>> Eric: WE'VE GOT O RUN BUT YOU'VE GRACED OUR STAGE TONIGHT.

THANK YOU.

>> Cathy: ABSOLUTELY.

THANK YOU.

>> ERIC: EVER SINCE A GUNMAN TARGETED STATE LAWMAKERS EARLIER THIS SUMMER, WE'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR WAYS TO HIGHLIGHT LEGISLATORS WHO ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO LESSEN THE HEAT IN POLITICS.

REPORTER MARY LAHAMMER HAS ANOTHER BIPARTISAN DUO WHO ARE ATTEMPTING TO BRING MORE CIVILITY TO THEIR SHARED DISTRICT WITH THE HELP OF A NEW INITIATIVE FROM MAJORITY IN MIDDLE.

>> Mary: THIS REPRESENTATIVE AND SENATOR ARE FROM THE SAME DISTRICT BUT DIFFERENT PARTIES AND ARE STANDING TOGETHER TO SIGN THE CIVIC PLEDGE.

>> GOOD DAY FOR BLAINE.

>> YES.

>> I THINK IT'S GOOD TO HAVE MEMBERS OF THE OPPOSITE PARTY, OPPOSITE CHAMBER COME TOGETHER, MAKE A PLEDGE LIKE WE DID TODAY.

MAKE A STAND, BE LEADERS AGAINST POLITICAL VIOLENCE AND TONING DOWN OUR RHETORIC.

>> THIS IS A REFLECTION OF OUR DISTRICT.

I'VE ALWAYS FOUND THAT FOLKS IN 0 -- THAT FOLKS IN OUR DISTRICT, HEY'RE NOT THE ONES WHO ARE GOING ON X OR WHATEVER SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM TO READ, YOU KNOW, THE LATEST ATTACKS ON, YOU KNOW, ONE POLITICIAN OR ANOTHER.

THEY'RE FOLKS WHO, YOU KNOW, THEY SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, I'M FOCUSED ON GETTING MY KID O SOCCER PRACTICE, HOCKEY PRACTICE.

YOU GUYS GO TO THE CAPITOL, WORK IN BIPARTISAN FASHION, GET THINGS DONE, THAT'S WHAT WE EXPECT YOU TO DO, NOT BE THROWING FLAMES BACK AND FORTH.

>> I KNOW THAT THERE IS STILL SOME FEAR OF PUBLIC EVENTS, SO THE FACT THAT YOU ALL WERE WILLING TO COME OUT AND SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR THIS IS SUPER MEANINGFUL.

>> Mary: MAJORITIES IN THE MIDDLE'S EFFORT IS BORNE OUT OF HEARTBREAK.

AFTER THE POLITICAL ASSASSINATION OF SPEAKER EMERITA MELISSA HORTMAN AND ATTEMPTED MURDER OF SENATOR JOHN HOFFMAN WHO RECENTLY ADDRESSED THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF STATE LEGISLATURES.

>> I WANT TO SPEAK CANDIDLY ABOUT SOMETHING WE ALL FEEL.

THE CREEPING EROSION OF PUBLIC TRUST.

NOT JUST IN INSTITUTIONS BUT IN EACH OTHER.

IN THIS CLIMATE, WE MUST RECOMMIT OURSELVES TO GOVERNANCE OVER GRIEVANCE.

TO SERVICE OVER SELF.

AND TO ACTION OVER ANGER.

>> Mary: HOFFMAN HAS A LOT OF FRIENDS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE.

>> SENATOR HOFFMAN IS VERY UNIQUE, HE'S ONE OF A KIND, HE'S VERY GREGARIOUS HE'S VERY PERSONAL WITH THE MEMBERS OF OUR CAUCUS, THE REPUBLICAN CAUCUS.

I NEVER WOULD HAVE IMAGINED THIS FOR ANYBODY, BUT CERTAINLY HE WOULD BE THE LAST ONE.

>> Mary: REPRESENTATIVE, YOU SERVED WITH MELISSA HORTMAN, HOW ARE YOU DOLING, YOU GOT TO KNOW HER.

HOW ARE YOU DOING, WHERE ARE YOU?

>> IT'S TOUGH.

I'VE SAID SINCE JUNE 14th THAT THERE'S MULTIPLE LAYERS TO THIS.

YOU KNOW, IMMEDIATELY, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE ASSASSINATION AND IT IS SHOOTINGS FIRST HAPPENED -- AND THE SHOOTINGS FIRST HAPPENED, AND STILL TO SOME EXTENT TODAY THERE'S THIS LAYER OF PERSONAL SAFETY AND TRYING TO JUST FIGURE OUT HOW DO YOU MAKE SURE THAT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY ARE SAFE, YOUR HOUSE IS SAFE.

THEN THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THE PERSONAL GRIEF AND THE TRAUMA OF LOSING A CLOSE FRIEND, A DEAR COLLEAGUE.

