♪♪ >> CATHY: WHEN MINORITY LEADER HORTMAN AT THE TIME CALLED OUT SOME MALE HOUSE MEMBERS FOR THEIR TREATMENT OF FEMALE LAWMAKERS OF COLOR, ONE OF THE PEOPLE SHE WAS SPEAKING ABOUT WAS THEN STATE REPRESENTATIVE PEGGY FLANAGAN.

MARY LAHAMMER CAUGHT UP WITH LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR FLANAGAN THIS WEEK.

>> Mary: YOU WERE ON THIS LIST AND HOW YOU'RE HANDLING THE FACT YOU ERE ON THIS GUNMAN'S HIT LIST.

>> I THINK ALL OF US ARE -- IT'S JUST ALL SO UNBELIEVABLE AND I THINK THE THING THAT I'VE HEARD FROM MOST FOLKS IS JUST, IT DOESN'T SEEM REAL.

AND, YOU KNOW, I -- WE'RE ALL MOURNING OUR AMAZING FRIEND.

MELISSA.

AND MARK.

AND I WAS SO GRATEFUL TO BE ABLE TO GATHER ON THE FRONT STEPS WITH EVERYBODY ON THE CAPITOL.

THAT WAS REALLY POWERFUL TO BE ABLE TO JUST HUG EACH OTHER.

I DON'T KNOW THAT I HAVE TOLD PEOPLE, I LOVE THEM, MORE THAN IN THE LAST SEVERAL DAYS.

AND SO IT'S INCREDIBLY FRIGHTENING, BUT WHAT WOULD JUST COMPOUND THIS TRAGEDY WOULD BE IF GOOD PEOPLE SHRUNK AWAY.

FROM LEADERSHIP.

DECIDED NOT TO RUN FOR OFFICE.

OR NOT TO GET INVOLVED IN THEIR COMMUNITY OR THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.

AND SO I THINK ONE OF THE BEST WAYS WE CAN HONOR MELISSA IS TO KEEP MOVING FORWARD.

>> Mary: LET'S TALK ABOUT YOUR TIME TOGETHER IN THE HOUSE.

THERE'S SOME PRETTY PRECIOUS TAPE OF THE TWO OF YOU EARLY ON WHEN SHE BECAME A BREAKOUT STAR WITH THE SORRY, NOT SORRY MOMENT.

WHO'S LITERALLY GOT HER BACK AT THAT MOMENT?

>> MYSELF, ALONG WITH THEN STATE REPRESENTATIVE ILHAN OMAR.

THAT MOMENT WAS SO POWERFUL, I THINK, FOR A LOT OF WOMEN OF COLOR AND INDIGENOUS WOMEN.

SHE STEPPED UP FOR US.

I THINK SHE TOOK A POLITICAL RISK TO TELL THE TRUTH.

AND JUST DIDN'T EVEN FLINCH.

SHE KNEW IT WAS THE RIGHT THING.

AND WHEN ASKED TO APOLOGIZE BY ONE OF OUR COLLEAGUES ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AISLE JUST SAID, NO, I WON'T.

>> Mary: EVEN RESIGN.

SHE WAS ASKED TO RESIGN.

REMEMBER THAT?

YEAH.

>> YEAH.

UM -- >> Mary: WHAT DID YOU LEARN ABOUT HER THROUGH THAT AND HER ADVOCACY FOR YOU AND THE PEOPLE OF COLOR AND INDIGENOUS CAUCUS WHICH YOU HELPED FOUND?

>> YEAH, I LEARNED THAT THAT'S WHAT LEADERSHIP LOOKS LIKE.

AND I TRULY BELIEVE THAT THAT WAS ONE OF THE MOMENTS WHERE SHE JUST, LIKE, LEVELED UP.

WHERE WE WERE LIKE, THERE IS OUR LEADER.

SHE HAS OUR BACK.

WE HAVE HER BACK.

AND THAT WAS MELISSA.

AND SHE TAUGHT ME A LOT JUST IN, YOU KNOW, I FIRST MET HER IN 2003.

WHEN I WAS VOLUNTEERING ON THE KARI EDWARDS CAMPAIGN AND SHE WAS JUST THIS REALLY SUPER COOL CANDIDATE, AND SHE WAS TOUGH, AND I ADMIRED HER AND TO SORT OF SEE OVER, OU KNOW, 20 YEARS AND THEN TO BE ABLE TO BE LED BY HER, AND KNOW THAT SHE STOOD UP FOR ME AND SO MANY OTHERS, THAT WAS A MODEL OF LEADERSHIP IN THAT MOMENT, AND I THINK IT REALLY CHANGED A LOT OF THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HAD IN THE HOUSE, AND IN THE SENATE GOING FORWARD.

WE NOW HAVE A LEGISLATURE THAT IS EVEN MORE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COMMUNITIES IT SEEKS TO REPRESENT.

AND IT'S GOOD FOR OUR DEMOCRACY.

MELISSA REALLY CREATED SPACE FOR THAT TO HAPPEN.

FOR THAT TO OPEN UP AND THRIVE.

>> Mary: ANOTHER ONE OF HER BREAKOUT ISSUES EARLY ON WAS GUN CONTROL.

WHEN SHE TOOK OVER POWER, BECAME SPEAKER, SHE SAID WE'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT.

HOW DO WE FEEL WITH THAT ISSUE, ESPECIALLY NOW?

>> EVERYONE DESERVES TO BE SAFE, RIGHT, IN IN ERICH HOME, IN THEIR SCHOOL, IN THEIR PLACE OF WORK, IN COMMUNITY.

AND THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT SHE FELT REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT.

WE HAVE TO JUST BE VERY CLEAR THAT GUN VIOLENCE IS UNACCEPTABLE.

AND THE ABSOLUTE TRAUMA THAT WE'VE ALL EXPERIENCED, WE HAVE TO DETERMINE HOW TO MOVE FORWARD TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE, MEMBERS, STAFF, THE PUBLIC, WHO GATHER IN OUR HOME, IN MINNESOTA'S HOME, IN THE CAPITOL, FEEL SAFE.

AND WE'RE GOING TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO, TO WORK TOGETHER.

REGARDLESS OF HOW -- >> Mary: THAT'S SOMETHING YOU HAVE SAY ON, AS -- YEAH.

YOU ACTUALLY DO HAVE SOME POWER.

DO YOU EXPECT METAL DETECTORS, RAMPED UP SECURITY?

WHAT ARE YOU THINKING FOR CHANGES?

>> WELL, I KNOW THAT MY JOB IS TO RELY ON THE TECHNICAL EXPERTISE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT.

AND SO WE ARE GOING TO GET READY TO HAVE SOME PRETTY IMPORTANT AND INTENTIONAL DISCUSSIONS.

AND I AM GRATEFUL FOR THE BIPARTISAN STATEMENT THAT CAME OUT FROM THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND CAPITOL AREA SECURITY, LEGISLATORS WHO SERVE, WHO SAID THAT THEY ARE READY TO DO THE GOOD WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE FEELS SAFE.

THAT IS PART OF WHAT I AM TASKED TO DO.

I TAKE THAT INCREDIBLY