>> ERIC: MINNESOTA IS STILL REELING FROM THE POLITICAL VIOLENCE THAT ROCKED THE STATE LAST JUNE.

SPEAKER EMERITA MELISSA HORTMAN, HER HUSBAND, MARK, AND THEIR DOG, GILBERT, WERE KILLED IN THEIR HOME BY SOMEONE IMPERSONATING A POLICE OFFICER.

HORTMAN WAS NOT THE ONLY LEGISLATOR TARGETED THAT DAY.

STATE SENATOR JOHN HOFFMAN AND HIS WIFE YVETTE WERE BOTH SHOT MULTIPLE TIMES IN THEIR HOME BY THE SAME SUSPECT AND SURVIVED.

SENATOR HOFFMAN HAS SPENT MONTHS RECOVERING AND IS GEARING UP TO RETURN TO THE LEGISLATURE NEXT MONTH.

AND WE'RE SO DELIGHTED TO HAVE YOU.

YOUR RECOVERY IS PRETTY MIRACULOUS TO ME.

>> THANKS, ERIC.

>> Eric: AND I WONDER, HAVE THE DOCTORS SAID HOW LONG IT MIGHT TAKE TO GET PHYSICALLY WELL, MAYBE EMOTIONALLY STABLE?

>> SO, RECOVERY ISN'T AN END GAME IN SOMETHING, RIGHT?

IT'S AN ONGOING PROCESS.

AND THE THING ABOUT RECOVERY IS IT'S NOT LINEAR, RIGHT?

NOTHING HAPPENS ON A TIMELINE, ERIC, BECAUSE THERE ARE REALLY GOOD DAYS, THERE ARE NOT SO GOOD DAYS.

SO I KEPT COMPLAINING ABOUT THE FACT THAT I STILL CAN'T PLAY DRUMS BECAUSE OF MY LEFT FINGER.

>> Eric: YEAH.

>> AND MY LEFT ARM, YOU KNOW, I WAS GOING TO SHOW UP HERE WITH MY DRUMSTICKS AND MAYBE WE COULD DO THAT.

>> Eric: ANOTHER TIME.

>> BUT IT'S NOT.

IT'S A PROCESS.

AND THIS IS SOMETHING I HAVE TO LEARN TO HAVE SOME TIME AND PATIENCE.

>> Cathy: YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD THIS, RESEARCHERS FIND THAT SOME SURVIVORS OF TRAUMA CULTIVATE INNER STRENGTH, THEY GAIN A DEEPER APPRECIATION OF LIFE, THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH THEIR SPIRITUALITY CHANGES AND DEEPENS AND THEY CALL THIS POST-TRAUMATIC GROWTH.

NOW I KNOW YOU'RE IN THE EARLY GOING OF YOUR RECOVERY, BUT HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED ANY OF THIS AT THIS POINT?

>> IT'S INTERESTING, THEY CALL THAT POST-TRAUMATIC GROWTH.

I'M STILL DEALING WITH POST-TRAUMATIC SYNDROME.

>> Cathy: SURE, EXACTLY.

>> I FIND THAT -- YOU START TO FIND OUT SOME THINGS THAT YOU USED TO DO.

LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN I WAS LAYING IN THE ICU, I SAID, LOTS OF TIME TO THINK, THINK ABOUT WHAT I WOULD BE DOING DIFFERENTLY, RIGHT?

TIME TO BE MORE PRESENT, RIGHT?

AND THAT'S THE THING THAT HITS ME.

AND THEN TO SEE THE THINGS THAT WERE HAPPENING WITHIN HUMAN SERVICES WORLD, NOT HAVING A SAY IN THAT REALLY BOTHERED ME.

THEN I SAID, WELL, NOT ONLY IS IT TIME TO BE, YOU KNOW, PRESENT, BUT IT'S ALSO TIME TO ENGAGE.

MOST PEOPLE WOULD WITHDRAW IN THAT SITUATION, RIGHT?

NO, IT'S TIME TO ENGAGE.

I SAID THAT AT THE DNC OPENING SPEECH AS WELL.

>> Eric: YOUR PLATE IS GOING TO BE FULL IN THE THAN 26 SESSION.

>> YEAH.

>> Eric: HUMAN SERVICES IS FRONT AND CENTER.

