>> Mary: ANN REST KNOWS THIS TERRITORY WELL.

FOR 14 YEARS, SHE'S BEEN THE STATE REPRESENTATIVE FOR SUBURBAN DISTRICT 46A.

>> HI.

>> HI.

>> I'M ANN EST, STATE LEGISLATOR.

AND I'M JUST VISITING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

>> Mary: REPRESENTATIVE REST ACKNOWLEDGES SHE DID SUPPORT THE STADIUM QUESTION, BUT THEN CHANGED HER MIND WHEN THE PUBLIC OVERWHELMINGLY SAID NO TO TAX DOLLARS FOR A STADIUM.

>> I DIDN'T SUPPORT ANY BILL COMING FORWARD IN THE 1998 SESSION.

MY NAME IS NOT ON ANY LEGISLATION.

AND NO BILL WAS GIVEN A HEARING IN THE COMMITTEE THAT I CHAIR WHERE THAT BILL WOULD HAVE COME.

>> Mary: REST CHAIRS THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND METROPOLITAN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, AND HAS HELD POWERFUL POSTS IN THE LEGISLATURE.

NOW SHE FINDS HERSELF RUNNING TO SAVE HER SEAT AND HELP RETAIN DEMOCRATIC CONTROL OF THE HOUSE.

WE'RE STILL WAITING FOR THE SENATE TAX BILL, BUT CHAIR ANN REST IS TOUGH.

AND NEGOTIATIONS, EVEN WITH A FELLOW DEMOCRAT, WON'T BE EASY.

>> WHEN YOU SAY MEDICAL LICENSE, FEE OF A MILLION DOLLARS, WHEN THOSE TWO CAME UP, WASN'T THAT A TAX?

>> THE DEFINITION OF A FEE AND A TAX IS VERY DIFFERENT.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE AND IN OUR JURISDICTION IS THE SALES TAX.

THERE'S NO PHOTOGRAPHY IT.

NOT IN THIS COMMITTEE.

'IS THAT CLEAR?

IS THERE AN AMENDMENT TO HOUSE FILE 28?

I WILL REMIND THE MEMBERS TO ADDRESS YOUR COMMENTS TO THE PRESIDENT AND NOT DIRECTLY TO OTHER MEMBERS.

IS THERE AN AMENDMENT TO HOUSE FILE 28?

>> I WOULD ASK THAT YOU VOTE NO ON THE A-7 AMENDMENT.

>> I WILL REMIND MEMBERS, EVEN THOSE WHO USUALLY STAND IN THIS PLACE, HAT YOU NEED TO DIRECT YOUR REMARKS TO THE PRESIDENT AND NOT TO THE MEMBERS.

HOUSE FILE 28 IS LAID ON THE TABLE.

SENATOR DZIEDZIC.

>> THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.

MADAM PRESIDENT.

>> ONCE AGAIN, I'M GOING TO ASK PEOPLE TO STAY AT HEIR DESK.

AND REFRAIN FROM CONVERSATION.

SENATOR DZIEDZIC.

>> THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT.

AND I MOVE TO RECESS UNTIL THE CALL OF THE PRESIDENT.

>> SENATOR DZIEDZIC HAS MOVED THAT WE RECESS TO THE CALL OF THE PRESIDENT.

>> WE ASKED ABOUT -- >> MADAM PRESIDENT.

>> -- JURY DUTY.

GO AHEAD, SENATOR LATZ.

OR SENATOR DIBBLE, SORRY.

>> SENATOR PRATT.

>> MADAM PRESIDENT -- >> SENATOR PRATT.

SENATOR DIBBLE.

WHERE ARE YOU STANDING, SENATOR PRATT?

>> AT MY DESK.

>> YOU'RE NOT STANDING UP HERE, ARE YOU?

>> NO, MADAM PRESIDENT.

>> SO YOU CAN'T CALL ON SENATOR DIBBLE.

SENATOR DIBBLE.

>> Mary: YOU JUST SAW HER IN ACTION, ALL THE WAY BACK TO HER TIME IN THE HOUSE.

SENATE TAX CHAIR, PRESIDING OVER THE SENATE, THE LEGENDARY, TOUGH, SMART, AND FAIR, RIGHT, YOU CALL 'EM OUT ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE, SENATOR ANN REST, RETIRING AFTER MORE THAN 40 YEARS IN THE LEGISLATURE.

WOW!

BODIES SIDES.

BOTH SIDES, THIS IS FAIR, EVERYBODY WHO KNOWS YOU SAY, YOU DON'T PICK FAVORITES, DO YOU?

>> NO.

>> Mary: WHY IS THAT?

WHERE DOES THAT COME FROM?

>> WELL, IT COMES FROM RESPECT FOR THE INSTITUTION RATHER THAN PLAYING FAVORITES WITH INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS.

AND THAT IS A CORE VALUE OF MINE IN TERMS OF PUBLIC SERVICE THAT IS VIEWED BY THE PUBLIC INSIDE THOSE -- THE CHAMBERS THAT WE SERVE IN, WHETHER IT'S A SENATE CHAMBER OR HERE IN THE HOUSE.

