>> MARY: HERE WITH US NOW TO HELP ANALYZE THE GOVERNOR'S STATE OF THE STATE, WCCO'S CAROLINE CUMMINGS, AND FROM OUR SISTER SHOW "ALMANAC," OUR VERY OWN ERIC ESKOLA.

SHE WAS THERE IN PERSON.

SO CAROLINE YOU WERE THERE IN PERSON.

TELL US ABOUT THE VIBE THAT MAYBE DIDN'T COME THROUGH.

THIS WAS NOT ON STATEWIDE TELEVISION BECAUSE IT WAS ON THE ROAD, IT WAS STREAMED.

WHAT DID IT FEEL LIKE THERE?

>> WELL, IT WAS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN HERE.

IT WAS AN AUDITORIUM, OT NECESSARILY FULL BUT YOU COULD CHALK THAT UP TO NOT ALL LAWMAKERS MADE THE TRIP DOWN, ALSO IT WAS AN HOUR SOUTH.

SO, YEAH, IT WAS, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WERE ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT HIS SPEECH, IN THE ROOM.

BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE LOCATION WAS OBVIOUSLY DELIBERATE.

THE GOVERNOR MADE A LINK TO THE ONSTRUCTION OF THAT SCHOOL TO WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE AT THE CAPITOL, BASICALLY SAYING, YOU KNOW, VOTERS FOR A LONG TIME, THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE POLITICAL WILL TO PASS A BONDING REFERENDUM TO MAKE THIS SCHOOL THIS BEAUTIFUL PLACE A REALTY AND LOOK, THE VOTERS DELIVERED US THE MAJORITY AND LOOK WHAT WE DID FOR MINNESOTA.

AND HE DREW THAT THROUGH A LINE SO CLEARLY THE BACKDROP WAS INTENTIONAL.

>> Mary: DOUBT E, THIS IS NOTHING NEW, US OLD-TIMERS HAVE SEEN GOVERNORS TAKE THE SHOW ON THE ROAD.

WHY DO YOU THINK THEY DO IT?

>> THEY'RE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE PEOPLE, THEY WANT TO BE WITH THE GRASS ROOTS.

I LISTENED TO THE SPEECH WITH AN EAR TOWARD WHAT'S HE GOING TO DO IN 2026.

>> Mary: THAT'S THE BIG QUESTION.

>> AND DID YOU NOTICE THAT PART ABOUT ONE OF THESE DAYS WE'LL ALL LEAVE THE CAPITOL AND WE WANT TO LEAVE BEHIND SOMETHING THAT WE DID GREAT FOR MINNESOTANS.

>> Mary: DIDN'T SOUNDS LIKE A THIRD TERM.

>> IT DIDN'T SOUNDS LIKE A THIRD TERM.

IF I WAS TAKING OUT ME WILL HE OR WON'T HE, BASED ON THAT ONE SEGMENTS OF THE SPEECH LAST NIGHT, I WOULD SAY, MAYBE NO THIRD TERM.

>> Mary: OR WAS HE TALKING TO LAWMAKERS ABOUT WHEN THEY WALK AWAY AND THINKING THIS IS THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE DFL TRIFECTA.

>> RIGHT, AND, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS KIND OF A KEY PART OF THE SPEECH WAS NOT SO MUCH WHAT I WOULD LIKE LAWMAKERS TO DO TODAY, TOMORROW, BEFORE THIS WRAPS UP IN EIGHT WEEKS, IT WAS LET'S LIST OFF THE GREATEST HITS, IF YOU WILL, OF WE DID, YOU KNOW, SCHOOL MEALS, WE PASSED PAID LEAVE, CLEAN ENERGY, BENCHMARKS AND THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT THE DEMOCRATS HOLD UP AS, LOOK, YOU WERE DELIVERING FOR YOU.

>> Mary: KIND OF A VICTORY HAPPEN VIBE.

>> RIGHT.

>> Mary: WHERE ARE HE RUDY PERPICH BIG IDEAS IN THESE SPEECHES ANYMORE.

>> IT'S THE ENDS OF MARCH, AN AGENERAL DA-SETTING SPEECH COULD HAVE BEEN DONE IN JANUARY.

