>> ERIC: IT WAS A HISTORIC LEGISLATIVE SESSION IN SO MANY WAYS.

ONE ASPECT THAT HASN'’T BEEN COVERED AS MUCH IS THAT THE PERSON WHO RAN THE MAJORITY OF HOUSE FLOOR SESSIONS WASN'’T THE SPEAKER.

MARY LAHAMMER INTRODUCES US TO THE HOUSE DFL'S LINEUP CHANGE THAT SET A NEW PACE FOR PASSING BILLS.

>> IT'S AMAZING TO BE HERE.

>> Mary: THE STATE CAPITOL IS WHERE REPRESENTATIVE DAN WOLGAMOTT ALWAYS WANTED TO BE AND TENACITY GOT HIM HERE WHERE HE EXUDES EAGER, EARNEST ENERGY.

>> IT WAS NOVEMBER OF 2018, AND IT TOOK ME HREE TIMES TO RUN TO WIN, AND ESPECIALLY AFTER THE SECOND TIME THAT I LOST, I THOUGHT I WOULD NEVER GET TO DO THIS.

>> Mary: HE ALSO NEVER THOUGHT HE'D PLAY SUCH AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN HISTORIC LEGISLATIVE SESSION BY SERVING AS SPEAKER PRO TEM, OR TEMPORARY SPEAKER, RUNNING A MAJORITY OF THE FLOOR SESSIONS AT THE END OF SESSION.

>> Mary: NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE GET TO HANG OUT UP HERE.

>> NO, IT'S JUST REMARKABLE.

YOU KNOW, TO BE IN FRONT OF THIS WHOLE SPACE, THIS BEAUTIFUL SPACE, WITH 133 MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES REPRESENTING 5.7 MILLION MINNESOTANS' VOICES UP HERE, I MEAN, IT JUST GIVES YOU GOOSE BUMPS WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT.

[ TAPPING GAVEL ] THE HOUSE WILL TOM COULD ORDER.

>> Mary: THAT FEEL GOOD?

>> I COULD DO THAT IN THE SLEEP.

>> Mary: FOR THE RECORD, THE MUTE BUTTON HAS BEEN REMOVED.

IT MIGHT HAVE EEN TEMPTING, THOUGH?

[ Laughter ] >> THAT'S RIGHT.

WE'VE GOT TO LET THE PEOPLE'S VOICES FLOW THROUGH.

>> Mary: HIS VOICE IS HARD TO MISS, ESPECIALLY WITH THE UNHEARD AMOUNT OF TIME THAT HE SPENT PRESIDING THIS YEAR.

HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU THINK YOU WERE IN THE CHAIR THIS SESSION?

>> I WAS TALKING IT OVER WITH THE CHIEF CLERK AND WE THINK 90 TO 95% OF THE TIME UP THERE.

>> Mary: AND YOU'RE NOT THE SPEAKER.

>> ESPECIALLY AS THE SESSION WENT ON.

>> Mary: YEAH.

BUT THAT'S WHY THERE WAS A SPEAKER PRO TEM, BECAUSE THE SPEAKER'S IN CHARGE OF MANY DIFFERENT THINGS, YOU KNOW, MEMBER MANAGEMENT, NEGOTIATING BILLS, TRACKING EVERYTHING.

AND, SO, IT WAS REALLY AN HONOR THAT SHE TRUSTED ME TO PRESIDE UP THERE IN HER ABSENCE O THAT SHE COULD DO THE WORK OF THE JOB.

>> Mary: WOLGAMOTT FIRST CAME TO MINNESOTA TO PLAY FOOTBALL AT ST. JOHN'S UNIVERSITY AS AN OFFENSIVE LINEMAN FROM NEBRASKA.

>> WELL, I WAS ABOUT 275 BY MY SENIOR YEAR.

I WAS PRETTY BIG.

>> Mary: OKAY, OKAY.

>> LUCKILY, I'VE TRIMMED DOWN A LOT.

I PLAYED FOOTBALL AT ST. JOHN'S UNIVERSITY, OR LEGENDARY FOOTBALL COACH.

AND I'M JUST STARTING MY 11th SEASON COACHING THE FRESHMAN FOOTBALL TEAM AT SAUK RAPIDS HIGH SCHOOL.

THE BIG THING THAT HELPS BEING SPEAKER PRO TEM IS NOT WHAT HAPPENS DURING SESSION BUT WHAT HAPPENS OUTSIDE OF SESSION.

I TAKE THE SAME APPROACH I TOOK IN COLLEGE AND IN COACHING TO WATCHING FILM, RIGHT?

YOU'VE GOT THE GAME FILM, YOU'VE GOT THE PRACTICE FILM, THE SOONEST YOU'RE DONE, YOU GET ON YOUR COUCH, PULL IT UP, GRAB SOME FOOD, BREAK IT ALL DOWN, AND YOU LEARN TENDENCIES.

>> Mary: SO YOU'RE BREAKING DOWN SESSION LIKE YOU BRACH DOWN A FOOTBALL GAME?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

ABSOLUTELY.

