>> THIS IS BONKERS!

FRANKLY, IT'S BONKERS!

THIS MEMBER IS BONKERS!

THIS IS SO BONKERS!

BUT IT IS BONKERS!

SOME MIGHT CALL THAT BONKERS.

THIS IS BONKERS, IF EVER ANYTHING WAS BONKERS.

MAYBE EVEN SOME CALL THAT BONKERS.

♪♪ >> Mary: WELL, MAYBE IT'S BONKERS THAT FORMER DEPUTY MINORITY LEADER IS RETIRING, BUT WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVE ANN NEU BRINDLEY HERE.

YOU'VE HAD A LOT OF FUN WITH THAT LOGAN, DID YOU KNOW WHERE IT WAS GOING TO GO?

>> I HAD NO IDEA.

FRANKLY, I JUST HAVE A LOT OF FUN HERE FULL STOP.

>> Mary: YOU ABSOLUTELY DO.

AND THAT HAS BEEN FUN.

>> Mary: AND WE SHOULD SAY IT'S BIPARTISAN, THE APPRECIATION FOR THE BONKERS, WHILE WE JUST SHOWED YOU DOING IT.

>> I SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT UP, I'VE GOT IT ON MY DESK, MY LITTLE EMBROIDERY THAT ONE OF THE DFL MEMBERS MADE FOR ME THAT UST SAYS "BONKERS."

IT'S REALLY FUN.

>> Mary: YOU'VE MADE SOME FRIENDS.

>> YES, I HAVE.

>> Mary: ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE.

>> YEAH.

>> Mary: CAN WE ONFESS AND TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT?

>> I'M ACTUALLY REALLY PROUD OF THAT.

IT'S NOT A ONFESSION TO ME.

I'M REALLY PROUD OF THE FACT, I'M A BULLDOG FOR THE REPUBLICAN CAUCUS AND FOR CONSERVATIVE VALUES, I'M A BULL CALL.

BULLDOG.

THERE ARE VERY FEW PEOPLE WHO FIGHT AS HARD AS I DO DOWN HERE.

BUT I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT WE VIEW THINGS DIFFERENTLY.

BUT THEY'RE REALLY GOOD PEOPLE.

>> Mary: THEY DON'T HATE YOU FOR THAT.

HOW DO YOU ACHIEVE THAT?

I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY TALKS MORE OR SAYS MORE ABOUT DFL BILLS BUT THEY DON'T HATE YOU.

>> I DON'T GO AFTER PEOPLE PERMANENTLY.

I GO AFTER IDEAS.

I DON'T GO AFTER PEOPLE.

AND, IN FACT, WHEN WE'RE NOT ON CAMERA, WHEN WE'RE NOT ON THE FLOOR, WE'RE IN BACK TALKING ABOUT OUR KIDS, WE'RE SHARING A SNACK, WHATEVER IT MAY BE, WE'RE JUST BEING HUMAN BEINGS.

>> Mary: YOU BROUGHT A LOT OF YOUR HUMANITY HERE.

LET'S TALK ABOUT THE PERSONAL JOURNEY YOU'VE HAD, BECAUSE YOU TRAGICALLY LOST A HUSBAND, REMARRIED.

I MEAN, TALK BE TO WHAT HAS GONE ON BEHIND THE SCENES HERE.

YOU HAVE A NEW NAME BEING A DIFFERENT NAME THAN WHEN YOU STARTED HERE.

CAN OU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT?

>> IT'S ACTUALLY STRANGE, I THINK ABOUT THAT A LOT RIGHT NOW.

BECAUSE I STARTED RUNNING FOR OFFICE ONE WEEK AFTER MY HUSBAND PASSED AWAY, HE HAD A.L.S., IT WAS NOT UNEXPECTED.

AND I HAD SORT OF BEEN IN THE POLITICAL SPACE FOR A LONG TIME.

AND WE ACTUALLY KNEW THAT THE SEAT WAS COMING UP FROM JOHN PASSED AWAY.

