>> Mary: WELL, DEMOCRATS IN CONTROL OF ALL THE STATE GOVERNMENT AND JUST A ONE-VOTE MARGIN OVER IN THE SENATE, YOU'D THINK THERE WOULD BE A LOT OF BIPARTISANSHIP STILL IN THE AIR.

BUT MAYBE NOT SO MUCH.

ACCORDING TO OUR NEXT GUEST, WHO'S GOING TO WORK ON THIS.

SHANNON WATSON RECENTLY MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT YOU ARE GOING FULL TIME WITH MAJORITY IN THE MIDDLE.

>> YES.

>> Mary: TELL US WHAT IT MEANS, WHY YOU'VE MADE THIS DECISION.

>> SO, I WOULD SAY EVEN WITH THE DFL TRIFECTA, THERE IS A SPIRIT AND A NEED FOR BIPARTISANSHIP THAT I HAVEN'T FELT IN MANY YEARS.

AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT IS BECAUSE OF THE ENORMOUS FRESHMAN CLASS IN BOTH THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE, OR IF IT COMES FROM NEW LEADERSHIP OR WHAT.

BUT I THINK IT'S DEFINITELY THERE.

AND LEGISLATORS ARE HEARING FROM THEIR CONSTITUENTS ON THE DOOR THAT THEY WANT, YOU KNOW, THEY WANT THE LEGISLATURE TO GET THINGS DONE.

I THINK THEY ALSO WANT THE LEGISLATORS TO WORK TOGETHER TO GET THINGS DONE.

>> Mary: WE DEFINITELY BOTH KNOW REPUBLICANS, THOUGH, WHO ARE VERY FRUSTRATED, WHO FELT LIKE, YEAH, THEY HAD A GOOD START.

THEY GOT FEDERAL TAX CONFORMITY DONE, A FEW OTHER THINGS, BIPARTISAN.

>> YES, 100%.

>> Mary: AND NOW THAT THEY'RE GETTING INTO THE REALLY TOUGH STUFF, THEY'RE NOT GETTING ANY AMENDMENTS ON, THEY'RE FEELING LIKE THINGS ARE RUSHING THROUGH COMMITTEE.

SO I FEEL LIKE THE BIPARTISANSHIP IS MAYBE RETREATING A BIT.

IS THAT FAIR?

>> I THINK SO.

>> Mary: YEAH.

>> BUT THAT'S TO BE EXPECTED.

SO LIKE BRIAN SAID A MINUTE AGO, ELECTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES.

AND THE DFL HAS BEEN WAITING FOR A VERY LONG TIME, PARTICULARLY IN THE HOUSE, TO GET SOME OF THESE THINGS DONE.

SO THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF A BACKLOG AND A CHECKLIST THAT THEY ARE GOING THROUGH.

THE MEMBERS WHO HAVE BEEN DEBATING THESE BILLS, SO THE ABORTION BILL, THE DRIVER'S LICENSE FOR ALL BILL, SOME OF THESE OTHER ONES THAT HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THE HOUSE AND THEN HE SENATE JUST HAS TO CATCH UP, I THINK THOSE ARE MOVING A LITTLE FASTER AND THEY'RE A LITTLE LESS INTERESTED IN TAKING AMENDMENTS FROM THE FLOOR OR IN COMMITTEE THAT JUST AREN'T GOING TO BE PART OF THE PACKAGE.

>> Mary: IT'S IMPORTANT CONTEXT BECAUSE THE HOUSE HAS HEARD VIRTUALLY ALL THESE BILLS.

>> YES.

>> Mary: BEING IN DFL CONTROL BEFORE.

BUT AS YOU RECALL SAYING, THE SENATE, A LOT OF NEW MEMBERS, AND THEY HADN'T EVER HEARD SOME F THESE BILLS.

SO YOU ARE EXPECTING THE SENATE TO BE A LITTLE MORE SLOW AND DELIBERATE.

>> YEAH.

AND THAT'S JUST SORT OF THE CULTURE OF THE SENATE, TOO.

YOU KNOW, THEY WANT TO BE THE MORE DELIBERATIVE BODY, THEY WANT TO BE A LITTLE SLOWER, THEY VERY RARELY GO UNTIL 3:00 IN THE MORNING EXCEPT FOR THE ABORTION BILL.

