♪♪ >> Mary: ALL RIGHT.

WE HAVE LOTS TO TALK ABOUT WITH THE SENATE INANCE COMMITTEE LEADERS.

WE HAVE THE REPUBLICAN LEAD, SENATOR ERIC PRATT AND THE DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE CHAIR, SENATOR JOHN MARTY.

WELL, FIRST OF ALL, SENATOR PRATT, YOUR CAUCUS MADE SOME NEWS.

I MEAN, HATE TO BE FRANK, BUT THIS IS THE THING YOU GUYS MATTER ON THE MOST AND THE ONLY BILL THEY REALLY NEED YOUR VOTES ON.

AND IT'S EALLY TRUE, SENATE REPUBLICANS WILL NOT PUT UP THE VOTES FOR A BONDING BILL AT THIS POINT BECAUSE OF TAXES?

>> WELL, WE BELIEVE A ONDING BILL IS IMPORTANT.

BUT WE ALSO BELIEVE TAX RELIEF IS IMPORTANT.

SITTING ON A HISTORIC SURPLUS THAT CAME FROM TAXPAYERS WHO PAID IN MORE THAN THE STATE WAS ABLE TO SPEND, AND THE ONE I HEAR ABOUT THE MOST IS REALLY THE SOCIAL SECURITY AX CUT, AND I THINK THAT'S ONE THAT WE REALLY NEED TO START PUSHING FORWARD.

SENATE REPUBLICANS HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN TRYING TO MOVE THAT BILL FORWARD EVEN FASTER.

BUT, LIKE SENATOR HOUSLEY SAID -- >> Mary: LET'S TAKE THAT ONE.

LET'S TAKE SOCIAL SECURITY.

YOUR CAUCUS IS A LITTLE CONFLICTED ON IT.

YOU HAVE A HANDFUL OF FRESHMAN DEMOCRATS WHO ARE MODERATES AND SAID THEY WANT THE FULL REPEAL LIKE REPUBLICANS.

SO, HAVE YOU GUYS WORKED THAT OUT INTERNALLY YET?

>> THAT'S ALL BEING WORKED OUT.

I'M NOT ON THE TAX COMMITTEE.

WE'RE THE FINANCE SIDE.

>> Mary: WE'LL GET TO THAT SIDE.

>> I UNDERSTAND.

BUT, TO ME, THE ONE THING, IN TERMS OF HELPING SENIORS, THE ONE THING THAT I THINK WOULD BE MOST VALUABLE OF ALL IS MAKING SURE WE HAVE THE CAREGIVERS, THE CAREGIVERS WHO SERVE SENIORS IN NURSING HOMES AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, WE HAVE A LOT OF THEM MAKING 13, 15 -- 14, 15 BUCKS AN HOUR, MAKE FAR MORE AT McDONALD'S AND THE PROGRAMS, FACILITIES CAN'T FIND PEOPLE.

>> Mary: IT'S BEEN CALLED A CRISIS IN LONG-TERM CARE.

>> WE HAVE TO ADDRESS THOSE NEEDS.

>> Mary: WHAT ARE YOU DOING ABOUT THAT?

>> WE'RE WORKING ON THE BUDGET RIGHT NOW.

THAT'S OUR TOPIC TONIGHT.

>> Mary: GIVE US A PEEK, THOUGH.

>> WE'RE STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT.

WE DO THE OVERALL BUDGET, THE COMMITTEES ARE WORKING ON THEIR SPECIFIC TARGETS.

>> Mary: YUP.

>> BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS, THESE FOLKS, WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO PUT MONEY IN.

THAT WOULD BE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO BRING THOSE WAGES UP TO A FAIR LEVEL.

AND TO ME, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SURPLUS, SURPLUS IS WHAT'S EXTRA.

AND WHEN WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMELESS, AND WE HAVE ALL THESE NEEDS IN EDUCATION, IN HEALTHCARE, PUBLIC SAFETY, WE GOT A LOT OF NEEDS OUT THERE.

SO I THINK WE GOT TO BALANCE, HAVE A GOOD BALANCED APPROACH FOR MINNESOTANS.

>> Mary: THAT SOUNDS BIPARTISAN.

SENATE REPUBLICANS LAST YEAR IN A BUDGET DEAL WERE WEIGHING IN FOR LONG-TERM CARE.

THAT WAS SOMETHING THEY DEMANDED.

>> WE ACTUALLY SUPPORT SPENDING ON LONG-TERM CARE.

I SERVE ON THE BOARD OF A LOCAL LONG-TERM CARE FACILITY.

AND WE'RE HAVING A HARD TIME PAYING OUR NURSES BECAUSE OF REIMBURSEMENT RATES ARE SO BAD.

WE'VE GOT HOMES THAT ARE HAVING A HARD TIME FINDING PCAs.

THAT DOES GET BIPARTISAN SUPPORT.

BUT WE HAVE A $17.5 BILLION SURPLUS, AND THERE'S REALLY ENOUGH MONEY TO DO BOTH.