>> YUP.

>> Eric: HE FRAUD THAT HAS OCCURRED IN THE MEDICAID PROGRAMS.

HOW DO YOU PLAN TO ADDRESS IT WHEN THE SESSION PARTS?

>> ONE OF THE THINGS WE START, IT'S NOT WHETHER OR NOT FRAUD EXISTS, IT DOES EXIST, RIGHT?

DID WE GIVE THE DEPARTMENT THE PROPER TOOLS IN ORDER TO ADDRESS THAT?

AND OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS, YOU HAVE NINE PAGES OF STATUTORY AUTHORITY THAT WE'D GIVEN THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES TO BE ABLE TO BE LASERRING IN ON THE GOOD ACTORS, LASERRING IN ON THE BAD ACTORS, DO SOME THINGS.

SO THE QUESTION REALLY REMAINS ON THE TABLE, WHAT DIDN'T WE GIVE YOU IN ORDER TO DO YOUR JOB MORE EFFECTIVELY?

>> Cathy: HOW DISAPPOINTED ARE YOU IN ALL THIS?

>> VERY DISAPPOINTED.

>> Cathy: YOU RODE HERD ON A LOT OF THIS.

YOU'VE BEEN AT A THOUSAND HEARINGS OVER SOCIAL SERVICES.

WHAT GOES THROUGH YOUR HEAD WHEN YOU SEE ALL OF THESE STORIES?

>> WHAT REALLY AFFECTS ME THE MOST IS THE FACT THAT THE CLIENT, THE ONE THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE RECEIVING THE SERVICES, YOU END UP GETTING CAUGHT UP IN ALL THE NOISE AND THEN YOU SAY, ALL RIGHT, WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CLIENT?

THE "WHY"?

THE QUESTION THAT I THROUGH THREE YEARS AGO WHEN I BECAME CHAIR, WE NEED TO DISCOVERY THE WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO, RIGHT?

AND IF WE LOSE ASPECT OF THE "WHY," THEN WE'VE LOST ASPECT ON EXACTLY WHY.

MINNESOTA'S RICH HISTORY, GOES BACK TO GUYS LIKE JIM RAM INSTEAD, DAVE DURENBERGER, YOU START TO NAME FOLKS LIKE THAT, IF IT WEREN'T FOR URENBERGER, WE WOULDN'T HAVE THE NATIONAL D.D.

ACT, RIGHT?

IT'S LEADERS LIKE THAT WERE ALWAYS GOING AT "WHY," AND HOW WE GET THIS TO THE PEOPLE THAT NEED IT THE MOST.

>> Eric: IS IT POSSIBLE, YOU USED THE WORD "LASER," TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BAD GUYS GUESS OUT OF THE PROCESS BUT THAT THE CLIENTS AND THE GOOD OPERATORS, YOU KNOW, STAY UT AND FLOURISH?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

HAVING A HAMMER APPROACH TO ANY KIND OF SYSTEMIC ISSUES, RIGHT, IS NOT A GOOD APPROACH.

AND I CONTEND THAT THERE'S NINE PAGES, I HAVE A STATUTORY AUTHORITY THAT WE'VE GIVEN, TO BE MORE LASER FOCUSED.

SO THE QUESTION THEN THAT COMES BACK, AND WE'LL AVE HEARINGS NEXT WEEK, IS, WHAT DIDN'T WE GIVE YOU ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT, RIGHT?

AND I THINK THAT LASER PIECE NEEDS TO BE REALLY REDISCOVERED ON THAT.

IN MY HUMBLE OPINION, NOT THAT I'M A LAWYER -- A LAWYER ONCE TOLD ME, YOU CAN'T HAVE AN OPINION, YOU'RE NOT A LAWYER, BUT IN THIS CASE, YOU KNOW, DID WE GOT GIVE YOU ENOUGH TOOLS IN YOUR TOOL BELT TO BE ABLE TO DO YOUR JOB?

>> Cathy: YOU WENT BACK TO THE CAPITOL AND HELD A BUNCH OF INTERVIEWS WITH THE MEDIA.

>> I DID.

>> Cathy: THANK YOU TO DOING THAT, BY THE WAY.

WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO STEP FOOT IN THE CAPITOL?