AND I THINK THAT'S OKAY.

AND THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THOSE VOICES ARE HEARD, THAT ALL THE QUESTIONS ARE ANSWERED.

BECAUSE EVEN WITH A DFL TRIFECTA, NO ONE OF THESE MEMBERS WAS ELECTED WITH 100% OF THE VOTE.

EVEN THE ONES WHO RAN UNOPPOSED, I THINK THE TOP ONE WAS LIKE 97%.

>> Mary: YEAH.

>> SO THERE IS AN ATTEMPT FOR LEGISLATORS, THEY NEED TO HAVE THEIR GOVERNING MAJORITY, BUT THEY ALSO NEED TO REPRESENT ALL OF THEIR CONSTITUENTS, WHETHER THEY VOTED FOR THEM OR NOT.

>> Mary: SO WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT IT?

WHAT SPECIFIC CONVERSATIONS AND REMINDERS AND INSPIRATION CAN YOU GIVE THEM?

>> YOU KNOW, I THINK THE THING THAT WE ARE FOCUSING ON IS TRYING TO FIND WAYS TO SUPPORT THE LEGISLATORS WHO WANT TO WORK ACROSS THE AISLE, AND THEN ELEVATE THOSE STORIES.

BECAUSE THE FIGHT GETS ALL THE PRESS BECAUSE IT'S MORE INTERESTING AND A LOT OF TIMES THE BIPARTISANSHIP HAPPENS BEHIND THE SCENES.

SO, LIKE, REPRESENTATIVE JIM NASH, HE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH REPRESENTATIVE STEPHENSON AND THE SENATE ON THE LIQUOR BILL THAT WENT THROUGH WITH BIPARTISAN SUPPORT LAST YEAR.

BUT THOSE NEGOTIATIONS WERE PRIMARILY BEHIND THE SCENES.

WHAT YOU SEE ON THE FLOOR IS PERFORMATIVE.

AND, SO, THAT'S -- THAT DOESN'T GET AS MUCH ATTENTION.

WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS DRAW ATTENTION TO THAT FOR THE MEMBERS THAT MAKE SENSE AND THEN JUST SUPPORT THEIR EFFORTS THAT THEY WANT TO DO.

>> Mary: LET'S TALK ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND, KIND OF BACK REFERENCE, LAST WEEK, BECAUSE WE HAD CHARLIE WEAVER ON.

>> YES, YES.

>> Mary: HE WAS TALKING ABOUT A BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE, REALLY BRINGING MODERATION, NONPARTISANSHIP AND YOU COME FROM ALSO ADVOCATING FOR A BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE.

TALK ABOUT THAT.

>> RIGHT.

>> Mary: WHAT BUSINESS WANTS.

>> BUSINESS WANTS -- THEY WANT STABILITY, THEY WANT PREDICTABILITY, AND THEY'RE USED TO -- THEY'RE USED TO COLLABORATING WITH PEOPLE THAT THEY MIGHT NOT NECESSARILY DISAGREE WITH.

THIS IS THE ONLY WORKPLACE IN THE STATE WHERE IT WAS SORT OF ACCEPTABLE TO NOT WORK WITH HALF OF YOUR COLLEAGUES OR TO HAVE A HARDER TIME.

YOU DO THAT IN ANY BUSINESS IN THE STATE THAT ISN'T POLITICAL, AND, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE LOOK AT YOU FUNNY AND MAYBE YOU GET FIRED.

SO, I THINK THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN FROM THAT A LITTLE BIT AND THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I FOUND FASCINATING OVER THE YEARS.

I WORKED FOR THE St. PAUL AREA CHAMBER FOR A LONG TIME.

AND THE BUSINESSES, IT'S NOT THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO BE POLITICAL, BUT THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT THEY GET TO IS DELIBERATIVE AND THAT IT MAKES SENSE.

>> Mary: HOW WILL YOU BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE END?

>> GOODNESS, THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION.

I PLAY A LONG GAME.

AND I DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW THAT WE'LL HAVE BIG SORT OF VISUAL THINGS.

WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE ALL OF THE BIPARTISANSHIP THIS YEAR REFLECTED.

BUT I THINK IF ONE MORE MEMBER FEELS