YOU'RE SPENDING HOURS AND HOURS DOING REALLY TOUGH WORK TOGETHER.

YOU DEVELOP THIS BOND THAT YOU R THAN THE TYPICAL WORKING RELATIONSHIP.

>> Mary: SECRETARY OF STATE STEVE SIMON KNEW HORTMAN A LONG TIME.

THEY WENT TO AW SCHOOL TOGETHER AND LATER SERVED IN THE LEGISLATURE TOGETHER.

>> SHE COULD BE A REAL FIERCE ADVOCATE, SHE COULD BE A FIGHTER, SHE COULD HAVE A SALTY TONGUE, BUT SHE ALSO KNEW THAT YOU COULD DISAGREE WITHOUT BEING DISAGREEABLE.

>> Mary: THE STATED GOAL IS TO CHOOSE COMMUNITY OVER CONFLICT, DIALOGUE OVER DIVISION, COURAGE OVER COWARDICE.

>> WHAT'S IT LIKE TO BE NEW TO THIS ENVIRONMENT WHERE SOMETHING HORRIFIC JUST HAPPENED?

>> WELL, I DON'T THINK YOU CAN REALLY PREPARE FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

AND I THINK EVERY MEMBER IS DEALING WITH IT IN THEIR OWN WAY.

AND I THINK WE HAVE TO ALLOW SPACE FOR THAT.

SOME PEOPLE ARE BACK TO NORMAL.

SOME PEOPLE ARE NOT.

>> WE JUST SAW EACH OTHER HERE, ALTHOUGH I WASN'T SURPRISED, BECAUSE I THINK THIS S TYPICAL OF THE WAY BOTH OF US GO ABOUT OUR WORK.

WE TRY TO WORK TOGETHER IN A BIPARTISAN FASHION.

HE'S A GOOD GUY.

WE MAY NOT ALWAYS AGREE ON EVERYTHING.

BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, HE'S A GOOD GUY.

>> Mary: IN THIS ERA F POLITICS, ELECTED OFFICIALS HAVE ECOME RELUCTANT TO SIGN PLEDGES OF ANY KIND.

SO IT WASN'T EXACTLY EASY TO GET LAWMAKERS TO AGREE TO THE CIVILITY PLEDGE.

>> WHO WOULD NOT SIGN THIS TYPE OF PLEDGE BOUT PEACEFUL, ABOUT NOT ENGAGING IN VIOLENCE?

THIS CHARACTER ASSASSINATION HAS GOT TO STOP.

>> Mary: THESE ARE THE FIRST LEADERS TO SIGN THE PLEDGE.

THE AIM IS TO MODEL A NEW STANDARD OF CIVIC BEHAVIOR IN MINNESOTA WHERE CAPITOL SECURITY HAS NOW REORGANIZED AND RAMPED UP, LIMITING ENTRANCES OLLOWING A BREAK-IN ON THE SENATE FLOOR AND THE FIRST MURDER OF A FEMALE POLITICIAN IN OUR COUNTRY.

>> I COME FROM A LITIGATION BACKGROUND, AND, SO, I HAVE BEEN IN CONFLICT MY ENTIRE PROFESSIONAL LIFE.

>> Mary: SHARE THAT, TOO, RIGHT?

>> WE ARE, WE'RE BOTH LAWYERS SO THAT MIGHT BE PART OF WHY WE CAN KIND OF BRIDGE THAT GAP.

>> I LEARNED EARLY ON THAT IN MY PROFESSION THAT IF YOU START POUNDING THE TABLE, TREATING PEOPLE POORLY, IMPUNING THEIR CHARACTER, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET VERY FAR.

>> Mary: THE CITIZENS LEAGUE HAS ALSO BEEN HIGHLIGHTING MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE CIVILITY CAUCUS, WHO SPEND THE DAY TOGETHER, VISITING COMMUNITY LEADERS, TOURING LOCAL BUSINESSES ND BUILDING CAMARADERIE.

>> I THINK WHEN WE'RE ALL BACK TOGETHER AT THE CAPITOL AGAIN, IN FEBRUARY, AND SHE'S NOT THERE, I THINK THAT'S WHEN IT'S REALLY GOING TO PROBABLY HIT THE HARDEST.

>> EVEN IF YOU IDENTIFY WITH ONE PARTY OR THE OTHER, HE VAST MAJORITY OF THOSE PEOPLE STILL WANT US TO WORK TOGETHER AND GET ALONG.

I TRY TO HIGHLIGHT THE WORK THAT I'VE BEEN DOING, YOU KNOW, THE BIPARTISAN WORK, BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT.

THEY DON'T HEAR ABOUT THAT ON THE NEWS.

THEY JUST HEAR ABOUT THE DIVISION.

AND, SO, THERE IS SOME GOOD BIPARTISAN WORK GOING ON, WE JUST NEED TO GET THAT WORD OU