>> Mary: SOMEBODY RECENTLY SAID YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE WHO HEARS BILLS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE.

ANYMORE.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

THOSE BILLS ARE COMING ON BEHALF OF A CONSTITUENCY, AND WE HAVE TO REMOVE THE R OR THE D AFTER A BILL AND IF IT'S WORTHY TO BE HEARD, THEN ON BEHALF OF A CONSTITUENCY, THEN IT SHOULDN'T MATTER.

AND WE HAVE VERY VIGOROUS CONVERSATIONS IN THE SENATE TAX COMMITTEE, AND THEY'RE ALWAYS RESPECTFUL.

SOMETIMES THEY ARE VERY FUNNY, BY THE WAY.

>> Mary: YES.

WE WERE LAUGHING, FOR THE RECORD, THROUGH ALL OF THAT, RIGHT?

YOU DO, WHEN YOU WIELD A GAVEL, IT IS WITH A TWINKLE IN YOUR EYE, IS IT NOT?

>> YOU MENTIONED REPRESENTATIVE TORKELSON TALKING ABOUT NO SHENANIGANS.

>> Mary: YES.

>> WELL, I CALL PEOPLE ON THAT AS WELL.

>> Mary: YES.

>> AND WHAT WE END UP DOING IS GETTING A LAUGH OUT OF IT.

>> Mary: YES.

>> AND I THINK THAT EFOCUSES OUR DISCUSSIONS, NO MATTER HOW SERIOUS THE TOPIC.

>> Mary: DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU WENT VIRAL WITH HOW YOU WERE PRESIDING OVER THE CHAMBER?

WERE YOU AWARE WHEN THAT HAPPENED?

>> YES.

>> Mary: AS THEY SAY.

>> YES.

>> Mary: AND WHAT DID YOU THINK ABOUT THAT?

>> MY JOB WAS TO KEEP DECORUM AND TO MAKE SURE THAT, BECAUSE I WAS STANDING UP THERE, THAT NO ONE WAS GOING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE TRADITIONS OF THE SENATE BECAUSE I WOULD REMIND THEM OTHERWISE.

>> Mary: HOW ABOUT HOW NONPARTISAN YOU ARE WHEN YOU'RE PRESIDING OVER THE CHAMBER, BECAUSE IT'S BECOME AN ASSUMPTION, WHETHER IT'S THE HOUSE, WHETHER IT'S THE SENATE, WHETHER IT'S DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS, THAT WHOEVER'S PRESIDING IS GOING TO RULE IN FAVOR OF THEIR OWN PARTY.

>> I THINK THAT THERE IS -- THERE'S A MATTER OF TRUST THAT COMES FROM -- BECAUSE YOU'RE IN THAT POSITION, WHERE, FOR ME, AS A PRESIDENT PRO TEM, AS OPPOSED TO SENATOR CHAMPION, THAT WE HAVE BEEN ENTRUSTED BY OUR CAUCUSES TO UNDERSTAND THE PERSPECTIVE THAT WE BRING, OUR CAUCUS BRINGS, AND NOT O LET IT BE ABUSED BY OTHERS.

AND SOMETIMES THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE YOU'RE PLAYING FAVORITES, BUT IT REALLY -- IT'S REALLY TRYING TO KEEP THE PLAYING FIELD LEVEL.

>> Mary: WHY NOW?

YOU ARE ONE OF THE SMARTEST, MOST RESPECTED PEOPLE IN THIS ENTIRE BUILDING.

WHY LEAVE NOW?

>> I PLAN TO LEAVE AFTER THE LAST ELECTION -- I PLANNED TO LEAVE AFTER THE LAST ELECTION, WHAT I DID NOT WANT TO DO IS LEAVE IN THE MINORITY.

SO I RAN IN 2022, AND IN DISCUSSIONS WITH MY FAMILY, ESPECIALLY MY DAUGHTER, THAT WAS GOING TO BE MY LAST TERM IF I PREVAILED, AND I DID.

>> Mary: WAS HAVING YOUR LIFE THREATENED THIS PAST YEAR, DID THAT HAVE AN IMPACT ON IT?

>> NO, IT DID NOT.

AND I DON'T LIKE TO TALK ABOUT IT.

>> Mary: OKAY, THAT'S JUST FINE.

WHAT ABOUT WHAT THAT DID FOR THESE TWO CHAMBERS, THE BIPARTISANSHIP, THE COMING TOGETHER, THE SUPPORT, WHILE IT WAS A VERY HARD DAY, IN SOME WAYS IT WAS A GOOD DAY.

>> YES, BECAUSE, TO ME, WHAT IT SIGNALED IS WE ARE GOING TO RETURN TO NORMALCY, E ARE GOING TO GET BACK TO OUR JOBS, AND AFTER THE RECEPTION, I WENT BACK TO MY OFFICE AND I WORKED THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON.

>> Mary: OF COURSE OF YOU DID.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE.

>> WELL, YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME.

>> Mary: THE STATE IS GRATEFUL.

>>