>> 6 A ALREADY GOT A GLIMPSE OF WHAT HE WANTS FROM THE LEGISLATURE THIS YEAR, WHICH IS FAR MORE SCALED BACK THAN THE BIG -- >> Mary: BUT IT'S LATE IN SESSION.

I WAS GOING BACK AND REVIEWING, OTHER GOVERNORS DID DO JANUARY, FEBRUARY, STATE OF THE STATES WHERE YOU COULD TEE UP AN AGENDA.

>> WELL, I DON'T KNOW WHY.

I WOULD THINK IT WOULD BE MORE EFFECTIVE EARLY ON BUT DID OU NOTICE THE BANK SHOT HE DID WITH THE ALABAMA LEGISLATURE AND IVF.

>> YES, THE SUPREME COURT.

>> Mary: IT'S PERSONAL FOR HIM, HE'S BEEN CLEAR ABOUT THAT ISSUE.

>> BUT IT WAS A WAY TO INFER THAT THE MINNESOTA REPUBLICANS ARE THE SAME WAY, EXCEPT HE DIDN'T MENTION THE MINNESOTA REPUBLICANS.

HE BLASTED REPUBLICANS IN ALABAMA.

>> Mary: IS THAT BECAUSE HE'S THINKING ABOUT NATIONAL POLITICS?

>> PERHAPS.

ALSO I READ THAT MORE AS, YOU KNOW, ABORTION RIGHTS, REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS HAVE BEEN AN ISSUE THAT DEMOCRATS SAY IS DELIVERING THEM VICTORIES, THEY ACCREDIT THE SENATE FLIPPING FOR DEMOCRATS WITH ABORTION BEING A TOP ISSUE, SO I SAW THAT MORE AS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS AN ELECTION YEAR WHERE THE MINNESOTA HOUSE BEHIND US IS ON THE BALLOT THAT, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO COMMUNICATE THAT THAT ISSUE IS STILL RELEVANT, RIGHT, BECAUSE THEY SEE IT AS A WINNING ISSUE.

>> Mary: I HAD A REPUBLICAN TEXT ME WHO REMEMBERED A FORMER GOVERNOR WHO ALSO HAD NATIONAL AMBITIONS AND WAS MAYBE SIGNALING THAT IN THE STATE-OF-THE-STATE AND THIS PERSON SAID TO ME, DO YOU NOTICE THE AMERICAN FLAGS BEHIND THE GOVERNOR?

IS THIS A NATIONAL PHOTO OP?

ARE WE READING TOO MUCH INTO IT?

>> THAT'S OUR JOB.

>> Mary: IT IS.

[Laughter] >> Mary: OR IS THE MINNESOTA FLAG TO CONTROVERSIAL?

>> IT'S TOO CONTROVERSIAL.

I'M INTERESTED NOW IN THE PACE OF THE SESSION NOW THAT THIS IS OUT OF THE WAY.

I THINK THE STAFF WILL BE TOLD, SPEED UP THE PROCESSING OF THE BILLS.

I BETTER THERE WILL BE MANY CHANGES FOR THE SPEAKER AND SENATE MAJORITY LIEDER TO SAY LET'S LINE 'EM UP, NO CONFERENCE COMMITTEE.

THEY GET 120 LEGISLATIVE DAYS FOR THE BIENNIUM, I WONDER IF THE SPEAKER STARTS SQUEEZING THOSE A LITTLE BIT.

>> Mary: PRECONFEREE EVERYTHING.

>> NOT EVERYTHING BUT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

I THINK YOU'LL SEE A REAL -- I DON'T HINK THE DEMOCRATS FEEL THAT BEING HERE ANY LONGER IS HELPING THEM POLITICALLY IN NOVEMBER AND SO I DON'T KNOW -- IT'S A LONG -- >> Mary: BUT THEY TRIED TO GO HOME EARLY.

HOW MANY TIMES HAVE THEY DONE IT?

>> ONCE, ONCE, NOT SAYING IT WILL HAPPEN BUT LOOK FOR IT.

>> Mary: THE OTHER THING WE DID HERE WAS THE ONE BILL THAT REPUBLICANS ARE NEEDED ON, 100%, HE DID REACH OUT ON THE BONDING BILL AND SAYING E NEED YOUR VOTES.