>> IT WAS THE FIRST IME EXAMINE IT WAS SO SURREAL TO BE -- AND IT WAS SO SURREAL TO BE THERE.

THERE'S A GRATITUDE, YOU KNOW, IF I WOULDN'T BE AT THAT MOMENT, RIGHT, I SAT BACK, AND I WENT, WOW, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL PLACE WE HAVE HERE.

AND IT REALLY IS.

IT WAS EMOTIONAL BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT I WAS THERE.

RIGHT?

>> Cathy: RIGHT.

>> SO THERE AS A LOT OF GRATITUDE ABOUT BEING THERE.

>> Cathy: WHAT DO YOU THINK OF SOME OF THESE IDEAS TO FORTIFY THE CAPITOL, TO STRENGTHEN SECURITY AT THE CAPITOL?

DO YOU THINK IS IT WORKABLE, IS IT TOO LITTLE TOO LATE?

WHAT'S YOUR THOUGHT?

>> YOU KNOW, OUR STATE PATROL ARE A GIFT TO THE STATE OF MINNESOTA.

AND THEIR PRESENCE AT THE STATE CAPITOL REALLY STOPS PEOPLE FROM BEING BAD ACTORS, ALWAYS HAS BEEN.

BUT IF THEY NEED MORE TOOLS IN ORDER FOR THEM TO DO THEIR JOB MORE EFFECTIVELY, ABSOLUTELY.

YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU FACE A NINE-MILLILITER BARETTA IN YOUR NOSE AND YOU'RE SAYING, AM I GOING TO LIVE ONE MORE DAY, YOU SAY, GUESS WHAT, I DON'T WANT THAT OPPORTUNITY EVER AGAIN, AND I WOULDN'T WISH IT ON ANYBODY ELSE IN THIS STATE.

SO, IF IT MEANS OUR TROOPERS ARE SAYING, BRING ON THE METAL DETECTORS AND GIVE US A BIT MORE FORTITUDE, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO GIVE THAT TO THEM.

THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD -- >> Eric: ARE YOU A RELIGIOUS GUY?

>> WELL, I GUESS, I GUESS, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO, I GREW UP HALF CATHOLIC, HALF JEWISH, AND MY MOM IS OW A LUTHERAN, WHAT DOES THAT MAKE ME?- LUAT DOES THAT MAKE ME?- LUET DOES THAT MAKE ME?- LUETH OES THAT MAKE ME?- LUETH CAS THAT MAKE ME?- LUETH CATHTHAT MAKE ME?- LUETH CATH-AAT MAKE ME?- LUETH CATH-A-J MAKE ME?- LUETH CATH-A-JEWAKE ME?- LUETH CATH-A-JEW.KE ME?- LUETH CATH-A-JEW.KE ME?- >> Eric: ELL, YOU SURVIVED FOR A REASON.

>> Cathy: SERIOUSLY, THOUGH, YOU'RE QUESTIONS NOT A BAD ONE.

EVERYBODY'S GOT A PURPOSE IN LIFE.

HAS IT CHANGED SINCE THIS HORRIBLE THING HAPPENED TO YOU?

>> YOU IT BACK, IF I HAD ONE MORE DAY TO DO IT, WHAT WOULD I BE DOING, RIGHT IN THE AND THAT'S THE ISSUE, DO I WITHDRAW OR DO I NGAGE?

AND THEN I'VE GOT TO ENGAGE BECAUSE WE LOST SIGHT IN ALL THE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO BE RECEIVING SERVICES, GRANDPA AND GRANDMA IN THE NURSING HOME, GRANDMA AND GRANDPA THAT ARE RECEIVING SERVICES IN THEIR HOME, WHAT ARE WE DOING TO ENSURE THAT EVERYTHING IS PERFECT FOR THEM.

>> Cathy: I GOTTA ASK YOU, HOW'S YOUR WIFE AND YOUR DAUGHTER, HOW'S YOUR FAMILY?

>> WE ARE TAKING ONE DAY AT A TIME, ONE MOMENT AT A TIME, CATHY.

AGAIN, IT'S NOT LINEAR.

>> Cathy: IT'S NEVER LINEAR.

THAT'S WHAT LIFE IS.

>> YEAH.

>> Eric: THANKS SO MUCH OR COMING OVER,