>> A TIE IS A TIE, WE WANTED TO GET TO WORK.

>> MARY: REPORTERS OLD AND NEW HAVE NEVER SEEN A SESSION START LIKE THIS.

ERIC ESKOLA HOSTS "ALMANAC" AND WORKED FOR WCCO RADIO FOR DECADES.

CAROLINE CUMMINGS CHASES CAPITOL NEWS FOR WCCO TV.

YOU KNOW, I FEEL LIKE THAT REALLY SUMS IT UP, IT'S REAL PARTISAN FIGHT WHERE BOTH SIDES ARE DUG IN.

>> CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS, WHAT ELSE YOU GOT ESKOLA?

>> OVERBLOWN.

>> Mary: AND WHY?

YOU HAVEN'T SEEN A CHAMBER SIT EMPTY FOR DAYS AND DAYS BEFORE.

>> IT IS THE EARLY PART OF THE SESSION, THIS IS THE FIRST WEEK.

THERE'S BEEN NO FORECAST, THE FEBRUARY FORECAST, THERE'S BEEN NO GOVERNOR'S BUDGET.

IT'S ALMOST TWO YEARS BEFORE THE NEXT ELECTION.

VOTERS ARE THEY GOING TO REMEMBER ANY OF THIS?

I THINK THE VOTES THAT ARE TAKEN AND THE ISSUES THAT COME BEFORE THE LEGISLATURE TOWARD THE END OF THE SESSION IN PROBABLY, WHAT, JUNE, JUNE 30th?

I THINK THAT WILL BE MUCH MORE IMPORTANT.

>> Mary: CAROLINE, WE GET THE UDGET TOMORROW, IT TARTS GETTING REAL THEN, RIGHT?

>> YEAH, THE GOVERNOR WILL REVEAL HIS PLANS TOMORROW FOR THE BUDGET.

BUT HE'LL THEY WOULD BUY-IN FROM THE LEGISLATURE SO, YOU KNOW, YOU SAW IT IN YOUR PIECE THERE, THE SENATE GOT OFF TO A SMOOTH BIPARTISAN START.

THEY HAVE COME TO A POWER-SHARING AGREEMENT IN THE ABSENCE OF A SEAT OR A POSITION FILLED OR A MEMBER FILLED FOR THE SEAT THAT DFL SENATOR KARI DZIEDZIC ONCE HELD SO, YOU KNOW, THERE IT'S KIND OF A TALE OF TWO CHAMBERS ON WHAT'S GOING ON HERE SO THEY DO NEED TO SORT OUT WHAT'S GOING ON OVER HERE BECAUSE THE LONGER THIS GOES ON, THE LESS TIME YOU HAVE TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE BUDGET.

>> THERE IS A LITTLE REVENGE FACTOR HERE.

I KNOW THE REPUBLICANS IN BOTH CHAMBERS FEEL THEY WERE SHUT OUT COMPLETELY THE LAST TWO YEARS SO THIS IS A WAY FOR THEM TO KIND OF GET BACK, AND THE DEMOCRATS I'M INSURE THEY ARE ARE YOUING THE DAY THEY COULDN'T COME UP WITH MAINTAIN O THEIR NOSES ARE OUT OF JOINT BECAUSE IT DIDN'T HAPPEN.

SOME OF THE RHETORIC, BANANA REPUBLIC COUP AND CRISIS -- >> Mary: KANGAROO COURT, WE'VE HEARD THAT.

>> WHAT I FEEL SO FASCINATING, ACTUALLY, THERE WAS A QUESTION ASKED OF REPRESENTATIVE HORTMAN AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE YESTERDAY IN SHACKS ME WHEN THEY WERE NOT HERE AND IT WAS HOW MUCH HAS THIS DAMAGED RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE OTHER SIDE.

AND WHAT SHE SAID, SHE WAS, LIKE -- I'M PARAPHRASING, THIS DOESN'T HAVE TO DAMAGE RELATIONSHIPS.

WE ARE IN A POWER DISPUTE BUT WE ARE NOT IN A DISPUTE WITH EACH OTHER PERSONALLY, WHICH ONE FEELS VERY MINNESOTA DIPLOMACY BUT, TWO, I FEEL LIKE THAT GETS AT THE BROADER HING WHILE BOTH SIDES WHILE VERY DUG IN TO THIS PARTISAN GAVEL, THEY HAVE BOTH LEFT OPEN THE DOOR FOR NEGOTIATIONS ND ULTIMATELY UNDERSTAND WHAT IS AT HAND.

YOU HAVE TO DO THE BUSINESS OF THE PEOPLE.

>> Mary: AND THEY HAVE O PASS A BUDGET.

WE HAVE TO REMIND PEOPLE ABOUT THAT, THIS IS A BUDGET SESSION.

>> WILL REPRESENTATIVE TABKE SURVIVE?

>> Mary: THAT'S THE OPEN QUESTION, ISN'T IT?

>> THAT'S THE HEART OF THE WHOLE THING, THAT'S WHY DEMOCRATS SAY THEY D.SHOW UP BECAUSE THEY DID NOT WANT REPUBLICANS TO ACT ON THIS MAJORITY THAT THEY HAVE AT LEAST FOR NOW TO UNSEAT HIM DESPITE THE JUDGE'S RULING THAT HE WAS THE VALID WINNER OF THAT ELECTION.

