>> Mary: JOINING ME NOW, SENATE LEADERS AND IT'S THE FIRST JOINT I APPEARANCE FOR THESE TWO.

WE HAVE SENATOR MARK JOHNSON AND THE NEW DFL MAJORITY LEADER, ERIN MURPHY.

WELCOME, YOU TWO.

SENATOR MURPHY, I THINK YOU MADE HISTORY.

I'VE BEEN CHECKING AROUND.

I THINK YOU MIGHT THE FIRST PERSON TO BE MAJORITY LEADER IN THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE.

DO YOU THINK THAT'S TRUE?

>> SOMEONE TOLD ME THAT THAT WAS TRUE.

I HAVEN'T DONE THE RESEARCH M SALE ND IT DOESN'T MATTER.

I'M SO HAPPY TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY.

>> Mary: SO SHE'S NOT A SPRING CHICKEN.

SHE KNOW PEAS WHAT SHE'S DOING.

THIS IS A PERSON WHO HAS RUN THE SHOW HERE IN THE HOUSE.

SO THIS IS A FOR MIDDAGE REPLACEMENT FOR FOR SENATOR DZIEDZIC?

>> REALLY IVES ME A LOT OF HONE THAT WE CAN WORK THROUGH THESE ISSUES GOING FORWARD HERE.

>> AND I'M GOING TO DO EVERYTHING I CAN DO TO BUILD ON THE REMARKABLE SUCCESS OF KARI DZIEDZIC.

>> Mary: ARE YOU HOPING THERE'S SOME HOLES IN THAT ONE SEAT MAJORITY AND THAT MAYBE SHE CAN'T HOLD ALL 34 TOGETHER?

>> WHAT I'M OPING FOR IS SOME BIPARTISAN WORK THIS YEAR.

I THINK REPUBLICANS BRING SOME REALLY GOOD IDEAS TO THE TABLE AND I THINK WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO WORK ON THOSE ISSUES TOGETHER.

AGE THAT'S OUR GOAL THIS YEAR.

>> Mary: HUGE SHOES TO FILL, THOUGH.

WE WERE ALL -- CAN THAT CONTINUE?

>> WHAT WE LEARNED LAST YEAR IS THAT IF WE ACT TOGETHER, AND WE STICK OGETHER, WE CAN DO IMPORTANT WORK FOR THE PEOPLE OF MINNESOTA.

AND BENEATH THE FLOOR DEBATE AND THE VOTES THAT WE CAST, WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE MEMBERS BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLES WORKING TO SHAPE POLICY, SO A LOT OF BILLS THAT COME FORWARD, EVEN IF WE DON'T HAVE A FINAL REPUBLICAN VOTE HAVE REPUBLICAN FINGERPRINTS, THEIR ATTENTION, THEIR AMENDMENTS IN THOSE BILLS.

WE ARE WORKING TOGETHER EVEN THOUGH YOU MIGHT NOT SEE IT.

>> Mary: THE WORK TOGETHER ON SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS HASN'T BEEN GOING PARTICULARLY WELL IN EITHER COMMITTEE, REPUBLICANS HAVE TRIED TO GET A LOT OF AMENDMENTS OCTOBER THEY'RE NOT GETTING THEM N. WE HEAR REPUBLICAN VOTES ARE GOING TO BE NEEDED.

IS THAT TRUE IN YOUR CHAMBER?

>> WELL, I HAVEN'T POLLED THE D.F.L.

CAUCUS AT ALL, BUT REPUBLICANS HAVE BROUGHT A LOT OF GOOD AMENDMENTS AND WE'VE HEARD FROM BOTH THE EDUCATION SIDE OF THE EQUATION, THEN ALSO LAW ENFORCEMENT SIDE OF THE EQUATION THAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR.

AND SO WE HAVE BROUGHT THOSE TOGETHER IN COMMITTEE, SO IT WAS SUPER DISAPPOINTING TODAY WHEN SENATOR DUCKWORTH AND OTHERS BROUGHT THOSE FORWARD AND ALMOST TO A POINT OF BEING DISMISSIVE OF OUR AMENDMENTS ON THAT.

AND SO THAT WASN'T A VERY GOOD START.

I HOPE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO BE CORRECTED GOING FORWARD.