AND WE CAN DO THE TAX CUTS AND THE BONDING BILL.

IT'S NOT AN EITHER/OR.

WE SHOULD BE DOING BOTH AND WE SHOULD BE DOING BOTH EARLY AND NOW.

>> YOU KNOW, JUST TO PUT THIS IN PERSPECTIVE.

WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 17 OR $18 BILLION SURPLUS.

FIRST OF ALL, 11, 12 BILLION OF IT IS ONE-TIME MONEY.

A LOT OF THAT, BECAUSE OF FEDERAL MONDAY, SO ON, DURING COVID.

BUT THE ONGOING MONEY, ABOUT $6.3 BILLION, IF YOU GO BACK TO THE BUDGET THAT THE SENATE REPUBLICANS, THE HOUSE DEMOCRATS PASSED TWO YEARS AGO, YOU INFLATION ADJUST IS OF FROM THEN UNTIL NOW, IF WE WANT TO KEEP THAT LEVEL OF SERVICE, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE SCHOOLS NEED, THAT'S WHAT HEALTHCARE NEEDS, EVERYTHING ELSE, WE KEEP THAT LEVEL OF SERVICE, THAT TAKES $5.2 BILLION OF THE $6.3 BILLION.

THAT'S GOING BACK.

IF WE WANT TO KEEP THE SAME LEVEL OF SERVICE, THAT MEANS WE'VE GOT ABOUT $1 BILLION ONGOING MONEY, AND ANY OF THOSE TAX CUTS THAT ARE PERMANENT ARE ONGOING.

>> Mary: OKAY.

WHAT ABOUT, THEN, THE REBATE?

WE WON'T CALL THEM WALZ CHECKS.

I KNOW YOU DON'T WANT TO CALL THEM THAT.

BUT BENEFITS ONE-TIME MONEY, DON'T REBATE CHECKS MAKE SENSE IF IT'S ONE-TIME MONEY?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

LOOK, LAST YEAR WE WERE OPPOSED TO REBATE CHECKS BECAUSE WE DIDN'T WANT TO COLLECT THE MONEY.

WE WANTED TO KEEP IT IN MINNESOTANS' FAMILY HANDS AS LONG AS WE COULD.

BUT NOW WE'VE COLLECTED IT AND WE SHOULD BE DOING SOME REBATE CHECKS BACK TO HARDWORKING FAMILIES.

THEY'RE STRUGGLING WITH THE ONGOING INFLATIONARY PRESSURES OF GROCERIES AND GAS AND HOUSING IS GOING UP TREMENDOUSLY.

SO, WE DO THINK THAT REBATE CHECKS ARE PROBABLY A GOOD WAY TO GO NOW.

WE WOULD HAVE PREFERRED NOT TO COLLECT THE MONEY AT FIRST.

BUT NOW THAT WE'VE GOT IT, WE OUGHT TO GIVE SOME OF IT BACK.

>> Mary: YOU WERE AROUND FOR JESSE CHECKS.

THE PUBLIC LIKES IT.

IS IT A GOOD IDEA W OR NOT?

>> I HAPPEN TO BE THE ONE SENATE VOTE AGAINST THE JESSE CHECKS.

AND IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE SAME THING.

I WARNED THAT WE WERE GOING TO HAVE BUDGET DEFICITS AHEAD BECAUSE WE WERE SPENDING ALL THIS MONEY.

THE BIGGEST TAX CUT IN STATE HISTORY.

REMEMBER THE VOTE ON IT.

AND I OPPOSED IT BECAUSE IT SEEMS TO ME IF WE HAVE NEEDS IN OUR SCHOOLS, NEEDS IN HEALTHCARE, NEEDS IN TRANSPORTATION, PUBLIC SAFETY, WE OUGHT TO ADDRESS THOSE THINGS BEFORE WE GOT -- SAY, THIS IS EXTRA.

>> Mary: WE HAVEN'T HIT SCHOOLS YET, THEY'RE THE BIGGEST CHUNK.

>> THEY'RE LIKELY GETTING THE BIGGEST CHUNK.

THAT'S TRUE IN THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET.

I THINK THAT'S TRUE IN THE LEGISLATIVE BODIES, I THINK BOTH BODIES HAVE A HIGH PRIORITY FOR SCHOOLS.

>> Mary: QUICK LAST WORD ON SCHOOLS AND FUNDING?

>> AS A FORMER SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER, I THINK WE OUGHT TO BE FUNDING OUR SCHOOLS.

THE PROBLEM WE HAVE IS THAT WE'RE SPENDING MONEY AND TRYING TO TELL THE SCHOOLS HOW TO OPERATE.

HOW TO SPEND THE MONEY.

WHEN WE SHOULD BE ALLOWING OUR LOCALLY ELECTED OFFICIALS TO MEET THE NEEDS THEY HAVE.

>> Mary: WE'RE OUT