♪♪ >> Mary: WELL, CHANGE IS COMING TO THE MINNESOTA SENATE.

AND WE HAVE THE TOP TWO LEADERS HERE TO TALK ABOUT IT.

WE HAVE REPUBLICAN LEADER SENATOR JOHNSON AND DEMOCRATIC LEADER SENATOR MURPHY.

THANK YOU BOTH FOR JOINING US.

I KNOW IT'S BEEN KIND OF A CHAOTIC NIGHT.

I'LL START WITH SENATOR MURPHY, BECAUSE YOU JUST CAME FROM CAUCUS.

DO YOU HAVE ANY BREAKING NEWS TO REPORT?

>> YOU KNOW, WE WELCOMED SENATOR-ELECT DORAN CLARK TO OUR CAUCUS THIS EVENING.

HE WON HIS ELECTS LAST NIGHT IN SENATE DISTRICT 60 TO SUCCEED THE LATE ND BELOVED KARI DZIEDZIC.

HE WON BY 91% OF THE VOTE, BESTING KAMALA HARRIS IN THE LAST ELECTION BY DOUBLE DIGITS.

AND HE'S REALLY EXCITED TO GET TO WORK.

>> Mary: AND IT CHANGES YOUR JOB NOW, RIGHT, BECAUSE DEMOCRATS GO BACK TO BEING IN THE MAJORITY?

>> WELL, UNDER THE AGREEMENT RIGHT NOW THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE, FOR POWER SHARING, WHICH IS 50-50 IN COMMITTEES, AND UP AT THE ROSTRUM AND IN LEADERSHIP, REQUIRES 34 VOTES.

TO END THAT AGREEMENT.

AND, SO, UNTIL WE REACH THAT THRESHOLD OF 34 VOTES IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, IT WILL REMAIN A POWER-SHARING AGREEMENT.

SO WHENEVER THAT MIGHT HAPPEN, YET TO BE DETERMINED.

>> Mary: WHEN IS THAT GOING TO HAPPEN?

>> WELL, WE'RE WAITING FOR THE ELECTION CERTIFICATE TO BE DELIVERED, WHICH WE EXPECT SOMETIME NEXT WEEK.

BUT WE HAVE BEEN TALKING A LOT IN OUR CAUCUS ABOUT WHAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED IN THE LAST NUMBER OF WEEKS, AND, YOU KNOW, MARY LAHAMMER, YOU AND I TALKED ABOUT THIS AS WELL, ABOUT YOUR VIEWERS AND THEIR APPRECIATION FOR THE SENATE'S WILLINGNESS TO GET TOGETHER AND WORK TOGETHER.

AND THAT ISN'T NECESSARILY BOUND IN A POWER-SHARING AGREEMENT.

IT'S WHAT STARTED US THIS SESSION, AND I'M ALWAYS GRATEFUL TO LEADER JOHNSON FOR ENGAGING IN THIS DISCUSSION AND GETTING US STARTED.

THE SENATE IS REALLY, YOU KNOW, HAPPILY WORKING AND FUNCTIONING.

THAT'S BEEN REALLY IMPORTANT.

BUT THE WORK TOGETHER, OUR ABILITY TO WORK TOGETHER ISN'T TIED TO AN AGREEMENT.

AND I THINK OUR COLLEAGUES, MY COLLEAGUES ARE VERY INTERESTED IN CONTINUING TO WORK TOGETHER WITH THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE SENATE, THE REPUBLICAN MEMBERS OF THE SENATE, TO DO RIGHT BY THE PEOPLE.

>> Mary: SENATOR JOHNSON, I JUST HAVE BEEN SEEING A LOT OF SMILES OUT OF YOU OVER N THAT CHAMBER.

HOW FUN IS IT TO BE THE GOOD GUYS WHILE THE HOUSE IS MIRED IN THIS STANDOFF?

I MEAN, YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN GETTING ALONG, AND YOU'VE BEEN HAPPY ABOUT IT, RIGHT?

>> IT HAS BEEN GREAT.

MAYBE THIS POWER-SHARING AGREEMENT GAVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE ALMOST FORCED TO WORK TOGETHER IN A TIE LIKE THIS.