>> Mary: THAT'S SURREAL.

>> CRITIQUING MY OWN PERFORMANCES.

>> MR. SPEAKER, POINT OF PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY.

>> MR. SPEAKER.

MR. SPEAKER!

>> MR. SPEAKER!

MR. SPEAKER!

>> I MEAN, IT'S THE JOB.

>> Mary: YOU HAVE KIND OF A NICE GUY IMAGE.

>> THAT'S WHY THE FOOTBALL STUFF IS SO KEY BECAUSE I REMEMBER EVEN GROWING UP, LIKE I KNEW I WANTED TO PLAY FOOTBALL, MY GRANDPA LEGIT WAS LIKE, YOU ARE TOO NICE TO PLAY FOOTBALL.

YOU COULD NEVER HIT ANYBODY.

I CAN GET THAT, I WILL KNOCK YOUR BLOCK OFF, LOOK AND TONE ON YOUR FACE, KIND OF LIKE BEING COACH, RIGHT?

SOMETIMES YOU'VE GOT TO BE TOUGH, STERN, FIRM.

AND SOMETIMES YOU'VE GOT TO LIGHTEN THINGS UP A ITTLE BIT.

BUT YOU'RE CONSTANTLY READING THE ROOM, LOOKING, OKAY, WHO'S TALKING TO WHO, WHAT'S THE VIBE, HOW CAN WE COOL THINGS DOWN HERE, YOU PICK THAT UP FROM WATCHING FILM.

JUST LIKE IN FOOTBALL, YOU DON'T ALWAYS GET IT RIGHT.

BUT YOU GO BACK, YOU LEARN.

>> Mary: AND THE REPRESENTATIVE FROM St.

CLOUD ALSO LEARNED FROM ANOTHER NOTABLE FOOTBALL COACH.

>> WHEN I WAS A SOPHOMORE IN COLLEGE, LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO GET CONNECTED WITH AN INTERNSHIP IN THE OFFICE OF CONGRESSMAN TIM WALZ, AND THAT WAS A LIFE-CHANGING XPERIENCE FOR ME BECAUSE I ALWAYS THOUGHT OF POLITICIANS AS THESE, YOU KNOW, REALLY FANCY, HOITY TOITY, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THAT YOU CAN NEVER REALLY ACCESS.

AND TIM WAS JUST A COMPLETE OPPOSITE.

>> Mary: GOVERNOR WALZ ENCOURAGED WOLGIE, AS HE'S KNOWN, TO DIVE INTO POLITICS.

>> Mary: SAME LIFE STORY, ISN'T IT?

>> YES, YES.

>> Mary: SO DID YOU FALL FOR A MINNESOTAN, TOO?

>> I MET MY WIFE, NICOLE, IN COLLEGE.

WE'VE GOT TWO BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTERS.

>> Mary: DEMOCRATS ARE NOT DOING WELL UTSIDE HE METRO, ASIDE FROM POPULATION CENTERS.

HE SAYS IT'S SIMPLY PUTTING IN THE WORK.

>> I'VE BEEN OUT DOOR KNOCKING EVERY YEAR SINCE 2014 IN MY DISTRICT.

AND BUILDING THAT TRUST OF THE PEOPLE I REPRESENT.

THAT'S HOW YOU FLIP SEATS, THAT'S HOW YOU HOLD SEATS.

AND I ACTUALLY SERVE AS OUR CANDIDATE RECRUITMENT CHAIR FOR HE HOUSE DFL IN THE 2022 CYCLE, AND I REALLY LOVED GOING OUT INTO OTHER AREAS OF THE STATE, TRYING TO RECRUIT THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST OF PEOPLE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.

>> Mary: IT ALSO HELPED BUILD A DFL TRIFECTA THAT TACKLED GENERATIONAL CHANGE, LED BY SPEAKER MELISSA HORTMAN.

>> I'LL GIVE HER THE CREDIT, RIGHT?

I MEAN, SHE'S THE ONE THAT GOT IT DID -- GOT IT DONE, DID ALL THE WORK.

I'M REALLY PROUD THAT I WAS ABLE TO SUPPORT HER IN DOING HER JOB AND BEING ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE SPEAKERS THAT WE'VE SEEN IN OUR STATE'S HISTORY.

>> Mary: AND HE'S NOT CONCERNED VOTERS WILL SEE IT ALL AS OVERREACH.

>> I CAMPAIGNED ON IT IN 2022.

I WAS RE-ELECTED.

SO, IT'S KIND OF ANTICLIMACTIC, IT'S LIKE, OKAY, THIS IS THE THIRD TIME WE'VE VOTED TO LEGALIZE CANNABIS, PAID FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE, EARNED SICK AND SAFE TIME, HISTORIC FUNDING FOR SCHOOLS, INVESTMENTS IN ROADS AND BRIDGES, E'VE BEEN VOTING FOR THESE THINGS, PASSING THESE THINGS, CAMPAIGNING ON THESE THINGS OR MUL