BUT WE'RE BRINGING IDEAING IDEAS OF FROM HALF OF MOIFT TO THE TABLE.

>> SO I THINK THERE'S A SHARED INTEREST ON THE PART OF BOTH THE BODIES OF THE LEGISLATURE, DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS ALIKE, BUT PORE IMPORTANTLY ON THE PART OF MINNESOTANS THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE SAFE IN OUR SCHOOLS, THAT OUR SCHOOLS ARE SAFE PLACES TO LEARN.

AND THAT HAS BEEN THE WATCH FOR US, FOR SENATOR WE HAVE STLIN, FOR REPRESENTATIVE FRAZIER.

THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED IN THIS AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THEY ARE METHODICALLY, VERY METHODICALLY WORKING TOWARD A BILL THAT WILL BE PASSED AND I HOPE, AS ZACK DUCKWORTH SAID, THAT THIS SHOULD BE A BIPARTISAN EFFORT AND I HOPE FOR BIPARTISAN SUPPORT.

>> Mary: IS THERE SOMETHING HAPPENING BEHIND THE SCENES BECAUSE IT STALLED OUT HERE IN N THE HOUSE.

THEY WERE HOPING TO HAVE IT IN WAYS AND MEANS TONIGHT.

>> I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING BEHIND THE SCENES WHICH HAS BEEN ANOTHER DISAPPOINTMENT FOR US.

SEEMS LIKE WE'VE BEEN VERY SILOED IN OUR APPROACHES ON THIS, DEMOCRAT AND REPUBLICAN.

WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET INTO THE CONVERSATION WITH THE DEMOCRATS TO HAVE A BILL THAT WOULD HAVE BUY-IN FROM BOTH SIDES.

>> Mary: OKAY, LET'S PIVOT TO SOMETHING YOU DEFINITELY NEED HIS VOTES ON, ONDING BILL.

THAT'S WAS THESE EVEN-YEAR SECTIONS ARE KNOWN FOR.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO SWEETEN THE POT OVER THERE?

>> SO I HAD A GREAT CONVERSATION THIS MORNING WITH SAND YAY PAPPAS, SENATOR PAPPAS, WHO'S THE CHAIR OF CAPITAL INVESTMENT AND SHE'S WORKING CLOSELY WITH KARIN HOUSELY WHO THE LEAD FOR THE REPUBLICANS AND I KNOW THE SAME THING IS HAPPENING BETWEEN DEAN URDAHL AND FUE LEE IN THE HOUSE.

AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, MY BELIEF AND MY PRACTICE THAT WE SHOULD LET THE CHAIRS LEAD THAT EFFORT.

THERE HAVE BEEN BODGEDDING TOURS ALL ACROSS THE STATE ALL DURING THIS INTERIM.

AND THERE ARE A LOT OF PROJECTS AND SENATOR PAPPAS, SENATOR HOUSELY, AN THE MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE, THEY'RE GOING TO NARROW THAT DOWN.

WE'RE GOING TO FIGURE OUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE PROJECTS THAT ARE HAD STATE VALUE, STATE IMPORTANCE, ROADS AND BRIDGES, AND WHAT AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE SHOULD PUT INTO LOCAL PROJECTS SO ACROSS THE STATE VERYBODY'S GETTING A BIT OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO ON BONDING.

>> Mary: AFTER A RECORD LARGE BONDING BILL LAST SESSION, IS THERE ANY RELUCTANCE IN YOUR CAUCUS TO PUT UP ENOUGH VOTES?

>> I THINK HIS HAS TO BE A VERY BALANCED BILL, NOT JUST URBAN AND RURAL, THAT BALANCE, BUT REPUBLICAN, DEMOCRAT.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IS MAKING SURE THAT ALL OF MINNESOTA IS TAKEN CARE OF IN THIS BILL IN A WAY WHERE IT'S INFRASTRUCTURE.

THINGS LIKE ROADS AND BRIDGES, WASTEWATER, DRINKING WATER, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.

BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO MIND THE BUDGET TOO.

BECAUSE OF DEMOCRATS LAST YEAR SPENT THE $17.5 BILLION, AND THEN LSO RAISED TAXES BY $10 BILLION, AND THEN SPENT THAT, WE'RE REALLY STARTING TO GET OURSELVES INTO A REAL FISCAL CORNER RIGHT NOW, AND SO WE HAVE TO BE VERY MINDFUL -- >> Mary: LET'S TALK BUDGET.