SO I HOPE THAT IT CONTINUES.

BECAUSE YOU SEE CHAIRS FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE WALKING DOWN THE HALL, DISCUSSING POLICY, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE DOING IN COMMITTEES, AND IT'S REALLY REFRESHING.

I'M AFRAID THAT ONCE THAT AGREEMENT IS OUT OF PLACE, THAT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO SEE THAT AS MUCH.

YOU'RE GOING TO SEE PARTISANSHIP SNEAK BACK INTO IT.

I'M GOING TO BE ENCOURAGING THOSE ON THE FLOOR TO CONTINUE IT AGREEMENT GOING FORWARD.

>> Mary: LOGISTICALLY WHAT HAPPENS, DO DEMOCRATS TAKE BACK ALL THE GAVELS, GO THROUGH A LITTLE BIT OF THE LOGISTICS?

>> WHEN WE VOTE TO RESCIND THE AGREEMENT, WE THEN REORGANIZE AGAIN.

SAME COMMITTEES.

THERE WERE SOME THINGS IN HE POWER-SHARING NEGOTIATIONS THAT WILL EXTEND BEYOND THE TERM OF THE TEMPORARY AGREEMENT.

NARROWER MARGINS IN THE COMMITTEES, BIPARTISAN DECISION MAKING AROUND RULES, SOME SHARED SPACE IN A DIFFERENT WAY.

SO, ALREADY, EVEN IF AND WHEN THE POWER-SHARING AGREEMENT IS RESCINDED, THE FRUIT OF IT WILL EXTEND BEYOND BECAUSE WE MADE AN AGREEMENT, ESPECIALLY AROUND COMMITTEE MARGINS THAT WE WOULD NARROW THOSE TO REFLECT THE MAKEUP OF THE LEGISLATURE.

>> Mary: THIS WEEK, THOUGH, THE TONE CHANGED A LITTLE BIT.

THIS WAS THE WEEK SENATOR MITCHELL WAS SCHEDULED TO O ON TRIAL, AND REPUBLICANS TRIED TO OUST HER.

SO DID THAT CREATE A LITTLE BIT OF A CHANGE IN THE DYNAMIC?

>> YEAH, MARY, I WOULDN'T SAY THAT WE TRIED TO OUST HER.

WHAT WE TRIED TO DO WAS TAKE THE CLOUD THAT'S BEEN HANGING OVER THE MINNESOTA SENATE FOR ALMOST EIGHT, TEN MONTHS NOW, AND JUST REMOVE THAT.

WE'VE HAD SUCH A GREAT WORKING RELATIONSHIP.

THE POWER-SHARING AGREEMENT REALLY GIVES INSURANCE TO REPUBLICANS, THE -- DEMOCRATS, THAT THE REPUBLICANS AREN'T GOING TO COME IN AND TEAR THIS PLACE APART, BUT THAT WE HAVE A CONTINUATION OF THE PROCESS IN ORDER.

WE TRIED TO BRING HAT TO THE MINNESOTA SENATE.

UNFORTUNATELY, YOU SAW SOME PARTISANSHIP GO BACK INTO SYSTEM THERE.

PARTY-LINE VOTE, ALL THE DEMOCRATS PROTECTING SENATOR MITCHELL.

WE'RE GOING TO BE AT THE ETHICS, WE'RE GOING TO BE CONTINUING THE ETHICS COMPLAINT AND GOING FORWARD WITH THAT.

IT WAS PRETTY DISAPPOINTING ON MONDAY, I THOUGHT WE COULD GET A BIPARTISAN VOTE ON THAT.

>> Mary: WAS THAT PARTED OF A CRACK IN THE MERRIMENT OVER THERE, GOING THROUGH IT?

>> IT IS TAXING, I WILL SAY.

AND WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE DEBATE, AND IT WAS A BRIEF DEBATE ON MONDAY, WE ARE DEBATING OVER FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF JUSTICE, OF DUE PROCESS, OF REPRESENTATION.

