♪♪ >> Eric: WE JUST KEEP SAYING IT, THIS HAS BEEN A LEGISLATIVE SESSION FOR THE BOOKS.

LAWMAKERS HAVE BEEN PASSING NEW BILLS VIRTUALLY EVERY WEEK AND GOVERNOR WALZ HAS ALREADY SIGNED MANY OF THOSE BILLS INTO LAW.

BUT LET'S DISCUSS THIS WITH A COUPLE OF VERY EXCELLENT CAPITOL REPORTERS.

DANA FERGUSON COVERS POLITICS FOR MINNESOTA PUBLIC RADIO.

TOREY VAN OOT WRITES AND EDITS AND REPORTS FOR AXIOS, THE WEBSITE.

DANA, WHAT DID WE LEARN ABOUT DFL PRIORITIES FROM THE BUDGET TARGETS THAT CAME OUT THIS WEEK?

HOW TO SPEND THIS AMAZING SURPLUS.

>> WHAT WE LEARNED IS THAT YOU REALLY CAN HAVE IT ALL IF YOU HAVE THIS MUCH MONEY.

AND THAT AMOUNTED IN BILLIONS AND BILLIONS OF DOLLARS F NEW FUNDING THAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE ALMOST $18 BILLION BEYOND THE CURRENT BUDGET LEVELS, A LOT MORE GOING TO EDUCATION, SOME GOING TO AX CUTS, ADDITIONAL PLANS LIKE PAID FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE AND THE -- IN THE WORKS.

AND NOW EXACTLY WHAT THAT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE IN TERMS OF COMMITTEE CHAIRS, LIKE WE JUST HEARD, HOW THEY WOULD LIKE TO SPEND IT, E'LL FIND OUT IN THE NEXT BE COUPLE OF WEEKS.

>> Eric: TOREY, THE HEADLINE IN THE MINNEAPOLIS PAPER THIS MORNING WAS DFL PROPOSES 30% SPENDING INCREASE.

DOES THAT NEED SOME CONTEXT OR IS IT REALLY THAT MUCH?

>> WELL, IT NEEDS SOME CONTEXT IN THAT WE'RE STILL WAITING TO SEE EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING TO BE ONGOING SPENDING VERSUS ONE-TIME SPENDING, I THINK.

YOU KNOW, YOU HEARD THE CHAIRS PUSH BACK A LITTLE BIT ON SOME OF THESE NUMBERS.

THESE ARE THE TARGETS.

THESE ARE THE GOALS.

IT'S LIKE SETTING YOUR FAMILY BUDGET, RIGHT, HOW MUCH YOU'RE GOING TO SPEND ON GROCERIES OR GAS VERSUS, YOU KNOW, ENERGY VERSUS AGRICULTURE, AT THE LEGISLATURE.

BUT THERE'S A LOT OF NEGOTIATING TO BE DONE STILL.

ON ISSUES WITHIN THOSE BUDGETS, YOU HEARD HIM TALK ABOUT WANTING MORE MONEY FOR CERTAIN PRIORITIES.

AND, SO, YOU KNOW, THE DEVIL'S IN THE DETAILS.

WE KNOW MORE MONEY IS LIKELY GO TO BE SPENT AND REPUBLICANS HAVE BEEN CRITICIZING THAT A LOT.

WE HEARD I THINK RUNAWAY TRAIN OF SPENDING, GIVE MORE BACK TO TAXPAYERS, OUT OF CONTROL.

SO, THAT'S THE MESSAGE WE'RE HEARING BACK FROM REPUBLICANS.

BUT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO SEE HOW IT ALL SHAKES OUT BY THE END OF MAY.

>> Eric: ON THE TAX QUESTION, THE DEMOCRATS ARE SAYING, THIS IS A RECORD $3 BILLION TAX CUT.

BUT, OF COURSE, THAT'S IN RELATION TO AN $18 BILLION SURPLUS.

IS THAT PRETTY SKIMPY AS FAR AS TAX RELIEF ARE CONCERNED?

WHAT ARE REPUBLICANS SAYING AS FAR AS WHAT WOULD BE A BETTER ALTERNATIVE?

>> GOP LAWMAKERS HAVE SAID THAT THEY'RE VERY DISAPPOINTED TO SEE THAT $3 BILLION NUMBER IN THE SCALE OF AN $18 BILLION SURPLUS.

THEY WERE HOPING AND EXPECTING TO SEE MORE OF THAT GO TOWARD TAX RELIEF OF SOME KIND, WHETHER IT'S SOCIAL SECURITY TAX ELIMINATION, THE FULL ONE, ONE-TIME REBATES, OTHER CREDITS.

