♪ >> THIS YEAR WE'RE HIGHLIGHTING LAWMAKERS AS THEY RETIRE, BUT CONTINUE TO SERVE IN THE LEGISLATURE THEIR FINAL SESSION.

SENATOR JEREMY MILLER HAS HELD THE HIGHEST POST IN THE CHAMBER AND HERE'S SOME HIGHLIGHTS.

>> I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN WINONA AND REW UP PLAYING SPORTS, BEING INVOLVED IN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES IN SCHOOL.

MY FATHER WAS THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF WINONA FOR 16 YEARS, BEGINNING WHEN I WAS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL.

AND THAT'S REALLY WHERE THE DESIRE TO GET INVOLVED IN PUBLIC OFFICE CAME FROM.

I GREW UP AS A JEWISH KID IN A PREDOMINANTLY NON-JEWISH COMMUNITY.

AND MY GRANDFATHER WILLIAM MILLER PASSED AT A YOUNG AGE.

MY GRANDMOTHER MADE THE DECISION TO CONTINUE WORKING IN THE FAMILY BUSINESS.

AND SHE WAS AT TIMES LOOKED, FROWNED UPON IN THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE SHE WOULD SHOW UP AT THE GROCERY STORE IN JEANS WITH HOLES IN THEM AND, YOU KNOW, WEARING DIRTY CLOTHES.

BUT SHE'D ALWAYS SAY THAT MY HANDS MIGHT BE DIRTY BUT MY MONEY IS CLEAN.

SENATOR ROGER RINEART, A DEMOCRAT FROM DULUTH AND ME, JEREMY MILLER, A REPUBLICAN FROM WINONA WE WERE SITTING DOWN IN COMMITTEE ONE DAY AND THERE WAS A PARTISAN BATTLE GOING ON IN THE COMMITTEE, AND WE BOTH LEANED BACK IN OUR CHAIRS AND WE SAID THERE'S GOT TO E A BETTER WAY FOR THIS TO WORK.

THE PARTISANSHIP IS GETTING SO BAD.

WHAT CAN WE DO TO WORK TOGETHER AND TRY TO IMPROVE THE PROCESS.

AND THAT'S REALLY HOW THE PURPLE CAUCUS WAS FORMED.

JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT I DO I TRY TO KEEP A VERY POSITIVE ATTITUDE AND WORK EXTREMELY HARD.

I CALL IT GRIT, I'M A GRITTY PERSON AND IF I WANT SOMETHING I'M GOING TO WORK INCREDIBLY HARD FOR IT AND DO EVERYTHING I CAN TO GET IT DONE.

>> IF WE CAN ADDRESS VIOLENT CRIME, ENSURING OUR KIDS ARE GETTING THE QUALITY EDUCATION THEY DESERVE AND RETURN THE MONEY BACK TO THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA, THE BUDGET SURPLUS GET THAT BACK IN THE POCKETS OF MINNESOTANS.

THIS IS THE ESULT OF DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS WORKING TOGETHER IN THE HOUSE, IN THE SENATE TOGETHER WITH THE ADMINISTRATION TO GETTING A POSITIVE OUTCOME.

>> JOINING US NOW, FORMER SENATE PRESIDENT ND REPUBLICAN MAJORITY LEADER JEREMY MILLER.

SENATOR MILLER, YOU'RE SO YOUNG!

WHY LEAVE NOW >> IT'S BEEN A GREAT RIDE ISN'T IT, MARY?

IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE THAT I'VE BEEN HERE 16 YEARS.

WHEN I FIRST WON IN 2010 I BELIEVE IT WAS THE SECOND YOUNGEST MINNESOTAN EVER ELECTED TO THE STATE SENATE AT 26 YEARS OLD.

WHEN I BECAME SENATE PRESIDENT I WAS 35 YEARS OLD, THE YOUNGEST SENATOR TO BE ELECTED SENATE PRESIDENT.

I THINK I WAS ONE OF THE YOUNGEST SENATE MAJORITY LEADERS.

