AMERICA.

>> HONOR TO BE HERE TONIGHT.

LOVE YOUR JACKET BY THE WAY.

>> Eric: OH, THANKS, APPRECIATE IT.

>> GOD BLESS YOU GUYS.

>> Eric: THE GOVERNOR HELD A BIPARTISAN BILL SIGNING THIS WEEK THAT FEATURED AUTHORS WHO MARY LAHAMMER ISCOVERED DEVELOPED A DEEPER CONNECTION DURING LAST SUMMER'S ATTACK ON ONE OF THOSE LAWMAKERS.

>> NOW WE CAN TOAST.

THERE IT IS.

>> IT'S NOT EVERY DAY BUBBLY IS STANDING BY FOR A BILL SIGNING.

>> HERE, HERE!

[ APPLAUSE ] >> BUT THE GRANNY HAPPY HOUR BILL IS NO RDINARY LEGISLATION.

>> I'M EXCITED.

NOW THAT I CAN ENJOY A GLASS OF PINOT GRIGIO WITH FRIENDS DURING EVENTS AND MAKE THESE MOMENTS EVEN MORE SPECIAL.

>> WHILE IT WAS A FAVORITE FEEL-GOOD BILL OF SESSION, ALONG WITH AN AGATE LICENSE PLATE CONTEST AND MEAT RAFFLE REFORMS.

>> ROLL OUT SOMETHING THEY'RE VERY PROUD OF.

>> THE GOVERNOR TAKES THIS SERIOUSLY.

>> I DO THINK IT'S SERIOUS ABOUT PERSONAL FREEDOMS.

>> TWO LAWMAKERS BEHIND THE BIPARTISAN BILL ALSO SEE THE POWER IN STANDING TOGETHER ON AN ISSUE THAT ORIGINATED IN THEIR DIVIDED DISTRICT.

>> IT'S A DIFFICULT DISTRICT TO REPRESENT BECAUSE OF THE STRONG FEELINGS THAT PEOPLE HAVE TODAY WITH THE PARTIES, THAT THEY ASSOCIATE WITH.

AND SO THAT PART'S HARD.

>> DID THEY LIKE THAT THE TWO OF YOU GET ALONG OR DISLIKE?

>> THEY LIKE IT BUT AGAIN THE POLARIZATION THAT'S HAPPENING WHEN DANNY TALKS ABOUT THE FURTHER WEST YOU GO, FURTHER EAST, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THAT DIFFERENT.

YOU GET SOME PUSHBACK BUT AGAIN YOU GOT TO DO THE RIGHT THING.

>> WAS THIS BILL THE RIGHT THING?

WAS THIS AN EASY THING?

>> IT WAS A GREAT THING!

SOME BILLS ARE EASY, SOME ARE HARDER.

>> A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T FIGURE THAT TRICK OUT.

THAT'S THE TRICK ON GETTING STUFF ONE, RIGHT, DANNY?

[ LAUGHTER ] >> HERE'S ANOTHER TRICK.

>> THESE TWO ARE FULL OF TRICKS TO GETTING THINGS DONE TOGETHER, EVEN IN DIVISIVE TIMES.

>> YOU HAVE TO FIND PEOPLE THAT ARE WILLING TO TRY TO SOLVE THEM WITH YOU.

IF YOU'VE BURNED EVERY BRIDGE THERE'S NO PEOPLE ANYMORE, YOU KNOW, SO BE HARD ON ISSUES, BE SOFT ON PEOPLE.

[ APPLAUSE ] >> TURNS OUT WHILE THE DEMOCRATIC SENATOR WAS RECOVERING FROM THE ASSASSIN'S BULLETS LAST SUMMER, THE REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE WAS PICKING UP THE WORK BEHIND THE SCENES.

>> DANNY DID ALL THE TOWN HALLS, HE BROUGHT IN LOTS OF PEOPLE AND HAD CONVERSATIONS.

HE WROTE THE WHOLE BILL.

>> AND YOU COULDN'T, I MEAN, YOU WERE PRETTY HONEST ABOUT THAT.

>> YEAH, I WAS -- >> HE WAS IN THE HOSPITAL.

>> I WAS IN THE HOSPITAL AND I JUST KEPT, DANNY WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, I'M LIKE YOU GOT THIS, I GOT THIS, SO I BRING THE BILL TO MY COMMITTEE, RIGHT AND I'M JUST ALL I WAS TALKING ABOUT WAS THIS IS THE WORK THAT DANNY NADEAU DID, AND THE BILL WOULD HAVE DIED, PEOPLE IN HIS PARTY DIDN'T LIKE THE FACT THAT HE WAS DOING THIS BILL WITH ME.

