS LIKE DRIVER'S LICENSES, THINGS LIKE PAID FAMILY LEAVE, THINGS THAT WE HAVE BEEN -- "WE" MEANING MINNESOTANS HAVE BEEN WAITING TO EVEN GET A HEARING FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS SO, YEAH, I THINK -- I WAS WATCHING THE TRANS REFUGE BILL THIS AFTERNOON AND IT WAS REALLY INSPIRING TO SEE MINNESOTANS GO TO THE CAPITOL AND SHOW UP AND BE ABLE TO TESTIFY ABOUT THEIR LIVES, IN A HEARING THAT PREVIOUSLY WOULD NOT EVEN BE HELD.

SO SOME THINGS ARE GOING TO PASS, SOME THINGS ARE GOING TO MOVE, SOME THINGS ARE GOING TO BE A FIRST STEP AND THEY WON'T GET ALL THE WAY TO THE FINISH LINE BUT THE FACT WE'RE GIVING HEARINGS TO SOME OF THESE BILLS IS A TREMENDOUS IMPROVEMENT.

>> Eric: WHAT DO YOU THINK?

>> I THINK THE CHANGE IN THE DIVERSITY THAT WE'VE SEEN AT THE LEGISLATURE IS A GOOD THING, RIGHT?

IT'S ALL VOICES FOR MINNESOTA.

YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S JUST A MATTER OF, AGAIN, EVERYONE NEEDS TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO WORK ACROSS THE AISLE AND I'M NOT SEEING THAT RIGHT NOW, AND I WOULD CAUTION NEW LEGISLATORS AND ALSO TALK TO, LIKE, MORE EXPERIENCED LEGISLATORS TO FIND WAYS TO DO THAT.

I'M NOT SEEING IT YET.

THESE BILLS HAVE BEEN JUST, YOU KNOW, CRASHING THROUGH WITH NO, LIKE, NO AMENDMENTS, NO INPUTS FROM THE OTHER SIDE, NOTHING ACCEPTED IN ANY KIND OF REAL WAY AND I THINK THAT'S JUST SETTING -- JUST SETS A TONE WHERE I THINK THERE'S SUCH AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET SO MANY AMAZING THINGS DONE.

YOU SAID FIX THE ROOF WHILE IT'S SUNNY, I THINK THAT'S RIGHT, WE HAVE A SUNNY MOMENT IN MINNESOTA HISTORY, LET'S GRAB HOLD OF THAT.

>>