>> ERIC: THERE IS A LOT TO TALK ABOUT TONIGHT.
THE FIRST PHASE OF MINNESOTA'S ADULT-USE CANNABIS LAW TAKES EFFECT ON TUESDAY.
WE'LL BRING YOU SEVERAL PERSPECTIVES ON WHAT TO EXPECT.
AND AS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE CONTINUES TO IMPROVE, WE'LL TALK TO A LAWMAKER ABOUT WHAT KIND OF REGULATIONS THE STATE SHOULD CONSIDER.
PLUS, WE'LL HEAR ABOUT THE COLORFUL HISTORY OF AMATEUR BASEBALL IN MINNESOTA.
CATHY OFF THIS WEEK.
MARY LAHAMMER FILLING IN.
>> Mary: THANK YOU.
WE'LL START THINGS OFF BY CHECKING IN WITH MINNESOTA'S LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR PEGGY FLANAGAN.
SHE HAS BEEN BUSY TRAVELING ALL OVER THE STATE SINCE THE END OF THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
YESTERDAY, SHE TOURED THE ARMORY IN DULUTH WHICH IS BEING RESTORED USING MONEY INCLUDED IN THE $2.6 BILLION INFRASTRUCTURE PACKAGE PASSED EARLIER THIS YEAR.
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, WELCOME.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THE EWS OF THE DAY.
YOU PROBABLY HEARD THAT HOUSE REPUBLICANS SENT A LETTER DEMANDING A SPECIAL SESSION, SEVERAL FIXES FOR THE MARIJUANA BILL.
ESPECIALLY SOME OF THE NEW QUESTIONS BEING RAISED ABOUT KIDS AND WHETHER KIDS CAN CONSUME.
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SAY ABOUT THAT?
>> SO I WOULD SAY THAT THE USE OF CANNABIS BY MINORS IS ILLEGAL TODAY AND IT WILL BE ILLEGAL STARTING AUGUST 1ST.
WE'LL CONTINUE TO BE ILLEGAL.
ADULTS WHO TRY TO SELL CANNABIS TO YOUNG PEOPLE, THAT'S ALSO ILLEGAL.
SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE KNOW THAT THE USE OF CANNABIS BY MINORS, ANYBODY UNDER THE AGE OF 21, IS NOT ACCEPTABLE AND WILL REMAIN ILLEGAL IN MINNESOTA.
>> Eric: WHAT ABOUT A SPECIAL SESSION?
>> I DON'T BELIEVE A SPECIAL SESSION IS NEEDED.
BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT I AM ENCOURAGED THAT REPUBLICANS ARE THINKING ABOUT CHILD WELFARE.
THEY MISSED AN OPPORTUNITY THIS LAST SESSION TO WORK THINGS LIKE GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION, PAID FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE.
>> Mary: LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU'VE BEEN BUSY DOING.
YOU'VE BEEN TOURING THE STATE.
AND I REMEMBER AT THE BILL SIGNING SEEING PEOPLE OF COLOR AND TRIBAL REPRESENTATIVES.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE'VE EVER SEEN THAT AT THE BONDING BILL.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT ASPECT?
>> SURE, SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I CARE TREMENDOUSLY ABOUT.
YOU KNOW, THE FIRMT -- THE FIRST BONDING BILL THAT PASSED, WE SET ASIDE $30 MILLION FOR PROJECTS FOR -- BY AND FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR AND INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES BECAUSE FOR A LONG TIME, BONDING WAS SORT OF THIS THING THAT HAPPENED BEHIND CLOSE ONED DOORS.
THAT HAS CHANGED AND THIS YEAR, OVER $100 MILLION FOR THESE PROJECTS, WE KNOW THEY'RE MAKING A TREMENDOUS DIFFERENCE.
AND I'M STILL EXCITED ABOUT THESE INVESTMENTS ARE HAPPENING THAT WILL LEAD TO PROSPERITY FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.
>> Eric: THE 38% SPEND INCREASE IN THIS PAST SESSION.
I WONDER IF THAT'S SUSTAINABLE WITHOUT MORE TAX INCREASES DOWN THE LINE.
>> WELL, I THINK IN THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION, THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN OVERDUE.
AND THIS TRIFECTA, WE FRANKLY JUST KEPT OUR PROMISES.
