♪♪ >> Mary: WE'RE GOING TO DIVE INTO POLICY NOW, THE ISSUE OF EDUCATION.

JOINING US FROM THE SENATE, WE HAVE SENATOR JULIA COLEMAN, SHE IS THE REPUBLICAN LEAD ON THE ISSUE, AND THE SENATE CHAIR, HE NOW OWNS THE GAVEL, RIGHT, SENATOR STEVE CWODZINSKI.

DEMOCRAT.

FIRST OF ALL, Mr.

CHAIR, I KNOW THAT YOU'RE THE POLICY SIDE, BUT MONEY ATTACHES TO POLICY.

WHAT ARE YOU FEELING, THINKING, HEARING ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN EDUCATION FEDERALLY?

>> WELL, ABOUT JUST $1 BILLION OF OUR EDUCATION BUDGET COMES FROM THE FEDS AND THINGS LIKE -- IN THINGS LIKE TITLE I, NUTRITION, SPECIAL EDUCATION.

SO $1 BILLION CUT, IF DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL GOES -- SHUTS DOWN, IT'S GOING TO IMPACT US GREATLY.

>> Mary: AND THOSE WERE POLICY ISSUES, NOT JUST MONETARYTARILY ISSUES.

>> YES.

>> Mary: HAVE YOU REACHED OUT TO FOLKS IN D.C., YOU MAYBE KNOW SOME PEOPLE IN D.C. >> YOU KNOW, WE WERE HEARING ABOUT THE FINANCIAL ISSUES OUR SCHOOLS WERE FACING LONG BEFORE PRESIDENT TRUMP WAS EVEN ELECTED.

WE HAVE TO FOCUS ON WHAT WE CAN CONTROL, AND WHAT WE CAN CONTROL IS TRYING TO HELP OUR SCHOOLS AND LISTEN TO WHAT THEY'RE SAYING, WHICH WE DID WHEN WE SHARED THE GAVEL, WE HAD ALL OF THE SCHOOLS COME IN AND TELL US WHAT WAS BOTHERING THEM, WHAT WAS GOING ON.

WE CAN CONTROL THAT RIGHT HERE.

AND LIKE REPRESENTATIVE TORKELSON SAID, RIGHT NOW WE'RE TRYING TO SEE WHAT STICKS.

SO LET'S FOCUS ON WHAT WE CAN DO.

>> Mary: SO DURING THAT TIME, WHEN YOU SHARED THE GAVEL, YOU DID HEAR SOME FRUSTRATION FROM THE DISTRICTS.

WHAT DID YOU HEAR THAT YOU SAID, OKAY, THERE'S SOME POLICY WE NEED TO WORK ON?

>> WE'RE HEARING A LOT ABOUT ABSENTEEISM, CELL PHONES, UI, THOSE -- UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE.

>> Mary: YEAH.

THANK YOU.

>> ACRONYMS.

>> Mary: THE LINGO.

>> YEAH.

BUT, SO, SENATOR COLEMAN AND I, I THINK WE WORK WELL TOGETHER, AND JUST TODAY WE CO-AUTHORED A BILL ON THE COMPREHENSIVE MINNESOTA -- >> GETTING THE A.C.T.

>> ASSESSMENT, MCA.

>> Mary: YOU'RE FINISHING EACH OTHER'S SENTENCE.

>> WE AGREED WE WERE GOING TO BE HORRIBLE TV FOR YOU, BECAUSE WE ACTUALLY GET ALONG REALLY WELL, NOT FOR THE SAKE OF BIPARTISANSHIP, BUT BECAUSE WE SHARE A BORDER, AND WE'D HATE TO SEE A WALL GO UP BETWEEN EDEN RAIRIE AND CHANHASSEN, AND DIVIDING PRINCE NELSON ROGERS HIGHWAY.