HOW DO YOU THINK THAT'S GOING?

>> WELL, LEADER DEMUTH, THE REPUBLICAN LEADER HERE IN THIS CHAIRMAN TIER AND SENATE MINORITY LEADER MARK JOHNSON AFTER TOLD REPORTERS THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE INTERESTED IN COMING TO THE TABLE.

BONDING HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN SUCH A BIPARTISAN ISSUE, I MEAN, IT MUST BE BUT THAT THE THINKING IS, YOU KNOW, ROADS, WATER, INFRASTRUCTURE, THESE ARE THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO, NO MATTER WHAT YOUR POLITICAL JERSEY IS.

>> Mary: BUT HE WANTS TO GIVE DEMOCRATS THAT VICTORY WHEN THEY'RE DEFENDING THEIR TRIFECTA.

>> THEY SAID THEY WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT BUT THEY WANT TO KEEP IT TO THOSE IND OF, WHAT IS REAL INFRASTRUCTURE, LIKE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE OF WATER, WATER PIPES, LEAD PIPES, ROADS, RIDGES AND DON'T WANT TO, YOU KNOW, KINDS OF GO BEYOND THAT.

AND I THINK THEY HAVE SAID THAT THE DEMOCRATS' PROPOSAL IS A LITTLE BIT BEYOND WHAT THEY WOULD BE COMFORTABLE WITH.

>> Mary: WITH LOCAL PROJECTS.

>> THAT'S MAKING THE MAIN THING THE MAIN THING, THAT'S REALLY SMART BUT THEN YOU HAVE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, RUBY SHRINER, INDECENT EXPOSURE, THE ABOLO CAP PULL IN St.

CLOUD, UBER, THE LIST GOES ON, AND THAT SPEAKS TO THE FACT MAYBE THEY CAN ET OUT OF THERE EARLY, SOME OF THIS STUFF CAN WAIT.

>> Mary: WHAT ABOUT YOUR VIEWERS, THE SPACE SHUTTLE, RUBY SLIPPERS, WHAT ARE YOU WCCO VIEWERS?

>> I APPROACH IT EVERY DAY ON WHAT HAS THE MOST IMPACTS ON A LOT OF VIEWERS AT HOME, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T SPEAK TO EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE BUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE ISSUES THAT ARE LIKELY TO ALSO PASS BECAUSE THAT MATTERS, TOO, COVERING THE POLITICAL INFIGHTING MAY SEEM FUN, SOMEBODY AS WE LOVE TO, YOU KNOW, GET INTO THE WEEDS, IF YOU WILL, BUT, IKE, WHAT REALLY MATTER TOSS PEOPLE AT HOME.

>> Mary: HOUR SMART VIEWERS HERE IN MINNESOTA.

WE LOVE THEM.

>> WE'RE TALKING TO THE INSIDERS.

>> >> YES, I ALWAYS TRY TO -- I'M LIKE, I HAVE TO CHECK MYSELF.

IS THIS INSIDER BASEBALL OR IS THIS REAL LIFE?

>> Mary: YOU GET TO DO INSIDE BE ABLE HERE, DOUBLE E, DON'T THINK YOU ANSWERED THE QUESTION, WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE GOVERNOR?

IS IT PRESIDENT, IS IT A CABINET POSITION, SOMETHING NATIONAL?

>> I DON'T THINK HE KNOWS.

>> Mary: OKAY, THAT'S FAIR.

>> I AGREE WITH THAT.

BUT, YOU KNOW, CLEARLY HE'S LAYING SOME OF THE GROUNDWORK BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, HE DID -- IN THIS SPEECH WITH THE CALLING OUT OF ALABAMA, HE DID IT IN HIS LAST YEAR SPEECH, HE CALLED OUT FLORIDA WITHOUT REALLY SAYING FLORIDA ABOUT BOOK BANS, ET CETERA AND NOW HE'S MAKING A LOT OF NATIONAL TELEVISION APPEARANCES WHICH -- >> Mary: CNN ALL THE TIME.

WE ARE OUT OF TIME, YOU TWO.

WE OULD DO THIS ALL NIGHT.

>> NICE TO BATHE IN YOUR REFLECTED GLOW.

>> WITH MY HIGHLIGHTER.