>> CATHY: DEMOCRATS DOMINATED THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION WITH THEIR TRIFECTA BUT CAPITOL REPORTER MARY LAHAMMER NOTICED THE YOUNGEST SENATE REPUBLICAN WHO LEANED IN AND HAD A MAJOR IMPACT ON A VARIETY OF LEGISLATION.

HERE'S THE BACK STORY ON A LAWMAKER LEARNING TO BE EFFECTIVE IN THE MINORITY.

>> Mary: HOW DIFFERENT IS THE NEAT FROM THE HOUSE WHERE YOU CAME?

>> WELL, TOUGH TO COMPARE BUS WHEN I WAS IN THE HOUSE, WE WERE ALL DOING COMMITTEES ON ZOOM AND SO -- >> Mary: YOU WERE A COVID FRESHMAN OVER THERE.

>> A COVID FRESHMAN SO IT'S DEFINITELY BEEN GREAT TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE THE PEOPLE BACK IN THE CAPITOL TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH MY COLLEAGUES.

>> Mary: THIS IS WHERE YOU GOT TO BE IN-PERSON THIS YEAR ON THE FLOOR A LOT.

>> IN THE FRONTS ROW, GREAT TO BE NEXT TO SENATOR MILLER, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE PROCEDURAL BACKGROUNDS AND GETTING THE CHANCE TO LEARN FROM HIM.

>> Mary: KNOWLEDGE IS SOMETHING SENATOR RASMUSSON SOAKS UP QUICKLY.

HE'S SMART AND -- >> SENATOR INGEBRIGTSEN DECIDED TO RETIRE AND ASKED ME TO RUN FOR THE STATE SENATE.

>> Mary: IF I RECALL CORRECTLY, LEGENDARY REPRESENTATIVE BUD NORNES ALSO ASKED YOU TO RETURN WHEN HE WAS RETIRING.

>> THAT'S RIGHT, THAT'S HOW I ENDED UP IN THE LEGISLATURE IN THE FIRST PLACE.

>> Mary: HIS HOUSE IMMEDIATE SESSIONOR HAD A STELLAR REPUTATION FOR MAKING FRIENDS IN THE CAPITOL.

>> GREW UP IN FERGUS FALLS AND APPLIED AND GOT A CHANCE TO GO TO HARVARD.

>> Mary: WHY DO YOU THINK HE GOT IN.

>> JUST WORKING HARD AND A LOT OF LEADERSHIP ACTIVITIES AND TOOK THE CHANCE ON APPLYING, AND REALLY HAD A GREAT EXPERIENCE OUT THERE AND CAME BACK TO MINNESOTA AFTER I GRADUATED.

>> Mary: NOW RASMUSSEN WANTS TO MAKE SURE YOUNG PEOPLE LIKE HIM HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RETURN HOME TO RURAL AREAS LIKE OTTER TAIL COUNTY WHICH IS ACTUALLY GROWING.

>> Mary: YOU PROBABLY HAD OPPORTUNITIES TO GO ELSEWHERE, YOU CAME BACK.

>> YEAH, NOT A TON OF HARVARD GRADS COMING BACK TO REPORT MINNESOTA BUT FOR ME, THAT'S WHERE MY FAMILY IS, THAT'S WHERE MY WIFE'S FAMILY S IN SO IT WAS GREAT TO COME BACK HOME.

THE BIGGEST COUNTIES I REPRESENTS, OTTER TAIL COUNTIES WHERE I LIVE IS FASTER GROWING IN HE STATE.

GROWING MUCH FASTER THAN HENNEPIN AND RAMSEY COUNTY IN TERMS OF POPULATION AND A LOT OF THAT IS PEOPLE DECIDESSINGS THEY WANT TO COME UP AND LIVE IN LAKES COUNTRY AND HAVING MORE FLEXIBILITY WITH THEIR JOBS SO COVID FOR US HAS ACTUALLY HAD LONGER TERM POSITIVE IMPACTS FROM BEING ABLE TO RECRUITS PEOPLE TO OUR AREA.

>> Mary: BUT YOU'RE A RURAL AREA THAT'S GROWING.

NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT.

HE GREW AS A LAWMAKER WITH THE CHANCE TO SERVE ON THE HIGH-PROFILE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE CREATING MINNESOTA'S MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION.

>> I WAS THE ONLY MEMBER OF THE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE WHO VOTED AGAINST THE BILL AND, YOU KNOW, I SAID, YOU KNOW, THIS IS LIKELY TO HAPPEN WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT AND SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO GET, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT I HAD ADDRESSED THROUGH THE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REPORT.