>> IT'S NOT UP TO THE REPUBLICANS TO BAIL OUT THE DEMOCRATS WHO DIDN'T VET A CANDIDATE ENOUGH.

>> AND THAT IS THEIR ARGUE.

, THEY SAID, YOU CANNOT ACT LIKE YOU WERE ENTITLED TO THIS ROSEVILLE SEAT BECAUSE YOUR CANDIDATE DID NOT LIVE IN THE DISTRICT, A JUDGE AFFIRMED THAT, AND SO THAT TIPS THE SCALE IN OUR FAVOR.

SO THEN IT GETS DOWN TO THE QUORUM QUESTION WHICH IS NOW HEADED FOR COURTS TO DECIDE.

>> Mary: HOW MANY CASES ARE IN THE COURTS?

>> UNO, DOS, TRES.

>> Mary: I DON'T THINK THAT'S EVER HAPPENED BEFORE DURING A LEGISLATIVE SESSION, THAT THREE LEGISLATIVE QUESTIONS WERE IN FRONT OF THE -- >> BUT WHAT IF THE HIGH COURT KICKS IT BACK TO THE LEGISLATURE?

>> THEY COULD.

>> WE'RE NOT GETTING INVOLVED IN THIS, YOU GUYS FIGURE IT OUT.

>> THAT IS WHAT REPRESENTATIVE NISKA SAID TODAY, HE BELIEVES THAT HE IS CONFIDENT, THOSE WERE HIS WORLDS, THAT THE MINNESOTA SUPREME COURT WILL NOT INTERFERE IN HOW THE HOUSE CHOOSES TO GOVERN ITSELF, WHERE THE DFL SIDE OF THINGS OF COURSE IS THAT THE CONSTITUTION IS CLEAR ABOUT A QUORUM AND THE REPUBLICANS DID NOT MEET IT.

SO I'LL BE REALLY CURIOUS TO SEE HOW THEY LAND ON THIS.

>> Mary: CONSERVATIVES WHO HAVE APPEARED BEFORE THE COURT HAVE BEEN ADAMANT THAT THEY FEEL LIKE THE MINNESOTA SUPREME COURT IS NOT POLITICAL, NOT BIASED, BUT I AM SEEING A LOT OF CONSERVATIVES ON LINE POINTING OUT, IT'S AN ALL-DFL APPOINTED HOUSE.

>> WITH THE FORMER SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE.

>> THAT'S RIGHT, PAUL THISSEN SITS ON THAT.

HE'S ALSO AN EXPERT ON THIS BUT -- >> DO I HAVE TIME TO BRING UP A MORE IMPORTANT ISSUE?

SENATOR MICHAEL BRUSSELO.

HE'S DROPPED A BILL IN THE HOPPER SAYING WE ARE GOING TO BUY THE NINE SOUTHERN MINNESOTA COUNTIES.

>> HE'S TALKING ABOUT AN IOWA SENATOR.

WHERE YOU CAME FROM.

>> I DID USED TO COVER THE IOWA LEGISLATURE.

>> WHAT'S GOING ON THERE?

>> YOU KNOW, I LEARNED OF THIS TODAY WHEN I READ IT IN THE DES MOINES REGISTER, SHOUT OUT TO A WONDERFUL PAPER OF RECORD IN THE GREAT STATE OF IOWA.

AND, YOU KNOW, IT STRIKES ME AS IN THE SAME VEIN OF, YOU KNOW, TRUMP'S PRESIDENT ELECT DONALD TRUMP'S DISCUSSIONS ABOUT GREENLAND.

I DON'T -- I'M CURIOUS WHAT GOVERNOR WALZ WOULD HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THAT OR HONESTLY ANY MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE WHO SERVE THOSE NINE COUNTIES THAT IOWA SAYS IT WOULD LIKE TO PURCHASE.

I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT WOULD WORK.

>> Mary: SPEAKING OF THE GOVERNOR, IS HE RUNNING AGAIN?

WHAT DO WE THINK?

>> I THINK HE'S STILL KIND OF BRUISED FROM THE EXPERIENCE.

>> Mary: THAT'S WHAT THE "NEW YORK TIMES" BIG ARTICLE IS SAYING HE RETURNS TO A DIVIDED LEGISLATURE WHERE DEMOCRATS DON'T HOLD THE TRIFECTA THAT HE CAMPAIGNED NATIONALLY ON.

>> HANGING OUT WITH BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN ONE DAY AND THEN YOU'RE CHAIRING THE LAND EXCHANGE BOARD MEETING THE NEXT DAY.

IT'S A CULTURE SHOCK, ISN'T IT?

>> JUST THE BORING PARTS OF GOVERNMENT THAT MAKE GOVERNMENT HAPPEN, RIGHT.

AT THE END OF THE DAY EVEN WHEN HE WAS ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL, HE'S STILL THE GOVERNOR.

GRANDED HE WAS HERE LESS FREQUENTLY BECAUSE HE WAS TRYING TO MAKE THE CASE TO VOTERS NATIONWIDE.

I ASKED HIM THAT QUESTION, ARE YOU GOING TO RUN AGAIN AND HE SAID HE'S NOT MADE A DECISION YET BUT HE WILL THIS YEAR.