ECONOMY, I THINK THAT'S ANOTHER BIG ISSUE WE NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT.

>> GREAT ISSUES, FORMER LEADERS, APPRECIATE IT.

DOZENS OF LAWMAKERS SAID FAREWELL ON THE FINAL DAY.

HERE'S SOME QUICK HIGHLIGHTS.

>> THANK YOU ALL AGAIN FOR GIVING THIS POOR KID FROM THE SOUTH SIDE OF CHICAGO A CHANCE TO ROW INTO A LEGISLATOR, LEADER AND A PUBLIC SERVANT.

I'LL NEVER FORGET IT.

>> NO ONE THAT SERVES HERE SHOULD HAVE TO MAKE THAT SACRIFICE.

AND I HOPE WE ALL UNDERSTAND HOW PAINFUL THAT IS FOR THE INSTITUTION.

TO SEE A SPEAKER GO DOWN.

>> MINNESOTA HAS GIVEN SO MUCH TO ME AND MY FAMILY AND I WILL ALWAYS CHERISH THIS EXPERIENCE.

OUR FRIENDSHIPS.

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED IN MY TIME HERE HAS BEEN ONE OF THE GREATEST PRIVILEGES OF MY LIFE.

>> KEEP FAITH.

GUARD MIND.

TAKE HEART.

GUARD SPIRIT.

TAKE COURAGE.

KEEP WATCH.

FEED LONGING.

FEED LOVE.

>> YOU'VE ALL BEEN VERY GOOD TO ME.

I HOPE I'VE RETURNED THAT AS WELL.

AND I GUESS RIGHT NOW I'M FREE.

>> THIS IS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL BUILDING.

WE SPENT MONEY ON IT, PLEASE TAKE CARE OF IT.

DON'T LET IT FALL INTO DISREPAIR LIKE WE DID IN THE PAST.

AND PLEASE TAKE CARE OF OUR DEMOCRACY.

♪ >> JOINING US NOW, FINAL SURPRISE RETIREMENT SENATOR CARLA NELSON.

WHY NOW, SENATOR?

>> WELL, I THOUGHT I'D BE HERE FOR 10 YEARS, IT WAS 18 YEARS.

BUT ACTUALLY THERE COMES A TIME WHEN THERE'S A HIGHER CALLING, AND THIS HIGHER CALLING IS MY FAMILY.

I HAVE -- THAT ARE ASKING ME TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH THEM.

>> -- WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?

>> OOH, IT'S HARD TO SAY.

CAPITOL PRESERVATION COMMISSION, STARTED THAT.

>> YOU SHARED THAT WITH SANDY PAPPAS WHO NOT ONLY SAID SAVE DEMOCRACY BUT SAVE THIS BUILDING.

>> I'M SO GLAD SHE SAID THAT.

AND OF COURSE THE DESTINATION MEDICAL CENTER, I THINK I'M THE FINAL LEGISLATOR LEAVING WHO WAS ONE ON THAT HISTORIC ECONOMIC, YOU CAN'T EVEN PUT WORDS AROUND IT T'S SUCH A BIG THING.

BUT ANYWAY, SO THOSE THINGS ARE REALLY IMPORTANT, AND THE EDUCATION OF COURSE.

BRINGING SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF READING TO THE SENATE WAS IMPORTANT.

I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT CARRY ON.

AND THOSE ARE LIKE SOME OF JUST THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS.

>> WHAT ABOUT THE BIPARTISANSHIP AND THE COLLEGIALITY?

THAT'S PART OF YOUR REPUTATION.

>> YES.

>> HOW DID YOU GET THAT DONE?

ARE YOU WORRIED THAT DIMINISHING?

>> I HOPE IT DOESN'T DIMINISH BECAUSE THERE'S ONE THING WE KNOW, ONE PERSON DOESN'T GET ANYTHING DONE UP HOAR HERE.

AND THERE'S MOST ALWAYS EXCEPT FOR -- THERE'S ALMOST ALWAYS ONE BODY OR THE GOVERNOR THAT IS OF A DIFFERENT PARTY THAN YOU ARE.

SO I THINK THOSE RELATIONSHIPS ARE JUST ABSOLUTELY KEY.

I HAVE FRIENDS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AISLE, THERE ARE THINGS WE DISAGREE ABOUT, WE KNOW THAT, BUT WE RESPECT ONE ANOTHER AND WE LOOK FOR WAYS TO WORK TOGETHER AND I THINK THAT'S OUR PEOPLE EXPECT.

>> DO YOU THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE MORE MISUNDERSTOOD PARTS OF THE CAPITOL?

THOSE FRIENDSHIPS?

>> SOMETIMES I DO, I TRULY DO.

I THINK WE LIVE IN A WORLD NOW WHERE EOPLE ARE IN THEIR OWN ECHO CHAMBER AND GET FED WHAT THEY WANT TO HEAR R WHAT SOMEBODY THINKS THEY WANT TO HEAR.

AND AS A FORMER READING TEACHER I ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE GET A BROAD NEWS DIET.

YOU HAVE TO GET A BROAD NEWS DIET.

BUT, YEAH, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT WE AVE BIPARTISAN RELATIONSHIPS.

>> WHAT ABOUT ADVICE FOR WHOEVER REPLACES YOU?

YOU DON'T KNOW THAT PERSON YET BECAUSE YOU ARE KIND OF A LATE RETIREMENT HERE.

>> I DO NOT, I DO NOT KNOW WHO THAT PERSON IS.

I THINK THE KEY THING IS REMEMBER WHO YOU WORK FOR, REMEMBER YOU WORK FOR YOUR CONSTITUENTS.

MY ELECTION CERTIFICATE IS ABOVE THE DOOR IN MY SENATE OFFICE, EVERY TIME I WALK UNDER IT, YOU GET THAT VISUAL.

REMEMBER WHO YOU'RE WORKING FOR, BE HONEST, HAVE INTEGRITY.

I THINK THOSE ARE KEY, AND DO YOUR WORK, DO YOUR WORK.

>> WHAT MADE THE SENATE SPECIAL AS A BODY?

>> OH, YEAH, BECAUSE I HAVE HOUSE EXPERIENCE TOO.

THE THING ABOUT THE SENATE THAT I THINK IS SO SPECIALLY IS IT'S A SMALLER GROUP, SO IT'S 67 SO YOU REALLY DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO GET TO KNOW ALL OF THEM, THE TERMS ARE LONGER, FOUR YEARS, SO IT'S A LITTLE MORE COHESIVE AND PERSONALLY I LOVE LOVE WORKING IN THE SENATE.

>> AND WE SAW THERE SO MUCH EXPERIENCE LEAVING, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THOSE NAMES AND THOSE DECADES, HOW WORRIED ARE YOU ABOUT THE DECADES -- THE CENTURIES WHEN YOU SEE SOME OF THE LONG-TERM FOLKS LEAVING?

>> TRUE, THERE ARE CENTURIES OF EXPERIENCE IN THE SENATE, THAT IS VERY CONCERNING.

WELL, I AM CONCERNED ABOUT I THINK WE'RE ALL CONCERNED ABOUT THAT ESPECIALLY AT A TIME WHEN IT SEEMS AS I SAID THAT PEOPLE ARE LISTENING TO ECHOCHAMBERS, THAT REINFORCE LIKE A ONE-WORLD VIEW.

WE CANNOT DO THAT.

WE'RE VERY DIVERSE PEOPLE IN EVERY WAY.

AND YOU NEED TO LEARN FROM ALL.

>> THANK Y