>> Mary: THEY'VE BEEN WAITING IN THE WINGS AND THEY LISTENED TO THE GOVERNOR.

>> YES.

>> Mary: SO WE WILL TALK ABOUT THIS.

WE HAVE POLITICAL REPORTERS, CAROLINE CUMMINGS FROM WCCO AND DANA FERGUSON FROM MPR.

YOU GUYS WERE JUST FEET AWAY DURING THE GOVERNOR'S FIRST-EVER LIVE APPEARANCE HERE.

WHAT DID WE LEARN?

>> THAT HE HAS NOT MADE UP HIS MIND ABOUT RUNNING FOR A THIRD TERM.

I THINK HE HAS, HE'S JUST WAITING UNTIL THE DUST SETTLES OVER HERE.

>> YUP.

>> Mary: IT SOUNDS LIKE HE WANTS SPECIAL SESSION TO BE DONE.

BECAUSE ORIGINALLY DIDN'T HE SAY, RIGHT AFTER SESSION -- >> YES.

>> Mary: AND WE'RE HERE AFTER SESSION.

>> THERE WAS A LOT OF TALK, TOO, ABOUT LET'S GET THIS THING DONE BEFORE MEMORIAL DAY.

HEARING A LOT OF FOLKS DOING SOME PRIVATE TALKING TODAY T DOESN'T SOUND LIKE THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.

>> HUM-UM.

>> BUT THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET ALL THESE THINGS PIECED TOGETHER BEFORE FRIDAY, BEFORE MEMORIAL DAY, CERTAINLY, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE COME BACK NEXT WEEK FOR POTENTIALLY A ONE-DAY SPECIAL SESSION, KNOCK ON WOOD, I THINK A LOT OF US WOULD LIKE TO TAKE SOME TRIPS AND DO SOME OTHER THINGS.

>> AND HE DID SAY THAT, RIGHT WHEN YOU SAID, WE'RE HERE ON TUESDAY, AND HE SAID, IN A LONG WAY, THAT'S PROBABLY RIGHT.

>> Mary: SOUNDS GOOD.

SO WHAT'S FINISHED UP TONIGHT, WE HEARD A COUPLE MORE BILLS WRAPPED UP, WHAT DO WE KNOW?

>> COMMERCE I THINK IS INKED.

SENATOR KLEIN POSTED ON INSTAGRAM A SIGNED AGREEMENT.

>> Mary: THAT'S HOW WE FOUND OUT, NOW, RIGHT?

>> I HAVE TO SAY, MPR FOUND THAT OUT BEFORE ME.

CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE.

>> Mary: WE LOVE TO SPREAD THE CREDIT OUT.

WHAT'S GOING TO BE THE LAST COUPLE BILLS OUT?

>> EDUCATION.

>> HHS.

>> HUMAN SERVICES, AREAS WHERE IT'S THE MOST MONEY THEY HAVE IN THE BUDGET, THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT CUTS, THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT POTENTIALLY ROLLING BACK CHANGES THAT WERE MADE IN 2023, 2024, FOR REPUBLICANS, THAT'S IMPORTANT, THEY WANT TO SEE CHANGES.

FOR DEMOCRATS, THAT'S SOME OF THE BIGGEST IMPACT THAT THEY HAD OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, AND THEY DON'T WANT TO CHANGE ANYTHING.

SO HOW DO YOU FIND COMPROMISE ACROSS THOSE BOUNDARIES?

>> Mary: DO YOU THINK THE TWO OUTSTANDING ISSUES ARE NOT REALLY OUTSTANDING ANYMORE?

IS PAID FAMILY LEAVE SETTLED?

AND IS THE HEALTHCARE FOR UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS SETTLED?

>> WELL, IT'S A LITTLE CONFUSING, BECAUSE THE NEWS CONFERENCE WHERE THEY ROLLED OUT WHAT THE BUDGET DEAL WAS, THEY KIND OF BURIED THE LEAD A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT ARE SOME OF THOSE POLICY DISAGREEMENTS THAT WE'VE HEARD MUCH OF THE SESSION, RIGHT, IN THIS VERY UNIQUE EVENLY SPLIT OR AS CLOSELY DIVIDED AS EVER LEGISLATURE, RIGHT?

THEY SAID THAT THE MINNESOTA CARE ISSUE -- MINNESOTACARE ISSUE, THEY MADE CLEAR THAT THEY AGREED TO THE PARTIAL ROLLBACK.

SO REMOVING UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANT ADULTS FROM MINNESOTACARE BY THE END OF THE YEAR, BUT KEEPING HILDREN ON THE PROGRAM.

BUT WHAT WAS LESS CLEAR IS, ARE PAID AND FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE CHANGES ON THE TABLE?

>> Mary: WE STILL DON'T KNOW FOR SURE?

>> THEY SEEMED TO SUGGEST NO, LEADERS DID.