AND THEY'RE JUST NOT VERY HAPPY 'WITH THE $3 BILLION THAT'S OUT THERE RIGHT NOW.

DEMOCRATS SORT OF COUNTERED THAT AND SAID, WELL, IF WE HAD BEEN ALLOWED TO TAKE OUT A BONDING BILL, THE $1.5 BILLION BONDING BILL LAST WEEK, THAT COULD FREE UP SOME MONEY.

INSTEAD, THEY'RE GOING TO USE CASH FOR CAPITAL INVESTMENT PROJECTS AND, SO, THAT MONEY THAT COULD HAVE GONE BACK TO TAXPAYERS, THEY SAY IS NOW GOING TO BE GOING TO PROJECTS.

>> I THINK YOU'RE ALSO GOING TO SEE SOME DEBATE WITHIN THE DFL ABOUT HOW TO DIVVY UP THAT CHUNK OF MONEY FOR TAX CUTS.

I MEAN, WE HAVE DIVISION OVER REBATES, SPEAKER HORTMAN DID SUGGEST YESTERDAY THAT THERE MAYBE IS APPETITE, SOME ROOM FOR SMALL REBATES, SOME ROOM FOR SOME SOCIAL SECURITY TRIMS.

BUT YOU HAVE DEMOCRATIC MEMBERS IN BOTH CHAMBERS WHO RAN ON THE FULL ELIMINATION.

YOU HAVE PROGRESSIVE MEMBERS IN BOTH CHAMBERS WHO DON'T NECESSARILY WANT TO DO REBATES, WHO WANT TO DO TARGETED TAX CUTS.

LOWER-INCOME PEOPLE.

THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT TO WORK ON FROM BOTH PARTIES ON THIS STILL.

>> Eric: WHY WAS THE GOVERNOR'S ORIGINAL BUDGET AT, I THINK, WHAT WAS IT, $3 BILLION FOR PUBLIC SAFETY, NOW IT'S -- WHAT IS IT -- 8?

>> 650.

OF 650.

>> Eric: ALMOST DOUBLED, YEAH, WHAT HAPPENED THERE?

>> THINK THERE'S BEEN SUCH A CHANGE SINCE LAST SPRING WHEN THEY CAME TO THE TABLE WITH THAT FIGURE AND JUST A SENSE ALL OVER THE STATE THAT THERE'S A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH PUBLIC SAFETY, THAT POLICE ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE STATE HAVE SAID THEY NEED MORE FUNDING TO BRING ON ADDITIONAL OFFICERS OR TO INVEST IN OTHER KINDS OF PROGRAMS THAT THEY THINK COULD HELP THEM GET CRIME UNDER CONTROL.

AND THE GOVERNOR HEARD THAT.

HE SAID, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE RIGHT.

HE MAYBE CHANGED FROM WHAT THEY HAD TALKED ABOUT WITH REPUBLICANS IN TERMS OF HOW THAT MONEY COULD BE SENT OUT.

THERE MIGHT BE MORE LOCAL CONTROL UNDER SORT OF THE PITCH THAT THEY HAVE NOW.

BUT JUST IT SEEMS LIKE A SENSE THAT THERE ARE PROBLEMS OUT THERE AND THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME MONEY SPENT TO FIX THEM.

>> YEAH, HE PREVIEWED THAT A LITTLE ABOUT IN -- IN HIS REVISED UDGET, TOO.

300 IN THE FIRST TO 550, NOW WE'RE UP TO 650.

AND IT WAS MOSTLY GOING MORE BACK TO COMMUNITIES STRUGGLING WITH OFFICER SHORTAGES.

>> Eric: WHAT ABOUT THE GOVERNOR'S RISING NATIONAL PROFILE?

>> YEAH.

SO, I'M SURE THAT YOUR VIEWERS HAVE NOTICED THAT THE GOVERNOR'S BEEN ON THE NATIONAL SCENE QUITE A BIT LATELY.

>> Eric: WHAT'S GOING ON?

>> HE WAS ON CNN, PBS LAST WEEK.

I THINK HE'S TAKING A MOMENT TO SORT OF SHINE AND SAY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT JUST DEALING WITH NEGATIVE THINGS.

THE COVID PANDEMIC, WITH THE MURDER OF GEORGE FLOYD IN MINNESOTA, NOW THAT THERE'S THE DFL TRIFECTA, THEY WANT TO MAKE A POINT THAT THEY'RE GETTING A LOT DONE, A LOT OF PRIORITIES THAT THEY'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR YEARS THAT ARE NO LONGER JAMMED UP.