BUT MY DAD HAS ALWAYS TOLD ME THAT KEEP TWO THINGS IN MIND HE SAID, JEREMY, ONE, LEAVE ON YOUR OWN TERMS AND I'M DEFINITELY LEAVING ON MY OWN TERMS, AND LEAVE WHEN YOU'RE ON TOP.

AND I'VE HAD SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES AND I'VE BUILT SO MANY RELATIONSHIPS HERE AND HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH PEOPLE AND GET SOME REALLY GREAT THINGS DONE FOR THE PEOPLE OF MINNESOTA THAT TRULY BELIEVE THAT I'M LEAVING WHEN I'M ON TOP.

>> TALK ABOUT SOME OF THAT BUT WE WANT TO ROLL SOME FOOTAGE OF WHEN YOU MADE HISTORY WHEN YOU WERE BEING SWORN IN AS SENATE PRESIDENT.

I WANT TO ASK YOU WHAT JOB, WHICH LEADERSHIP POSITION HONESTLY YOU LIKED BETTER.

>> OH, JEEZ.

FLUSH.

>> IS IT SENATE -- >> -- OVER THE SENATE, THAT IS VERY SPECIAL.

>> YEAH, IT'S A REALLY UNIQUE POSITION, ISN'T IT?

>> VERY UNIQUE.

>> YEAH, AND JUST THE MAJESTY OF THIS BUILDING.

DID YOU APPRECIATE JUST THE ARCHITECTURE AND THE HISTORY IN A REALLY SPECIAL WAY BEING UP THERE ON THE DAIS?

>> ABSOLUTELY, THIS IS SUCH A SPECIAL PLACE AND THE LAST 16 YEARS SERVING THE PEOPLE OF SOUTHEASTERN MINNESOTA HAS TRULY BEEN AN HONOR OF A LIFETIME, SUCH A GREAT PRIVILEGE AND SO MANY ANTASTIC MEMORIES HERE.

BUT, YOU KNOW, MARY, ORE IMPORTANT THAN ANY ROLE OR POSITION THAT I'VE HELD ARE THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT I'VE BUILT HERE.

THEY'RE JUST SO SPECIAL.

AND WHEN YOU TAKE THE TIME TO EARN PEOPLE'S TRUST AND WHEN YOU TAKE THE TIME TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS, IT IS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING WHAT YOU CAN GET DONE AROUND THIS PLACE.

AND T DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU'RE IN THE MAJORITY OR THE MINORITY, IF YOU'RE IN A LEADERSHIP POSITION OR RANK AND FILE POSITION -- -- WHEN YOU HAVE THOSE RELATIONSHIPS -- THOSE RELATIONSHIPS TURN INTO FRIENDSHIPS.

FOR EXAMPLE, SENATOR JASINSKI, SENATOR LANG AND I TOOK OUR FAMILIES ON A FAMILY VACATION A COUPLE YEARS AGO.

THESE ARE FRIENDSHIPS THAT WILL LAST A LIFETIME.

>> LET'S TALK ABOUT YOUR FRIENDSHIPS ACROSS THE AISLE BECAUSE WE -- >> ABSOLUTELY.

>> SAW HE PURPLE CAUCUS AND I REALLY TRIED TO FIND THE MIDDLE, FIND SOME MODERATION, BUILD BRIDGES IN A TIME WHERE IT'S BEEN REALLY DIFFICULT.

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THOSE CHALLENGES?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

SO, MARY, ONE OF MY BIGGEST FRUSTRATIONS HERE AT THE CAPITOL AND IN POLITICS IN GENERAL, IS THAT POLITICAL DIVIDE IS GETTING DEEPER AND DEEPER.

THE DIVISIVENESS, THE POLITICAL POSTURING, THE FINGER-POINTING SEEMS TO GET WORSE EVERY YEAR.

AND WHEN YOU WANT TO REALLY DIG IN, WHEN YOU WANT THINGS DONE, IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO WORK ACROSS THE AISLE.

AND THERE ARE FOLKS AROUND THIS PLACE THAT HAVE THE REPUTATION OF TALKING A LOT.

THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE THE REPUTATION OF ACTUALLY ROLLING UP THEIR SLEEVES AND GETTING TO WORK AND TRYING TO GET GOOD THINGS DONE FOR THE PEOPLE OF MINNESOTA AND THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT IS TO REACH ACROSS THE AISLE, BUILD THOSE RELATIONSHIPS AND WORK TOGETHER TO GET GOOD THINGS DONE FOR THE PEOPLE OF MINNESOTA.

>> SO WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF WHEN YOU LOOK BACK?

>> SO MANY THINGS, MARY.

THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS THAT I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE INVOLVED WITH, WHETHER IT'S RELATED TO STUDENTS AND EDUCATION OR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES ACROSS THE STATE OF MINNESOTA.

I THINK THE VERY FIRST BILL I INTRODUCED WAS PROVIDING PROPERTY TAX RELIEF FOR FARMERS WITH THE GREEN ACRES REFORM.

I DID SOME THINGS WORKING WITH FIREFIGHTERS AND FIRST RESPONDERS.

IN FACT I JUST THIS MORNING I WAS WALKING THROUGH HE CAPITOL AND RAN INTO A VERY WELL RESPECTED, WELL KNOWN LOBBYIST HERE AT THE CAPITOL, A DEMOCRAT LOBBYIST AND HE SAID, JEREMY, WE'RE SAD TO SEE YOU LEAVE, BUT I'VE ENJOYED WORKING WITH YOU ON SO MANY ISSUES.

AND HE SAID YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN A PERSON OF YOUR WORD.

AND THAT IS ONE OF THE BEST COMPLIMENTS THAT YOU CAN GET IS BECAUSE THAT'S ALL WE HAVE AROUND THIS PLACE.

>> YEAH.

>> TWO THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN MOST PROUD ABOUT ARE WORKING TO HELP PROVIDE HOUSING AND WORKFORCE OPPORTUNITIES FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES.

THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'VE BEEN VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT DURING MY TIME IN THE SENATE.

AND THEN I HAD SOME CONSTITUENTS WHO UNFORTUNATELY LOST A SON TO A VERY RARE DISEASE, LEUKODYSTROPHY, AND I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH THE RARE DISEASE COMMUNITY TO ESTABLISH A RARE DISEASE ADVISORY COUNCIL AS WELL AS EXPANDING THE NEWBORN SCREENING PANEL HERE IN MINNESOTA.

SO THOSE ARE TWO OF THINGS I'M MOST PROUD ABOUT.

>> THAT'S A LOT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE AND I BET YOUR FAMILY'S EXCITED TO HAVE YOU HOME.

>> OH, WE CAN'T WAIT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> APPRECIATE IT.

YEAH, YOU BET.

♪ >> WE'LL BE BACK NEXT WEEK WITH SOME FORMER LAWMAKERS AND OUR RETIRING LAWMAKER IS SENATOR CWODZINSKI.

IF YOU MISSED ANY PART OF TONIGHT'S SHOW YOU CAN GO TO OUR WEBSITE, TPT.ORG/AATC.

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA, FACEBOOK, AND SHOW INFORMATION ON X AND YOU CAN WATCH THE LEGISLATURE, HOUSE, SENATE, FLOOR ACTION, COMMITTEE HEARINGS, PRESS CONFERENCES, AND MUCH MORE ON THE PUBLIC TV STATION YOU'RE WATCHING RIGHT NOW AND FRIDAY NIGHT ON PUBLIC TV, ERIC AND CATHY WILL TALK WITH THE NEW PERMANENT COMMISSIONER OF HUMAN SERVICES, AND I'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THE UPDATED BUDGET FORECAST THAT IS FULL OF UNCERTAINTY WITH OUR CURRENT ECONOMY.

THAT'S OUR SHOW.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WATCHING.

BE SURE TO COME BACK NEXT WEEK AGAIN.

GOOD NIGHT.

♪ >> "ALMANAC AT THE CAPITOL" IS MADE POSSIBLE BY MEMBERS OF THIS PUBLIC TELEVISION STATION.

SUPPORT IS ALSO PROVIDED BY... MANITOBA HYDRO, PROVIDING