I STILL HAVE A LOT OF CONCERNS WITH THE FINAL BILL AND THINK WE'LL HAVE SOME ISSUES THAT WE'LL HAVE TO FIX NEXT SESSION BUILT WAS ABLE TO GET MORE FUNDING FOR DRUG RECOGNITION TRAINING, BUT IN STRONG BASELINE STUDIES AND TESTING SO WE CAN SEE THE IMPACT THAT LEGALIZATION HAS ON OUR YOUTH AND PUBLIC HEALTH.

>> Mary: AS THE YOUNGEST SENATE REPUBLICAN, HE CAN SEE CONDITION ABYSS AND OTHER ISSUES THROUGH A GENERATIONAL LENS DIFFERENT THAN SOME OF HIS COLLEAGUES.

>> YOUNGER FOLKS ARE MORE SUPPORTIVE OF RECREATIONAL CANNABIS, YOU KNOW, I SUPPORTS OUR MEDICAL MARIJUANA PROGRAM.

>> Mary: HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO HAVE SOME OF THAT GENERATIONAL DIVERSITY?

>> I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE FOLKS FROM ALL AGES HERE IN THE MINNESOTA SENATE BECAUSE AT DIFFERENT LIFE STAGES, YOU FACE DIFFERENT ISSUES.

>> Mary: DESPITE BEING A REPUBLICAN IN A DFL-CONTROLLED LEGISLATURE, SENATOR RASMUSSEN GOT A REMARKABLE NUMBER OF BILLS SIGNED INTO LAW AND HE'S TECHNICALLY A FRESHMAN.

>> OF THE 44 BILL I WAS THE CHIEF AUTHOR OF, 21 OF THEM GOT SIGNED INTO LAW.

>> Mary: IN THE MINORITIES.

>> YEAH SO, ABOUT 48% OF THE BILLS THAT I WAS CHIEF AUTHOR OF BECAME LAW THIS SESSION.

>> Mary: NOTHER BILL THAT GOT SIGNED INTO LAW WAS THE LAST BIG COME PROMISE OF SESSION LINING A BRONZING BILL TO NURSING HOME FUNDING.

>> Mary: YOU WERE PART OF A BONDING BILL NURSING HOME FUNDING >> ALSO SENATE REPUBLICANS, THE CAUCUS'S BIGGEST PRIORITY WAS TO MAKE SURE BEFORE WE LEFT IT IS SESSION WE WANTED TO HELP THE NURSING HOMES AND WE HAD SEEN THE DEMOCRATS AND THEIR HUMAN SERVICES BILL WHICH PUT BASICALLY A LOAN PROGRAM AND WE GOT $300 MILLION FOR MINNESOTA NURSING HOMES.

LEADERSHIP WAS ABLE TO GET THAT NEGOTIATED AND THEN I WAS ASKED TO HELP FIGURE OUT THE DETAILS TO COME UP WITH ACTUAL BILL LANGUAGE THAT PASSED UNANIMOUSLY HERE NOTICE SENATE AND OVER IN THE HOUSE.

>> Mary: ESTIMATES SAY THE BILL SAID 40 NURSING HOMES FROM CLOSING, SOME IN THE INDUSTRY HAVE CALLED HIM A HERO.

HE SAID THE WORK THEY DO IS HEROIC.

>> >> WAS HAPPY TO PLAY A ROLE IN GETTING THAT DONE.

>> Mary: BUT YOU WEREN'T DOING THE PRESS CONFERENCES AND CHASING THE CAMERAS AND SAYING LOOK WHAT I DID.

WHY NOT?

>> I THINK YOU'RE ABLE TO GET MORE ONE WHEN YOU'RE GIVING CREDIT TO OTHER FOLKS AND IT REALLY WAS A TEAM EFFORTS.

>> Mary: I USE THE ANALOGY SHOW HORSES AND WORK HORSES.

WE WERE I A WORK HORSE ON, THAT NOT A SHOW HORSE.

>> >> YEP, GENERALLY WE SEE A LOT OF SHOW HORSES IN WASHINGTON, TO ME IT'S ABOUT THE CONSTITUENTS, GETTING POLICY RIGHT AND TRYING TO SHOW UP WITH THAT WORK ETHIC THAT FOLKS UP IN MY AREA EXPECT.

>> Mary: WHILE RASMUSSEN WORKED WITH DEMOCRATS AND GOT THINGS DONE, DON'T CAST HIM AS A MODERATE.

>> I'M ONE OF HE MOST CONSERVATIVE VOTING RECORDS HERE IN THE SENATE, AS WELL, BUT ABLE TO FIND OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMON GROUNDS TO GET SOME