TOREY, I'M SURE YOU CAN TALK ABOUT THIS, TOO.

>> WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENING NATIONALLY, THERE'S A REAL CONTRAST IN WHAT'S HAPPENING IN STATES WITH NEW DFL TRIFECTAS, MICHIGAN AND MINNESOTA, ACTING FAST, ON, LIKE YOU SAID, THE PROGRESSIVE PRIORITIES.

THERE'S A BILL PROTECTING TRANS RIGHTS COMING UP.

AND THE GOVERNOR SIGNED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER ON THAT.

ABORTION RIGHTS.

VOTING FOR FELONY OFFENDERS, ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE IN CONTRAST TO WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN RED STATES, RUN BY REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS RIGHT NOW, INCLUDING SOME WHO ARE POTENTIALLY RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT.

FLORIDA GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS.

>> Eric: I CHECKED WITH HIS PRESS SECRETARY THIS EEK, TO SEE IF THE GOVERNOR WAS WRITING A BOOK, WHICH IS OFTEN A PRELUDE TO A PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN.

AND SHE ASSURED ME HE IS NOT.

>> HE IS NOT.

>> IT COULD HAVE GONE IN THE LITTLE FREE LIBRARY IF HE WERE WRITING IT.

>> THERE'S MORE NATIONAL INTEREST, RIGHT.

LIKE DANA SAID, THERE'S A CHANCE FOR US TO COME UT OF THE PANDEMIC, GEORGE FLOYD, TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING, THEY FEEL IS POSITIVE, THEIR PRIORITIES.

BUT FROM A NATIONAL PRESS PERSPECTIVE, REPORTERS ALSO LOVE A STORY OF CONTRAST SO THAT I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY DRIVING SOME OF THE NATIONAL ATTENTION.

>> THERE'S NOT REALLY BEEN ONE DEMOCRATIC FIGURE THAT'S BEEN THE COUNTER TO GOVERNOR DESANTIS OR SOME OF THE OTHER BIGGER REPUBLICAN FIGURES THAT ARE OUT THERE.

SO I THINK HE SEES SORT OF A LANE FOR HIMSELF AND WHERE THAT LANE GOES ULTIMATELY WE DON'T REALLY KNOW YET.

>> Eric: JUST A MINUTE LEFT.

BUT I WONDER ABOUT THE GROWING DIVERSITY, AGE, GENDER, THERE'S A TRANSGENDER BILL TOMORROW ON THE FLOOR, ONE OF THE CHAMBERS.

HOW IS THAT CHANGING THINGS AROUND HERE?

JUST THE DIVERSITY.

>> I THINK IT BRINGS MORE PERSPECTIVES TO THE TABLE.

YOU HAVE FOLKS WHO HAVE ALL SORTS OF DIFFERENT LIFE EXPERIENCES.

YOU KNOW, RACE, GENDER, PARENTS, NONPARENTS, YOUNG, OLD, STUDENT LOANS, NO STUDENT LOANS, DIFFERENT JOBS.

AND IT BRINGS MEMBERS WHO HAVE LIVED EXPERIENCE AND WHO ARE VERY PASSIONATE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE.

ON THESE ISSUES.

>> Eric: A LOT OF THEM ARE RELATIVELY NEW MEMBERS BUT ARE THEY DRIVING THE DISCUSSION WITH LEADERSHIP?

>> I REALLY THINK THEY ARE.

THE FRESHMAN THAT ARE NEW TO THE CAPITOL AND ARE BRINGING SOME OF THOSE DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES I THINK ABOUT REPRESENTATIVE LEIGH FINKE, WHO'S GOING TO BE BRINGING THE TRANSGENDER BILL TOMORROW, THE FIRST TRANSGENDER LAWMAKER IN MINNESOTA AND IS LEADING SORT OF A NATIONAL CHARGE OVER THIS ISSUE AND U.S.A. TODAY NAMED HER MINNESOTA WOMAN OF THE YEAR.

>> Eric: WELL, THANKS FOR YOUR GREAT WORK.

WE'LL BE WATCHING -- WE'LL BE LISTENING ON PUBLIC RADIO, READING AXIOS, WHAT'S THE WEBSITE?

>> AXIOS TWIN CITIES.

GOOGLE IT.

>> Eric: AND YOU CAN SUBSCRIBE THERE.

>> FREE