LEADING LAWMAKERS ARE HERE FROM A KEY COMMITTEE, WHO ARE REALLY IMPORTANT DECIDING WHAT TO DO OR NOT DO WITH ANOTHER BUDGET SURPLUS.

AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS IN STATE GOVERNMENT AND WE WILL TALK WITH THE HEAD OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ABOUT THAT.

AND OUR FRESHMAN LAWMAKER IS THE FIRST JAPANESE AMERICAN TO BE ELECTED TO THE MINNESOTA LEGISLATURE.

BUT, FIRST, GOVERNOR WALZ AWAITS HIS FIRST IMPORTANT BILL.

>> WELCOME TO THE TRAIL HEAD AND TO THE LOPPET.

>> Mary: A LACK OF SNOW SENT THE GOVERNOR INTO ACTION TO ASSIST SMALL BUSINESSES.

>> IT'S NICE O HAVE WARM WEATHER BUT WE AS MINNESOTANS KNOW THIS IS NOT NORMAL, AND IT IS CATASTROPHIC.

>> Mary: WALZ SHOULD GET HIS FIRST BIG BILL TO SIGN SOON.

>> MEMBERS, ANY DISCUSSION ON HOUSE FILE 3489.

>> Mary: A FIX TO THE STUDENT RESOURCE OFFICER ISSUE, WHICH PASSED THE SENATE AFTER A CONTENTIOUS DEBATE.

>> I BELIEVE THAT THIS WILL PROVIDE CLARITY.

IT WILL PROVIDE CLARITY FOR STUDENTS AND PARENTS.

AND, IMPORTANTLY, IT PROVIDES CLARITY FOR OUR SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS, REGARDING THEIR ROLE IN THE SCHOOL AND HOW THEY CAN BEST SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS.

>> >> Mary: REPUBLICANS STILL RIPPED THE PROCESS THAT BROUGHT THE FIRST BILL ABOUT.

>> WE BROKE OUR PROCESS.

WE RUSHED THE BILL.

THIS FIX ENDED UP BEING THE CAUSE FOR SO MANY SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO SUSPEND THEIR SRO CONTRACTS.

I, IN ACT, LIVE IN A DISTRICT THAT SUSPENDED THEIR SRO CONTRACTS SOLELY BECAUSE OF THE LANGUAGE THAT WAS PASSED LAST YEAR.

>> THERE HAS BEEN ZERO, NONE, NO INCIDENTS REPORTED OF SROs EVER ACTING IMPROPERLY.

SO, YOU KNOW, THE UBLIC COULD BE SCRATCHING THEIR HEADS SAYING, WELL, WHY IN THE WORLD DID WE END UP WITH THIS TERRIBLE SRO LAW THEN?

>> THIS WAS A GOVERNOR WALZ INITIATIVE.

GOVERNOR WALZ INITIATIVE TO MAKE SURE THAT IT HAD THE VERY INTENDED CONSEQUENCES IN WHICH WERE DISCOVERED.

WE REMOVED SCHOOL RESOURCE PERSONNEL, THE SCHOOL SAFETY PERSONNEL FROM OUR SCHOOLS AND VIOLENCE HAS CONTINUED.

>> I HAVE ASKED MULTIPLE PEOPLE, WHERE IS THE PROBLEM?

AND NOBODY CAN POINT TO THIS WRATH OF OFFICERS IN THE SCHOOLS THAT ARE ABUSING AND CAUSING HARM TO HILDREN.

IT'S NOT HAPPENING.

>> I THINK TOO MANY TIMES BILLS ARE INTRODUCED, MOVED AT SUCH SPEED AS WAS THE CASE WITH THIS ONE THAT THINGS GET OVERLOOKED, THAT FEEDBACK IS NOT ECEIVED.

>> Mary: BUT REPUBLICANS VOTED FOR IT.

SOME LEFT-LEANING DEMOCRATS VOTED AGAINST IT.

>> JUST CAN'T BELIEVE WHERE THIS BILL ENDED UP, AND I HOPE THAT WE GET SOMETHING BETTER BACK OUT OF CONFERENCE COMMITTEE.

>> I CALL THIS MEETING OF THE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE ON HOUSE HOUSE FILE TO ORDER.

>> Mary: CONFERENCE COMMITTEE GATHERED TO WORK ON THE BILLS.

>> WE WORKED HARD, WE FOUND COMPROMISES.

>> THANK YOU, MEMBERS.

SEEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS BEFORE THIS CONFERENCE COMMITTEE, WE ARE ADJOURNED.

>> Mary: IT'S ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT COMMITTEES AT