WE HAVE MADE THOSE ARGUMENTS OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

AND I FELT ON MONDAY LIKE WE WERE STANDING UP FOR THE INSTITUTION OF THE SENATE, ITS RULES, ITS CUSTOM AND USAGE, AND AT A TIME WHEN WE SEE THE NEW PRESIDENT VIOLATING HIS OATH, VIOLATING THE U.S. CONSTITUTION, VIOLATING THE LAW, IN EXECUTIVE ORDERS, IN FIRING INSPECTORS GENERAL, SOME OF THE ACTS, PARDONING THE J 6ers, THE THINGS THAT WE'RE SEEING THERE, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE SEEING HAPPENING IN THE MINNESOTA HOUSE, ALL FEEL LIKE THREATS TO THE BASIC FUNDAMENTAL OPERATION OF THIS INSTITUTION AND WE'RE STICKING UP FOR IT.

>> Mary: YOU PROBABLY SAW AT THE TOP OF THE SHOW, GOVERNOR WALZ, YOU KNOW, SAID, I LOST, HARRIS LOST, RUMP WON.

REPUBLICANS GAINED HERE IN THE HOUSE.

SO, WHAT IS THE MESSAGE THEN GOING FORWARD?

BIG WIN IN MINNEAPOLIS LAST NIGHT.

BUT WHAT'S THE MESSAGE?

>> WELL, LOOK AT THE NUMBERS HERE.

>> Mary: YEAH.

>> RIGHT NOW WE'RE TIED, 100 DEMOCRATS, 100 REPUBLICANS.

THEY'RE ASKING OUR LEGISLATORS TO GET TOGETHER AND WORK BIPARTISANLY.

AND, SO, YOU SEE THE DEMOCRATS DUCKING THAT RESPONSIBILITY HERE IN THE HOUSE.

WE FOUND A WAY FORWARD IN THE SENATE FOR THESE LAST THREE WEEKS.

AND I HOPE THAT CONTINUES.

8 IT'S BEEN A GOOD MODEL.

I THINK MINNESOTANS ARE FINDING THAT REFRESHING.

FOR THE FIRST TIME TO SEE THAT COOPERATION.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE BROUGHT AND WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO WORK IN THAT MANNER, AS LONG AS WE CAN.

>> Mary: WHAT ABOUT YOUR COLLEAGUES HERE IN THE HOUSE, NOT SHOWING UP, WHAT IMPACT IS IT HAVING, WHAT CAN YOU DO TO KIND OF PUSH IT ALONG AND MOVE THE LOG JAM?

>> SO I'M GOING TO KEEP MY FOCUS IN THE MINNESOTA SENATE.

WHERE I AM ELECTED.

TO SERVE THE PEOPLE IN THE DISTRICT I REPRESENT.

AND, REALLY, THE STATE OF MINNESOTA.

I'VE BEEN REALLY REALLY FOCUSED ON THE JOB THAT WE HAVE THIS YEAR.

WE HAVE TO ALANCE THE BUDGET.

JOB NUMBER ONE.

>> Mary: IT'S BIG WORK, BUT RIGHT NOW YOU CANNOT GET A BILL TO THE GOVERNOR'S DESK, IF YOU HAD AN EMERGENCY AND REALLY NEED TO GET SOMETHING DONE, RIGHT?

>> BUT HERE'S THE THING.

WE WATCHED YESTERDAY THE NEW PRESIDENT SIGN AN EXECUTIVE ORDER TO FREEZE FEDERAL FUNDING TO STATES.

IF THAT GOES INTO EFFECT AND -- >> Mary: THAT HE RESCINDED TODAY TO BE CLEAR.

>> AND HIS PRESS SECRETARY SAID, NO, NO REALLY, WE DIDN'T.

>> Mary: NOT REALLY.

>> IT IS A MEASURE OF INCOMPETENT AND -- INCOMPETENCE AND CHAOS.

>> WE JUST SAID WE'RE NOT GOING TO TALKING ABOUT THE HOUSE, BUT THEN YOU GO AND TALK ABOUT THE PRESIDENT.

>> I AM.

>> WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE FOCUSED ON THE SENATE AND THOSE ISSUES THERE.

>> THOSE FEDERAL CUTS COULD IMPACT OUR ABILITY TO FOCUS --