AND TOUGH.

>> Mary: HERE WITH US NOW IN PERSON, DEMOCRATIC REPRESENTATIVE ERIN KOEGEL.

SO LET'S START WITH THE IMMIGRATION ISSUE.

BECAUSE YOU USED TO DESCRIBE YOURSELF AS LOW-KEY, BUT I FEEL LIKE THAT ISSUE HAS MADE YOU SPEAK OUT AND BE FAR MORE PROMINENT.

IS THAT FAIR?

>> YEAH.

WELL, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW IF -- YOU KNOW, I THINK I JUST KIND OF SPOKE OUT.

I'VE NEVER BEEN ONE TO KEEP MY MOUTH SHUT.

SO, -- BUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU SEE IT HAPPENING TO YOUR NEIGHBORS, TO YOUR KIDS' CLASSMATES, TO THE TEACHERS IN YOUR SCHOOL, I SAT IN A TEACHER'S APARTMENT BUILDING FROM OUR HIGH SCHOOL TO SIGN DOPA FORMS, TO NOTARIZE DOPA FORMS FOR PEOPLE.

SO IT WASN'T SOME ABSTRACT THING THAT WAS HAPPENING.

IT WAS PEOPLE I CARED ABOUT.

AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU SEE YOUR NEIGHBORS BEING HARMED, YOU STEP UP AND DO WHAT'S RIGHT.

>> Mary: WERE PEOPLE SURPRISED, BECAUSE INITIALLY IT WAS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS IN MINNEAPOLIS AND THEY WERE SURPRISED THAT IT WOULD BE SUBURBS, THAT IT WOULD BE GREATER MINNESOTA.

DID YOU HEAR FROM PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF MINNESOTA, LIKE, OH, THIS IS HAPPENING IN YOUR COMMUNITY?

>> YOU KNOW, I THINK, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE SURPRISED TO SEE, YOU NOW, HITTING THE SUBURBS.

I WASN'T SURPRISED TO SEE IT COME TO MY NEIGHBORHOOD BECAUSE I KNOW MY NEIGHBORHOOD, I KNOW THAT WE HAVE A LARGE ECUADOREAN POPULATION, THAT WE ARE -- WE HAVE A LOT OF AFFORDABLE HOMES IN MY AREA.

SO IT MAKES IT AN AREA WHERE PEOPLE COME TO START THEIR LIVES IN MINNESOTA.

AND, SO, WHEN YOU EE THAT WRONG HAPPENING TO YOUR NEIGHBORS, YOU HAVE TO STEP UP AND SAY SOMETHING.

>> Mary: DO YOU SEE BIPARTISANSHIP 'IN THIS HAPPENING HERE IN YOUR FINAL SESSION?

>> I HOPE SO.

I THINK I'VE BEEN HERE TEN YEARS NOW, AND I'M STILL HOPEFUL.

BUT AROUND THAT ISSUE, I THINK PEOPLE ARE PRETTY MUCH TAKING SIDES AND IT'S UNFORTUNATE.

>> Mary: LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS SESSION AND YOUR TEN YEARS AND HOW DIFFERENT A TIED HOUSE CO-CHAIR GAVEL SITUATION.

HOW DO YOU THINK IT'S GOING?

>> THIS YEAR COMPARED TO LAST YEAR HAS GONE SO MUCH BETTER.

WHEN I WAS LISTENING O YOU GUYS TALK ABOUT ALL THE STUFF THAT WAS STUCK IN COMMITTEE, I THINK OUR COMMERCE COMMITTEE HAS BEEN A BRIGHT SPOT.

IF YOU LOOK AT THE GENERAL REGISTER, WE HAVE A LOT OF BILLS ON THE GENERAL REGISTER.

AND ONES THAT WILL MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN PEOPLE'S LIVES.

LIKE BANNING CRYPTO KIOSKS IN MINNESOTA.

9 9 % OF CRYPTO KIOSKS ARE USED IN SCAMS, OR THE THE TRANSACTIONS.

>> Mary: YOU SEEM TO BE GETTING ALONG WITH YOUR CO-CHAIR.

O'DRISCOLL AND YOU ZOOM TO HAVE GOOD, THAT'S REAL, THAT'S NOT FOR THE CAMERAS.

>> NO, WE MEET WEEKLY, A COUPLE TIMES A WEEK, CHAT ON THE FLOOR, WE MAKE AN EFFORT TO HAVE OUR CONVERSATIONS OPEN, HONEST.

98%.

WE ARE VERY TRANSPARENT WITH OUR PLANS.

AND, YOU KNOW, I'LL PUT UP A BILL THAT I KNOW WON'T ET ANY REPUBLICAN SUPPORT BUT AT LEAST IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO TALK ABOUT OUR PRIORITIES.

AND THEY'LL DO THE SAME.

BUT WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO IT, WE SPENT MOST OF OUR TIME WORKING ON BIPARTISAN ISSUES THAT CAN MAKE AN IMPACT.

>> Mary: YOU HAVE THE GAVEL NOW.

WHY LEAVE NOW?

>> I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE.

I LOVE THIS JOB.

YOU KNOW, I JOKE, IT'S ONE OF THE FEW THINGS I'M REALLY GOOD AT.

BUT IT IS REALLY A REWARDING JOB.

AND T'S WONDERFUL.

BUT I ALSO HAVE TO WEIGH OUT MY FAMILY PRIORITIES.

YOU KNOW, I HATE TO QUOTE FORMER SPEAKER DAUDT, BUT I'M IN MY PRIME EARNING YEARS.

AND, SO, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY DO NEED TO MAKE THOSE TOUGH DECISIONS.

AND IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT ME, IT'S ABOUT MY FAMILY, IT'S ABOUT MY EXTENDED FAMILY.

AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S BEST FOR US.

MY KID CAN'T RIDE A BICYCLE AT NEARLY 7 BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A SAFE STREET FOR HER TO RIDE ON.

AND, SO, WE THOUGHT IT WAS TIME THAT WE REALLY KIND OF PRIORITIZED HER AND OUR FAMILY.

>> Mary: THE LOSS OF MELISSA HORTMAN AFFECT YOUR DECISION MAKING AT ALL?

>> YEAH, I'VE NEVER KNOWN THIS PLACE WITHOUT MELISSA.

I CAME IN IN THE MINORITY, HE WAS MINORITY LEADER.

YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER THE SORRY/NOT SORRY NIGHT.

AND, YEAH, I MEAN, HAVING TO EXPLAIN THAT TO A 6-YEAR-OLD IS DIFFICULT.

AND I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE THIS PLACE.

YOU KNOW, MAYBE ONCE MY KIDDO'S A LITTLE BIT OLDER, I'LL COME BACK, YOU KNOW, GET MY SENIORITY BACK SOMEHOW.

BUT AT THIS MOMENT IN MY LIFE I REALLY DID NEED TO PRIORITIZE MY FAMILY.

>> Mary: WE GET IT.

GOOD LUCK, SO MUCH, AND THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR SERVICE.

>>