♪ ♪ >> CATHY: HERE TO TALK MORE ABOUT BIPARTISAN BILLS AND BEHAVIOR AT THE LEGISLATURE THIS YEAR, SHANNON WATSON.

SHE HEADS UP THE NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION "MAJORITY IN THE MIDDLE," WHICH ENCOURAGES CIVIC POLITICAL CONVERSATION AND FINDING WAYS TO COMPROMISE.

WELCOME BACK, SHANNON.

WELCOME BACK, SHANNON.

>> THANK YOU.

HAPPY GETTING TO THE END OF SESSION TO YOU.

YES, WE'RE SO CLOSE.

>> NINE, SLASH, TEN DAYS LEFT.

>> Cathy: EXACTLY.

TEN BILLS SIGNED THIS WEEK AND THAT WOULD INDICATE SOME LEVEL OF BIPARTISANSHIP.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

EVERYTHING THAT GETS THROUGH THE HOUSE HAD TO BE BIPARTISAN.

AND I THINK ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE'RE SEEING MORE BILLS IS BECAUSE THEY'RE RUNNING THOSE SINGLE SUBJECT.

AND SO THOSE HAVE A MUCH BETTER SHOT AT BEING BIPARTISAN AND FINDING SOME AGREEMENT AND THEN JUST GETTING OVER THE FINISH LINE REALLY EASILY.

SO THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS THAT NUMBER IS UM AY HIGH THIS YEAR.

>> Cathy: FOR PEOPLE, THE SINGLE ISSUE BILLS ARE ACTUALLY -- IT'S KIND THE WAY IT USED TO BE IN A SENSE INSTEAD OF HAVING THESE HUMONGOUS OMNIBUS BILLS.

>> YES, AND THE CHRISTMAS TREE BILLS, THE OMNIBUS BILLS, THOSE HAVE IN THE PAST BEEN KIND OF THE WAY THAT WE'VE DONE LEGISLATING IN MINNESOTA BECAUSE THE MAJORITY PARTY PUTS A BUNCH OF THINGS IN THERE THAT THEY LIKE AND USUALLY SOME THINGS THAT THE MINORITY PARTY DOESN'T LIKE.

AND THEN PASSES THOSE ON PARTISAN LINES.

THE CHALLENGE BECOMES WHEN YOU GET THE GOOD STUFF IN THE BILL THAT PEOPLE WIND UP VOTING AGAINST.

THAT SHOULD, YOU KNOW, IT GIVES US THIS IDEA THAT THERE'S NO BIPARTISANSHIP.

SINGLE SUBJECT, LIKE, THAT SHOWS WHERE EVERYBODY AGREES.

>> Eric: YOU KNOW, SINCE YOU BRING THIS UP AND HAVE QUITE A BIT TO SAY ABOUT PARTISANSHIP AND NONPARTISANSHIP.

I KIND OF WATCH FOR THOSE SIGNALS AND I WONDERED WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT THE CONTROVERSY OVER THE NEW STATE FLAG?

IS THAT A SIGNAL OF DEEP DIVISION IN THE STATE?

>> YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S A SIGNAL THAT PEOPLE ARE FEELING T OF CONTROL, AND I THINK A LOT OF US ARE FEELING OUT OF CONTROL JUST SORT OF GENERAL, AND THEY WANT SOMETHING THEY CAN CONTROL, AND IF THEY WERE NOT PART OF THAT PROCESS AND THEY DIDN'T KNOW THAT THEY COULD SUBMIT IDEAS OR THEY WANTED TO HAVE A VOTE OR SOMETHING ON THAT, THEY'RE SAYING, NO, NO WAIT, IT'S SOMETHING REALLY EASY TO CONTROL.

SO I JUST -- I THINK IT'S SORT OF A BELL WEATHER FOR OTHER THINGS MORE THAN IT IS THE FLAG.

>> Cathy: OKAY, BUT IT DOESN'T REALLY SMACK OF PARTISANSHIP TO YOU AT ALL?

>> I DON'T THINK SO, BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF PLACES THAT ARE DOING THIS, THAT THOSE CITY COUNCILS ARE GENERALLY PRETTY NONPARTISAN.

AND OF COURSE THERE IS SOME PUSHBACK BECAUSE OF WHEN THAT FLAG PROCESS WENT THROUGH.

BUT I THINK -- AGAIN, I THINK IT'S PEOPLE FEELING UNHEARD AND FEELING MAYBE LIKE THEY'RE S BEING ERASED.

