->> Mary: COMING UP, A CONVERSATION WITH SHANNON WATSON, WHO'S WORKING ON BIPARTISANSHIP, SOMETHING WE JUST TALKED ABOUT.

BUT, FIRST, A LOOK AT WHAT ELSE HAS BEEN HAPPENING UP HERE AT THE CAPITOL.

>> THERE BEING 69 AYES AND 59 NAYS, THE BILL IS PASSED AND ITS TITLE IS AGREED TO.

>> Mary: THE HOUSE CONTINUED THE STEADY PACE OF PASSING BILLS, THE LATEST ADDRESS A CHILD CARE CRISIS.

>> CHILD CARE AND EARLY LEARNING IS A SECTOR THAT WAS IN CRISIS EVEN BEFORE THE PANDEMIC.

OF COURSE, THEN THE PANDEMIC MADE THINGS EVEN WORSE.

>> Mary: STABLIZING CHILD CARE SHORT TERM AND LONG TERM WAS WELCOMED BY PROVIDERS.

>> AS EDUCATORS, OUR NUMBER ONE JOB EACH DAY IS O SHOW EVERY CHILD THAT THEY ARE SAFE, LOVED, AND VALUED.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE SHOWING MINNESOTA CHILDREN, FAMILIES AND PROVIDERS THAT THEY ARE VALUED.

>> IT'S NO ACCIDENT THAT THIS IS HOUSE FILE 13, THIS IS A TOP PRIORITY FOR OUR CAUCUS, TO BE ABLE TO HELP FUND CHILD CARE.

WE KNOW THAT IN MINNESOTA, CHILD CARE IS INCREDIBLY EXPENSIVE.

WE HAVE SOME OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE CHILD CARE IN THE COUNTRY.

>> IT IS SO FUN TO HAVE THE TRIFECTA BECAUSE IT GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THINGS THAT WILL REALLY MEANFULLY CHANGE PEOPLE'S LIVES OVER AND OVER AND OVER GAIN.

>> Mary: BUT REPUBLICANS SAY THE BILL IS RIPE FOR MORE FRAUD.

>> $100 MILLION!

40%, 4-0, 40% OF THE MONEY INTENDED TO TAKE CARE OF OUR KIDS WENT OUT THE DOOR IN FRAUD.

AND, YET, INSTEAD OF FIXING THE PROBLEMS, AGAIN, AS IS OUR HABIT HERE IN THE LEGISLATURE, INSTEAD OF FIXING THE PROBLEMS, WE JUST PUT ORE MONEY IN.

>> WHY DOES FRAUD AND ABUSE MATTER?

WHY SHOULD WE CARE ABOUT $100 MILLION HERE, $250 MILLION THERE?

BECAUSE AS UNBELIEVABLE AS THESE FIGURES SOUND, THE TRUE SCOPE OF FRAUD IS EXPONENTIALLY WORSE.

>> WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO BE HERE TODAY WITH A CAPITAL INVESTMENT BILL.

>> Mary: THE LEGISLATURE'S BONDING BILLS FOR BILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF STATE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS WERE UNVEILED.

>> FOR SOME REASON THERE'S THIS HUGE RUSH TO GET THIS BILL OUT THERE AND GET IT PASSED.

>> CAPITAL ROJECTS ARE AN EXCELLENT USE OF ONE-TIME FUNDING, SO THAT'S WHY WE ALSO HAVE THE GENERAL FUND BILL TO LOOK AT SOME OF THE LOCAL PROJECTS AND TO ALSO MAKE INVESTMENTS INTO NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT SERVE COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE STATE THAT MAY NOT TRADITIONALLY RECEIVE STATE G.O.

BOND DOLLARS.

>> Mary: REPUBLICAN VOTES WILL BE NEEDED TO BUILD A SUPERMAJORITY ON THIS BILL.

>> I'M VERY RESPECTFUL FOR WHERE WE ARE NOW.

THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE.

IT'S KIND OF STRANGE FTER ALL THE HEARINGS WE'VE EARD AND LOOKING AT THESE, I'M, LIKE, I REMEMBER THESE, YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF LIKE.