>> Mary: I MENTIONED IT EARLIER, IN CONTRAST TO THE HOUSE, THEY AN'T GET A BILL OFF THE FLOOR, THE COMMITTEES ARE PARTY LINE, THE FLOOR IS PARTY LINE, IS THE SENATE AHEAD BECAUSE YOU HAD TO WORK TOGETHER EARLIER?

>> AS I SAID, THE YEAR IS YOUNG.

>> Mary: THAT'S NOT OPTIMISTIC, BY THE WAY.

>> , NO -- NO, IT DOESN'T FEEL YOUNG TO ME, RIGHT NOW.

>> Mary: YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH A LOT NOW, ALREADY.

>> IT SEEMS HISTORIC.

THE GOVERNMENT TEACHER IN ME HAS REALLY ENJOYED IT IN A MORBID KIND OF A WAY, IT'S JUST BEEN POLITICAL INTRIGUE, AS YOU KNOW.

SO IT'S BEEN A FASCINATING PROCESS TO BE PART OF.

>> Mary: I HEARD YOU SAY, I THINK, IN A PRESS CONFERENCE, OR MAYBE IT WAS IN COMMITTEE, I WOULDN'T KNOW HOW TO TEACH THIS, AND YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.

YOU KNOW, COMING BACK TO THAT INTERPLAY BETWEEN FEDERAL AND STATE, WHAT DOES THE GOVERNMENT TEACHER DO TO EXPLAIN WHAT'S HAPPENING TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT?

>> OH, BOY.

YEAH.

YOU JUST GOTTA -- I MEAN, A GOOD CIVICS TEACHER PRESENTS BOTH SIDES TO EVERY ISSUE.

AND, SO, I WOULD HAVE TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO PRESENT TO MY STUDENTS WHY TRUMP IS DOING THIS.

YOU KNOW, I WOULD PROBABLY SAY STUFF LIKE, THERE'S A $36 TRILLION BUDGET.

OR DEFICIT, DEBT.

>> Mary: BUT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DOESN'T HAVE TO BALANCE IT LIKE YOU DO.

>> CORRECT.

>> Mary: IT'S A DIFFERENT STANDARD.

>> THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I WOULD PROBABLY SAY IN DEFENSE OF TRUMP'S ACTIONS.

>> Mary: SORRY, I MADE YOU DO THAT.

[ Laughter ] BECAUSE THAT'S YOUR JOB AS A REPUBLICAN.

YOU WERE THERE FOR INAUGURAL, YOUR FATHER-IN-LAW, SENATOR NORM COLEMAN, HAS BEEN SHEPHERDING PETE HEGSETH THROUGH THE PROCESS.

SO, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT D.C.?

DO YOU AGREE WITH EVERYTHING?

BECAUSE YOU'VE NOT BEEN AFRAID TO DISAGREE WITH YOUR PARTY ON SOME THINGS.

>> I THINK THAT IF YOU ARE A TRUE ELECTED CIVIL SERVANT, YOU ARE GOING TO DISAGREE WITH BOTH SIDES.

AND I CAN'T STAND WHEN SOMEBODY COMES UP AND JUST PARROTS THE TALKING POINTS FROM ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER.

ARE THERE THINGS THAT I HAVE TAKEN A PAUSE ON?

SURE, ABSOLUTELY.

MATT GATES BEING PRESENTED AS -- GATES BEING PRESENTED AS ATTORNEY GENERAL, I THOUGHT, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S THE BEST DECISION.

BUT A LOT OF THE THINGS HE'S DOING, I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING, I'M REALLY THRILLED FOR THE DIRECTION THIS COUNTRY IS GOING IN.

GAETZ.

>> Mary: LET'S GET BACK TO POLICY.

LET'S TALK ABSENTEEISM.

THAT ISSUE, WE'RE EALLY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE NUMBERS AND THE REASONS.

WHAT ARE YOU HEARING?

>> I'M HEARING THE NUMBER, 30% OF STUDENTS IN SCHOOLS ARE ABSENT EXCESSIVE NUMBERS.

>> Mary: HUGE NUMBERS.

RIGHT?

30% IS HUGE.