>> THE CONGREGATE CARE ISSUE IS NOT AS BIG IN CHAMPLAIN AS IT IS IN BROOKLYN PARK, NOT MY DISTRICT.

HUGE ISSUE OVER THERE.

NEEDED TO BE ELEVATED, NEEDED TO BE TALKED ABOUT.

>> BUT BEYOND THE POLICY, PERSONAL CONNECTION DEEPENED IN THE LAST YEAR, IS THAT FAIR TO SAY, YOU TWO?

>> I THINK WE'VE ALWAYS HAD A GOOD, RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIP.

>> AND WHEN YOU GO THROUGH SOMETHING THE PEOPLE THAT ARE THERE FOR YOU AND THE PEOPLE THAT AREN'T YOU REMEMBER THAT.

>> OH, YEAH, YOU DO.

YOU KNOW, YOU BRING THAT UP, MARY, YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

YOU DO REMEMBER THAT.

>> YOU WERE IN A CARE FACILITY.

I GET THERE, I WALK IN THE DOOR AND HE HOPS OUT OF THE BED!

AND I'M LIKE, WHAT!

[ LAUGHTER ] IS GOING ON?

AND I WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZED AT, YOU KNOW, HOW RAPIDLY THAT, NUMBER ONE, HE WAS HEALING BUT NUMBER TWO, HE WAS STILL KIND OF CONDUCTING BUSINESS.

>> NOT ONLY DOES THIS DUO HOPE THEY CAN SET AN EXAMPLE FOR OTHER LAWMAKERS, BUT THE GOVERNOR, WHO'S LEAVING OFFICE, HELD THEM P AS THE EPITOME OF EFFECTIVE BIPARTISANSHIP.

>> TWO PEOPLE WHO DESERVE A BIG PIECE OF THAT HERE WITH JOHN HOFFMAN AND DANNY NADEAU.

THESE TWO LEGISLATORS WHO ARE PART OF THIS BILL, BUT IT'S MUCH DEEPER THAN THAT.

MANY OF YOU KNOW THIS, MINNESOTA'S THE ONLY STATE IN THE COUNTRY THAT WE HAVE BASICALLY EQUALLY DIVIDED GOVERNMENT AND TO GET BUDGETS DONE AND TO GET THINGS DONE AND TO GET BIPARTISAN BILLS LIKE THIS DONE TAKES SKILLED LEGISLATORS WHO HAVE THE RESPECT ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE.

>> I THOUGHT IT WAS GENUINE, I THOUGHT IT WAS AUTHENTIC.

>> THERE'S NOT A LOT OF BIPARTISAN BILL SIGNINGS BE HONESTLY.

>> NO, THERE'S NOT.

ONCE YOU GET TO THE LEGISLATURE THERE'S A LOT OF TRIBALISM AND NEW MEMBERS COME IN AND I WAS LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, BRIGHT EYED BUSHY TAILED I'M GOING TO CHANGE THE WORLD, AND THE PULL OF THE EDGES TO BRING YOU AWAY FROM WHERE YOU THINK YOU MIGHT WANT TO BE IS STRONG.

>> HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO SEE THE TWO OF YOU DOING THIS >> I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT.

>> YEAH.

>> AND I THINK WE HAVE TO BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT IT.

AND I LOVE THE FACT THAT YOU'RE BEING INTENTIONAL ABOUT, YOU KNOW, STARTING THERE.

BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT EVERYBODY WANTS, YOU POLL ANY MINNESOTAN I MEAN 99% WILL SAY WHY CAN'T YOU GUYS JUST GET ALONG.

AND SOMETIMES MY RESPONSE TO THAT IS WE DO.

>> FIRST DOOR I KNOCKED ON IN BROOKLYN PARK, MINNESOTA AND THE GUY YELLS ACROSS THE THRESHOLD AT ME HE'S LIKE I DON'T CARE IF YOU'RE REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT, WILL YOU JUST PROMISE ME YOU'RE GOING TO GET SOMETHING DONE?

AND TO THAT POINT, YEAH, WE CAN GET SOMETHING DONE IF WE SET OUR EGOS ASIDE AND FOCUS ON WHAT'S GOOD.

RIGHT?

>> AND PUSH BACK ON THE EXTREMES IN OUR OWN PARTIES.

>> BOTH LAWMAKERS HAVE A RECORD OF STANDING UP TO THEIR OWN PARTY.

THE REPUBLICAN CALLED OUT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION DURING OPERATION METRO SURGE.

AND THE DEMOCRAT HAS TAKEN ON THE GOVERNOR'S ADMINISTRATION ON CHRONIC ISSUES IN HUMAN SERVICES.

>> NOT DEMOCRAT ENOUGH AND HE'S A R.I.N.O.

[ LAUGHTER ] IT'S LIKE, WHY ... ♪