OTHER THAN ROLLING -- OR REDUCING THE PREMIUM THAT EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES WILL PAY.

>> Mary: DELAY.

REPUBLICANS WANTED TO DELAY.

>> THE DELAY IS OFF THE TABLE.

[ OVERLAPPING CONVERSATION ] >> HE DELAY IS OFF THE TABLE.

BUT WE HEARD FROM A COUPLE OF LEGISLATORS AND FROM AT LEAST REPUBLICAN LEGISLATIVE LEADERS SAYING, IT'S NOT IN THE DEAL, WE HONOR THE DEAL, BUT IF THERE ARE MAJORITIES IN EACH CHAMBER THAT WANT THIS CHANGE, LIKE WE'RE NOT GOING TO STOP THEM FROM RYING TO PURSUE IT IN A SPECIAL SESSION, IN THE LAST MINUTES OF SESSION, WHAT HAVE YOU.

>> YEAH.

>> SO IT'S NOT DEAD, NOTHING IS UNTIL NEXT YEAR, AT THE END OF LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

BUT AN UNANSWERED QUESTION GOING INTO SPECIAL.

>> Mary: LET'S TALK PROCESS BECAUSE WE'RE ON PUBLIC TV AND WE CAN DO THAT.

>> MY FAVORITE!

>> Mary: THANK YOU.

A LOT OF EHIND CLOSED DOORS.

IT'S NOT NEW, BUT IS IT WORSE?

>> YEAH.

I MEAN, IT FEELS LIKE AT LEAST THAT ONE-SHEET AGREEMENT, THAT THE LEADERS AND THE GOVERNOR SIGNED TO SET THE PARAMETERS OF LIKE WHAT THE NEXT FEW DAYS WILL LOOK LIKE, YOU KNOW, THEY MADE CLEAR, THEY SAID, YOU NO, HAVE THESE -- YOU KNOW, HAVE THESE CONFERENCE COMMITTEES TURNED WORKGROUPS BE AS PUBLIC AS OSSIBLE.

SO FAR, DANA, THE LAST TWO DAYS IT'S BEEN THE TAX COMMITTEE THAT'S HAD -- >> WE'VE SEEN ONE THAT'S BEEN OPEN.

>> Mary: IT'S BEEN FUN, HONESTLY.

I WAS ENJOYING IT.

>> THEY'RE HAVING A GREAT TIME.

>> Mary: THERE'S SOME FUN, SMART LAWMAKERS IN THAT CAULK -- CONFERENCE COMMITTEE.

>> BUT WE HAVE COLLEAGUES IN THE "STAR TRIBUNE" WHO WERE IN ONE OF THE WORKING GROUPS THIS MORNING AND WERE ASKED TO LEAVE.

BECAUSE MEMBERS SAID, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT READY TO GO PUBLIC YET, AND I THINK THAT'S PART OF SPECIFICALLY THIS LEGISLATURE THAT THAT'S NOT NEW HERE, BUT I'VE NOT SEEN OTHER STATES WHERE I'VE WORKED WHERE IT WORKS THIS WAY.

IT'S VERY WEIRD.

>> RIGHT.

AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, THE PROCESS, YES, BUT ALSO THE FACT THAT THERE ARE THESE REALLY LARGE BUDGET BILLS THAT THINGS ARE URIED IN THEM THAT MIGHT TAKE WEEKS -- >> Mary: THEY'RE NOT OMNIBUS, THEY'RE JUST KIND OF ONE SUBJECT RIGHT NOW.

>> BUT THEY'RE OMNIBUS FOR A PARTICULAR -- >> Mary: RIGHT, YEAH.

>> YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT K-12 EDUCATION, HHS, WHICH MAKE UP THE MAJORITY OF THE BUDGET, THESE ARE LARGE BILLS, A LOT OF STUFF IN IT, IT'S REALLY HARD TO TRACK DOWN, WHAT MAKES IT, WHAT DOESN'T.

SO IF I'M A PERSON WHO'S NOT A CREATURE OF THE CAPITOL, LIKE US THREE, HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO FIGURE OUT IF THE ISSUE I CARE ABOUT IS IN A BILL?

>> TO THAT POINT, WE HAVE A.I.

SOFTWARE THAT'S MEANT TO HELP TRACK A BILL THROUGH THE COURSE OF SESSION.

IT CAN'T FIGURE OUT, ONLY HUMAN PEOPLE CAN, IF A BILL GETS INTO AN OMNIBUS AND THEN MAKES IT INTO A FINAL CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REPORT, LIKE, YAY, HUMANS ARE STILL VALUABLE.

WE HAVE JOBS FOR A LITTLE BIT.

>> Mary: FOR NOW.

WE DO STILL HAVE JOBS.

APPRECIATE YOU SO MUCH, POLITICAL REPORTERS, SO MANY