AND HE HAD A.L.S., SO HE WAS LARGELY PARALYZED, IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO SPEAK, HIS SPEECH WAS VERY SLURRED, AND HE SAID, I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU WOULDN'T DO IT.

AND I SAID, REALLY?

>> Mary: YOU HAD HIS BLESSING.

>> I SAID, YEAH, I CAN THINK OF A THOUSAND REASONS WHY THIS IS A TERRIBLE IDEA.

AND THEN HE PASSED AWAY A WEEK LATER.

AND SORT OF OPENED THAT DOOR.

SO, IT'S REALLY ALL -- Y KIDS AND I HAVE NOWN SINCE JOHN PASSED AWAY.

>> ary: AND YOU BROUGHT THAT HERE, BECAUSE LITTLE WOULD YOU KNOW, NATION-LEADING A.L.S.

BILL WOULD ARRIVE WHEN THE SENATE LOST ONE OF ITS MOST-BELOVED MEMBERS IN DAVID TOMASSONI.

DID YOU EVER EXPECT THAT EXPERIENCE WOULD COME TO BEAR ON LEGISLATION?

>> NO, HEAVENS NO, IT WAS SUCH A UNIQUE TIME.

AND IT JUST -- AND I KNEW SENATOR TOMASSONI AS WELL.

AND IT JUST -- IT BROKE MY HEART THAT SORT OF THAT ISSUE SORT OF BECAME RIPE BECAUSE OF HIS OWN STORY WITH A.L.S.

BUT I WAS SO GRATEFUL FOR WHAT HE CHOSE TO DO WITH THAT TIME THAT HE HAD.

AND HE CHOSE TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.

IN THE TIME THAT HE HAD LEFT.

AND I WILL FOREVER BE GRATEFUL FOR THAT.

>> Mary: WHAT ABOUT THE TOUGH TIMES, DIFFICULT TIMES, YOU'RE LOOKING OVER AT THE SENATE, THE HOUSE DOESN'T ALWAYS REALLY LIKE THE SENATE, LET'S JUST ADMIT THAT.

>> THEY'RE HE REAL ENEMY.

>> Mary: RIGHT.

SO I DON'T KNOW IF THE HOUSE IS, YOU KNOW, SECRETLY HAPPY THERE'S SUCH TURMOIL OVER THERE OR NOT.

BUT WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON THERE FOR LEADERSHIP AND MEMBERS?

THIS IS A TOUGH TIME.

>> YEAH.

IT IS A TOUGH TIME.

BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE NEED TO CONSIDER SOMETHING.

YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IF THIS SITUATION WAS HAPPENING WITH A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER, THAT PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER WOULD IMMEDIATELY BE PLACED ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE.

IF THIS WAS HAPPENING WITH A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER WOULD IMMEDIATELY BE PLACED ON LEAVE.

THIS IS HOW E DEAL WITH PUBLIC SERVANTS.

WE ARE HELD TO A HIGHER STANDARD.

>> Mary: BUT IT'S NOT UNUSUAL.

WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE DWIs, LEADER DAUDT, WHEN YOU WERE HIS RIGHT-HAND MAN, YOU HAD TO DEAL WITH AN ARREST IN MONTANA.

THIS HAPPENS.

>> ALTHOUGH TO BE CLEAR, THERE IS A DIFFERENCE THERE, THERE'S A DIFFERENCE THERE.

HE IMMEDIATELY -- HE TALKED TO PRESS ABOUT IT.

WHEN THAT CAME UP, HE TALKED TO FOLKS AND TOLD THE STORY.

>> Mary: AND THERE WERE NO CHARGES IN THE END.

>> CORRECT.

THERE WERE NO CHARGES.

THERE WAS NOTHING THERE.

THERE WAS NO THERE THERE.

THIS IS A VERY DIFFERENT SITUATION WHERE WE HAVE 911 TRANSCRIPTS.

WE HAVE THE POLICE REPORTS THAT REALLY ARE NOT GOOD.

IT'S NOT OKAY.