VERY LITTLE DONE AND YOU KIND OF HAD A DIFFERENT MESSAGE ON DAY ONE THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO STUFF.

>> YOU KNOW, I THINK ABOUT MYSELF GOING TO WORK EVERY DAY.

AND I THINK ABOUT MY HUSBAND GOING TO WORK EVERY DAY.

YOU GO TO WORK WITH INTENTION TO DO WHAT YOU'RE SENT TO DO.

AND I THINK I WANT TO BRING THAT SAME SPIRIT INTO THE WORK OF THE LEGISLATURE.

SO DO MY COLLEAGUES.

WE'RE NOT HERE TO SAY WE DID OUR WORK LAST YEAR.

SO WE WON'T WORK AS HARD.

WE'RE HERE, AND I THINK THAT'S TRUE FOR ALL OF US.

WE'RE HERE TO DO THE WORK OF THE PEOPLE.

THEY ENTERUS HERE TO BUILD THEIR FUTURE AND WE'VE GOT TO DO THAT.

>> Mary: WHAT DO YOU NEED TO TRADE AT THE END?

BECAUSE LAST YEAR YOU GUYS PLAYED HARD BALL ON THAT BONDING BILL AND YOU GOT NURSING HOME FUNDING.

IS THERE SOMETHING ELSE OUT THERE THAT YOU THINK COULD END UP BEING TRADED TOWARDS THE END?

>> AND WE HAVEN'T NECESSARILY SOLIDIFIED A POSITION ON THIS BUT OUR CAUCUS IS VERY INTERESTED IN REPAIRING A LOT OF THE DAMAGE THAT WAS DONE LAST YEAR THROUGH THAT FAST-PACED SESSION THAT WE HAD, WITH ALL THE BILLS THAT WENT THROUGH.

S.R.O.

ISSUES, THE TAX FIXES THAT WE NEED TO GET DONE ACROSS THIS STATE.

YOU KNOW, REPAIRING A LOT OF THE DAMAGE THAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR IS GOING TO BE A BIG PART OF WHAT WE NEED TO SEE HAPPEN TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THE RIGHT BALANCE -- >> Mary: LET'S TALK AN ISSUE THEN.

FLAG, HAS THIS TURNED INTO A PARTISAN DEMOCRATS FLY THE NEW FLAG.

REPUBLICANS FLY THE OLD FLAG.

HAS THIS GOTTEN TO AN UNFORTUNATE PARTISAN PLACE?

>> I HOPE THAT IT DOESN'T, I HAVE ON MY DESK A COPY OF THE "STAR TRIBUNE."

I ALWAYS THINK JENNIFER BROOKS IS SO FUNNY AND SHE DID A HOT DISH FLAG, AND SHE DID A LASER LOON FLAG -- >> Mary: PEOPLE WERE REALLY ENGAGED.

THERE'S STILL SOME REAL ANGST OUT THERE.

>> I THINK ABOUT IT LIKE BUYING A NEW HOME.

WE CHOSE A PATH.

LET'S PUT A COMMISSION TOGETHER.

LET'S ASK THEM O ANSWER THE QUESTION.

DO WE NEED NEW FLAG?

THEY DID ADMIRABLE WORK.

THEY -- THE ENGAGEMENT OF THAT PROCESS OVER THE COURSE OF THE SUMMER AND FALL WAS WONDERFUL.

AND IT YIELDED A RESULT, IEW ACTUALLY LIKE THE FLAG MYSELF.

>> I HEAR YOU'RE FLYING IT IN YOUR OFFICE?

>> NOPE, NEITHER.

NOT IN MY OFFICE, BUT I LIKE IT.

[Overlapping conversations] I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WITH TIME, RIGHT, LIKE YOU BUY A NEW HOME, IT FEELS UNFAMILIAR.

WITH TIME -- BECOMES HOME.

I THINK THE SAME THING IS GOING TO HAPPEN WITH THIS FLAG.

WITH TIME, IT WILL BECOME THE MINNESOTA FLAG.

>> Mary: SENATOR DEBATE AHEAD, RIGHT?

THANKS.