>> Eric: SAFER THE SESSION IS OVER, SINE DIE, RETIREMENT SPEECHES OCCUR AND INEVITABLY THE RETIRING LAWMAKER SAYS ONE OF THEIR GREATEST MOMENTS WAS WORKING ACROSS THE AISLE WITH THE OTHER PARTY TO ACCOMPLISH SOME COMMON GOOD.

BUT THAT DOESN'T SEEM TO CARRY OVER INTO THE REGULAR SESSION AND ALL THE HOURS AND DAYS BEFORE THAT.

>> SOMETIMES I WISH WE DID RETIREMENT SPEECHES, LIKE, ON THE FIRST DAY.

WOULDN'T THAT BE AWESOME?

ALTHOUGH, ACTUALLY COME TO THINK OF IT, WATCHING THE LEGISLATORS WHO HAVE DECIDED THAT THEY ARE RETIRING, WATCHING -- THEIR LANGUAGE SORT OF SHIFTS, AND I THINK THEIR BEHAVIOR SHIFTS.

SO, LIKE, THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE IN THE HOUSE.

BOTH OF THOSE CO-CHAIRS ARE RETIRING AT THE END OF THE YEAR AND I THINK THAT IVES THEM A LITTLE EXTRA MOTIVATION TO GET SOMETHING ACROSS THE FINISH LINE AND WORK TOGETHER.

>> Cathy: SO WHAT DO YOU MAKE, BY THE WAY, I THOUGHT IT WAS QUITE INTERESTING, I WAS TALKING TO REPRESENTATIVE ANDERSON ABOUT THE OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL BILL THAT RAN INTO TROUBLE AT THE BEGINNING OF SESSION.

AND THERE WAS SOME FIREWORKS OVER THAT AND THEN REPRESENTATIVE ANDERSON AND A BIPARTISAN GROUP OF LAWMAKERS WENT OFF A WORKING GROUP AND HAMMERED THAT THING OUT.

WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU ABOUT WHAT HOPE DOES THAT PORTEND?

>> THAT TELLS ME THAT LEGISLATING IN FRONT OF A CAMERA IS REALLY DIFFICULT.

THAT WORKING GROUP ACTUALLY -- THEY HAD BEEN MEETING FOR ALMOST TWO YEARS NOW.

THAT STARTED AT THE START OF SESSION LAST YEAR.

AND IT WAS EVERY TUESDAY NIGHT.

THOSE FOUR LAWMAKERS, SOMETIMES OTHERS, SOMETIMES STAFF, LIKE, THEY WERE WORKING TOGETHER AND CRAFTING THAT BILL ALL ALONG.

>> Eric: AND THE VOTE WAS 127 TO 5 IN FAVOR.

>> YES, YES.

ISN'T THAT GREAT?

BECAUSE IT'S A SINGLE SUBJECT AND EVERYBODY LIKES IT.

YES.

THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU GET TOGETHER AND YOU FIND SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE CAN BOTH AGREE ON BUT THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING ON IT, THE BEST THING THAT THAT YEAR AND A HALF OR TWO YEARS DID WAS ALLOWED THEM TO BUILD TRUST.

BECAUSE THAT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT'S MISSING.

>> Cathy: HOWEVER, PUSHING BACK, THE LACK OF TRANSPARENCY - >> OH, ABSOLUTELY.

>> Cathy: IS HORRIBLE.

>> THE TRANSPARENCY IS WORKING GROUPS IS TERRIBLE, 100%, AND YOU COME OUT WITH BETTER POLICY AT THE END SO I'M SO TORN ON THAT.

>> HORTMAN-HOFFMAN INFLUENCE.

>> AH, HUGE.

I HAVE REALLY ENJOYED WATCHING SENATOR HOFFMAN THIS YEAR.

BECAUSE HE TALKED ON THE FIRST DAY BACK ABOUT HOW THIS HAS BEEN REALLY CLARITY GIVING FOR HIM.

HE HAS BEEN MORE PASSIONATE ABOUT THE THINGS THAT HE'S ALWAYS BEEN PASSIONATE ABOUT, AND I THINK HE'S BEEN MORE PASSIONATE ALSO ABOUT CONNECTING WITH HIS FELLOW LEGISLATORS.

HE'S ALWAYS BEEN A FIRST NAME GUY KIND OF PERSON AND THAT COMES OUT IN COMMITTEE TOO.

HE REFERS TO PEOPLE NOT AS SENATOR SO AND SO BUT, YOU KNOW, BILL OR WHATEVER.

>> Eric: WE APPRECIATE YOUR WATCHDOGGEDNESS.

>> Cathy: LAST F