>> Eric: THEY GOT ALONG SHARING A GAVEL WHEN THE SENATE WAS TIED, NOW SENATOR JULIA COLEMAN AND SENATOR STEVE CWODZINSKI SHARE HOW THEY'RE FOREVER CHANGED BY THE SHOOTINGS OF THEIR COLLEAGUES BY SETTING A BIPARTISAN EXAMPLE AT THE CAPITOL OF CIVILITY.

>> LAWMAKERS ARE BACK AT THE CAPITOL, WORKING OFF-SESSION AND ASSESSING HOW THEIR JOBS HAVE CHANGED SINCE THE SHOOTINGS OF THEIR COLLEAGUES.

>> YOU WERE ON THE HIT LIST, SENATOR.

>> YEAH.

I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO SAY OTHER THAN WHAT I JUST DID.

I'M SPEECHLESS.

I JUST, WHEN PEOPLE TELL YOU YOU WERE ON THIS LIST, IT'S, THERE'S NO WORDS.

>> THINGS ARE STARTING TO GO BACK TO NORMAL, BUT NORMAL WILL NOT EVER BE DEFINED THE SAME WAY.

>> YOU ARE A HIGH-PROFILE MOM.

HOW DID THIS HIT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY?

>> MY FIVE-YEAR-OLD ASKED ME TO GET OUT OF OFFICE BECAUSE HE DOESN'T WANT POLICE OFFICERS OUTSIDE THE HOUSE EVER AGAIN.

AND SO THAT WAS REALLY TEMPTING BECAUSE AS I'M SURE YOU KNOW A PARENT WHEN YOUR CHILD SAYS SOMETHING LIKE THAT YOU WANT TO, OKAY, I'M DONE, I'M RESIGNING IMMEDIATELY, WHATEVER YOU NEED.

BUT THEN I THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT KIND OF MESSAGE AM I SENDING?

I WAS RAISED Y A DEPUTY SHERIFF.

I REMEMBER WATCHING MY DAD PUT ON A BULLET PROOF VEST EVERY SINGLE DAY JUST TO GO DO HIS JOB OF KEEPING THE PUBLIC SAFE.

>> YOUR FATHER IS STILL IN THIS JURISDICTION, RAMSEY COUNTY.

HOW DOES THAT AFFECT HOW YOU LOOK AT ALL OF THIS?

>> MORE GRATEFUL THAN EVER TO HAVE THAT RELATIONSHIP THAT WE HAVE WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT AND TO, YOU KNOW, 6:00 IN THE MORNING WHEN THEY'RE SHOWING UP TO YOUR HOUSE YOU ACTUALLY KNOW THE PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING BECAUSE YOU HAVE THAT RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM.

UNFORTUNATELY BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN OUTSIDE YOUR HOUSE EFORE FOR OTHER ACCIDENTS RELATED TO POLITICAL THREATS.

>> I'VE BEEN HARD-PRESSED TO THINK OF AN EXAMPLE WHERE THE SPOUSE OR SIGNIFICANT OTHER WAS ALSO TARGETED, SO FOR OUR FAMILIES, YOU KNOW, IT JUST REALLY IT'S A DIFFERENT NORMAL.

>> WHAT DID YOUR WIFE THINK?

WHAT WAS HER RESPONSE?

>> UM, LET'S GET OUT OF TOWN.

>> MY OWN SENSE OF CIVIC DUTY WAS INSTILLED IN ME BY MY IMMIGRANT GRANDPARENTS.

>> WHEN I WAS STILL TEACHING I'D GIVE EXAMPLES OF MUD-SLINGING AND NAME-CALLING AND NEGATIVE CAMPAIGNING AND THE KIDS WOULD GET SO TURNED OFF BY IT AND THEY JUST WOULD HATE IT AND IF WE COULD BE MORE CIVIL TO EACH OTHER.

>> STATE CAPITOL SECURITY ADDED STAFF AND VEHICLES A MONTH AFTER THE POLITICAL ASSASSINATION.

SOURCES SAY THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR INTENDS TO CALL A SECURITY MEETING IN AUGUST AND MORE.

>> THE CAPITOL ADVISORY COMMISSION HAS NOT MET AND THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO MEET.

WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN ON CAPITOL SECURITY?

>> YEAH, I HOPE THAT THEY DO MEET.

I DON'T KNOW THE BACKGROUND WHY, THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO MEET I THINK FOUR TIMES A YEAR AND THEY HAVEN'T MET SINCE APRIL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, ONLY TIME THEY'VE MET THIS YEAR.

SO I HOPE THEY MAYBE START MEETING A LITTLE BIT MORE OFTEN BECAUSE WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE PLAN IS.

BUT FOR ME, YOU KNOW, I JUST LOVE THIS BUILDING BEHIND US AND THE OPENNESS OF IT.

>> WITHOUT GETTING INTO SPECIFICS, THERE'S AREAS THAT I HAVE FELT UNCOMFORTABLE AS A LAWMAKER, PARTICULARLY AS A YOUNG WOMAN THAT WALKS AROUND ALONE SOMETIMES AT 2, 3, 4:00 IN THE MORNING.

SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME IMPROVEMENTS, WHILE TO SENATOR CWODZINSKI'S POINT, MAINTAINING ACCESSIBILITY.

>> HAVE YOU CHANGED DRAMATICALLY HOW YOU APPROACH?

>> I MAKE A BETTER MARTINI THAN I DID PRIOR TO JUNE 13TH.

[ LAUGHTER ] >> THAT'S A PERFECT ANSWER.

>> YOU TWO ARE NOT DOING PUBLIC EVENTS, YOU TWO TOGETHER.

[ LAUGHTER ] >> GO AHEAD.

>> YEAH, I WAS AT THE JULY 4TH PARADE.

>> ARE YOU DOING PUBLIC EVENTS STILL?

>> I DID, WE HAD A JULY 4TH EVENT IN EDEN PRAIRIE THAT WAS VERY WELL ATTENDED.

>> WHEN THE SENATE WAS TIED THIS SESSION THIS PAIR SHARED A GAVEL CHAIRING AN EDUCATION COMMITTEE AND THEY WERE UNABASHED ABOUT WORKING TOGETHER ACROSS THE AISLE.

>> SENATOR COLEMAN AND I, I THINK WE'VE WORKED WELL TOGETHER AND JUST TODAY WE COAUTHORED A BILL ON, COMPREHENSIVE MINNESOTA.

>> GETTING THE ACP.

>> MCA.

>> ASSESSMENT.

>> YOU'RE FINISHING EACH OTHER'S SENTENCES.

[ LAUGHTER ] >> WE AGREED WE WERE GOING TO BE HORRIBLE TV FOR OU BECAUSE WE ACTUALLY GET ALONG REALLY WELL.

>> YEAH, WE DO.

>> NOT FOR THE SAKE OF BIPARTISANSHIP BUT BECAUSE WE SHARE A BORDER AND WE'D HATE TO SEE A WALL GO UP BETWEEN EDEN PRAIRIE AND CHAN HASSAN.

>> SENATOR COLEMAN, YOU'VE BEEN TALKED ABOUT A LOT FOR HIGHER OFFICE FOR GOVERNOR, FOR U.S. SENATE.

SOUNDS LIKE FOR NOW YOU'RE A NO, IS THAT PART OF IT?

>> PARTIALLY, THERE'S A PART OF YOU THAT JUST CAN'T GO AND PANDER TO A CERTAIN FACTION IN ORDER TO GET ON HE BALLOT.

I HAD FELT THAT BREWING INSIDE ME FOR QUITE SOME TIME.

AND THEN THAT JUNE 14TH ABSOLUTELY SOLIDIFIED ON THAT FOR ME AND ALSO SOLIDIFIED FOR ME THAT I NEED TO BE RIGHT HERE WITH MY KIDS.

>> I KNOW I'M SPEND ING LOT MORE TIME IN NATURE THIS SUMMER TO HAVE THIS KIND OF FEELING THAN MAYBE 'VE ONE IN THE PAST.

JUST, YOU KNOW, IN WILDERNESS, YOU CAN FIND PEACE SO TO SPEAK.

>> AND IT'S KIND OF A LIFE'S SHORT THING SO I'M FINALLY GETTING MY MOTOR CYCLE LICENSE THIS SUMMER SO THAT'S EXCITING.

>> IS IT MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER TO STAND UP TOGETHER IN A BIPARTISAN FASHION?

>> I THINK O.

AND WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT WANTING TO DO SOME SORT OF BACK TO SCHOOL BIPARTISAN TOWN HALL TO KIND OF GET OUR IDEAS IN ORDER FOR NEXT YEAR.

>> YOU HAD TO SHARE A GAVEL FOR A WHILE.

>> YEAH.

>> THAT WAS REALLY FUN.

>> IT WORKED OUT GREAT.

IT REALLY AS AND I THINK THERE'S A MUTUAL RESPECT BETWEEN US AND WE HAVE FUN TOGETHER.

>> BUT SHOULD YOU BE STANDING UP AS THE EXAMPLE NOW MORE THAN EVER?

>> I NEVER THOUGHT OF THAT 'TIL WHAT SHE JUST SAID, BUT, YES, I'D BE HONORED TO HAVE THAT ...

HONOR, BESTOWED UPON US.

AS THE WAY THINGS COULD BE.

>> THE FIRST TIME WE WERE EVER ULALL ON A BUS GOING SOMEWHERE TOGETHER WAS TO MELISSA HORTMAN'S FUNERAL SPEECH THOUGH IT WAS A HORRIFIC EVENT AND REASON TO BE THERE, WE WERE ALL TALKING ABOUT EACH OTHER'S FAMILIES AND JOKING AROUND ON THE BUS AND I THOUGHT THIS SHOULD NOT BE THE FIRST TIME OR THE LAST TIME THAT WE FIND A WAY TO GET TOGETHER THAT DOESN'T INVOLVE SOMETHING CONTENTIOUS LIKE DEBATE.