>> YEAH.

AND EVERY DISTRICT DOES DEFINE IT DIFFERENTLY.

SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE SHOULD BE TALKING ABOUT, AND WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT, IS HAVING CONSISTENT LANGUAGE.

SO THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE COMMUNICATING WITH ACH OTHER, USING THE SAME LANGUAGE, BECAUSE DEFINING ABSENTEEISM IN EASTERN CARVER COUNTY MIGHT BE DIFFERENT THAN WHAT EDEN PRAIRIE OR MINNETONKA DOES.

BUT THAT'S ANOTHER -- THAT AND LIKE CELL PHONES, WE HEARD SOME GOOD BILLS.

>> Mary: YEAH, I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT.

LET'S SAY ON THE ABSENTEEISM, SOME OF THE REASONS.

I WAS HEARING, SOME OF THE REASONS ARE LIKE HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS AND SOME OF THOSE OTHER NEEDS.

SO HOW DO YOU ADDRESS THAT?

>> SOME OF IT, TOO, I THINK IS A CULTURE SHIFT.

AND, SO, WHEN I WAS VISITING SOME OF THE SCHOOLS, KIDS WERE -- THEY AREN'T COUNTED AS ABSENTEEISM BY DEFINITION, BUT THEY'RE SITTING IN THE CAFETERIA, NOT GOING TO CLASS.

AND I WAS THINKING, GOSH, WHEN I WAS IN SCHOOL, HOW FAST THAT TEACHER WOULD BE ON US AND DISCIPLINING US, AND, YOU KNOW, GETTING AUTHORITY INVOLVED IN ORDER TO GET US INTO THAT CLASSROOM.

AND WE'VE JUST HAND TIED OUR SROs AND OUR TEACHERS TO A POINT WHERE THEY CANNOT DO THAT ANYMORE.

SO I THINK WE HAVE TO KIND OF HAVE A TOUGHEN UP CULTURE WITH OUR STUDENTS.

>> Mary: YOU WERE A TEACHER.

TOUGH LOVE.

DID YOU DO THE TOUGH LOVE THING?

>> I DID DO THE TOUGH LOVE THING.

YOU SHOULD ASK MY STUDENTS, NOT ME.

>> Mary: DO WE NEED MORE OF THAT CULTURE?

>> YEAH, I THINK MORE ACCOUNTABILITY, MORE RIGOR.

I HINK STUDENTS, I HEAR THINGS LIKE, -- IT'S EASY TO MAKE UP BECAUSE I CAN GO ONLINE AND FIND OUT WHAT I MISSED.

OF.

SO I THINK WE MAYBE MADE IT A LITTLE TOO EASY TO MISS CLASS AND STAYING UP UNTIL 2:00 A.M. ON THE CELL PHONES IS AN ISSUE.

>> Mary: THAT'S A WHOLE 'NOTHER ISSUE.

BUT I WANT TO USE MY LAST FEW SECONDS TO TALK TO STATE SENATOR JULIA COLEMAN ABOUT HER INTEREST, PERHAPS, IN THE U.S. SENATE RACE.

IT'S AN OPEN SEAT.

WHAT ARE YOU THINKING AT THIS POINT?

>> YOU KNOW, I'M STILL TALKING IT OVER WITH FUN -- WITH MINNESOTANS ND MY FAMILY, 0 OBVIOUSLY IT'S A HUGE UNDERTAKING.

WHEN I LOOK AT THE STATE, I THINK SOMEONE WITH A STRONG BIPARTISAN RECORD WHO WINS IN THE SUBURBS BY NINE PLUS POINTS AND MAYBE HAVE THE LAST NAME COLEMAN WOULD BE THE BEST PICK TO GIVE US A CHANCE TO WIN.

>> Mary: HAVE YOU TALKED TO PRESIDENT TRUMP DIRECTLY?

>> I HAVE NOT YET.

>> Mary: BUT IT WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE IF HE'S BEHIND.

>> ABSOLUTELY, IT IS.