BREAKFAST AND LUNCH FOR OUR CHILDREN IN SCHOOLS.
THESE ARE THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
LOWER COSTS FOR MINNESOTANS.
AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THESE SHORT-TERM GAINS AND THEN LONG-TERM INVESTMENTS.
THAT SHOULD BE WHAT MINNESOTANS EXPECT.
BUT ALSO KNOWING THAT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THIS OWNER-OCCUPIED MONEY WE SPENT ON ONE-TIME INVESTMENTS, AND THE TAX CUTS THAT ARE OMING TO THE MIDDLE CLASS, I THINK, ARE REALLY EXCITING AND THAT KIND OF RELIEF IS WHAT A LOT OF MINNESOTANS SHOULD EXPECT.
>> Mary: SO THEY'RE TAX CUTS, BUT THERE'S ALSO TAX INCREASES.
AND HOW CAN YOU MAKE THAT ARGUMENT, AGAIN, STILL WITH THAT RECORD SURPLUS BEFORE EXPECTING BIGGER CHECK BACK?
YOU'RE RUNNING MATE WANTED A BIG ONE.
A COUPLE THOUSAND.
>> BUT WE DO BELIEVE THAT A LOT OF THESE INVESTMENTS THAT WILL LOWER COSTS FOR MINNESOTANS.
THESE CHECKS HIVING WILL BE COMING SOON.
AND THOSE WILL BE USED FOR SHOES AND SCHOOL CLOTHES, AUTO REPAIR.
AND WE THINK THAT'LL MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR FOLKS.
BUT IN THE LONG TERM, WE KNOW THAT THESE INVESTMENTS ARE REALLY GOING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR FAMILIES.
I AM REALLY EXCITED FOR THAT FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL.
WHERE KIDS NO LONGER HAVE TO RELY ON FREE AND REDUCED PRICE LUNCH.
FILLING OUT THAT PAPERWORK.
EVERYONE'S GOING TO GET FED.
THAT'S GOING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO SO MANY FAMILIES ACROSS THE STATE AND I THINK THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE WILL BE FOCUSED ON.
>> Eric: I KNOW YOU'RE GETTING QUESTIONS FROM DEMOCRATS AROUND THE COUNTRY.
IT GOES BACK TO YOUR WELLSTONE ACTION, WHICH WAS ORGANIZE, ORGANIZE, ORGANIZE.
>> ERIC, YOU NAILED IT.
THAT'S IT.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHEN I LOOK BACK ON SOME OF THE VICTORIES THAT WE'VE HAD, ARE THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR 20 YEARS.
AND, YOU KNOW, YOU GET WHAT YOU ORGANIZE FOR.
WE CONTINUED TO COME BACK.
WE CONTINUED TO STAY ALIGNED WITH -- WE HAD A STRONG INSIDE-OUTSIDE AME AND I THINK A LOT OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOW DECISION MAKERS WERE PART OF THAT ORGANIZING WORK ON THE FRONT END.
SO I THINK A LOT OF GRASS ROOTS, INFRASTRUCTURE, WAS BUILT.
WE RELIED ON IT.
AND THAT IS HOW WE DELIVERED.
WE RAN FAST.
WE RAN HARD.
BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THIS HAD TRIFECTA LOOKED A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN THE ONE WE HAD TEN YEARS AGO.
>> Mary: CAN THIS REALLY BE REPLICATED ELSEWHERE?
IS MINNESOTA SO UNIQUE THAT DEMOCRATS CAN'T PULL THIS OFF WITH ALL THE INVESTMENTS IN THE EDUCATION AND THE WELLSTONE AND THE GRASES ROOTS?
>> I THINK MINNESOTA'S SPECIAL, RIGHT?
WE ARE ALSO HUMBLE, RIGHT?
SO THAT'S AS MUCH AS I'LL SAY.
BUT I WILL SAY THIS, THAT, YOU KNOW, I HAVE TRAVELED TO WASHINGTON, D.C., TO THE WHITE HOUSE TO TALK ABOUT THIS GOOD WORK WE'VE DONE.
WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH FOLKS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ABOUT WHAT IS POSSIBLE.
I BELIEVE THAT WE CAN DO THIS WORK ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
I THINK THE GOVERNMENT IS HAVING MANY OF THESE CONVERSATIONS NATIONALLY.
>> Eric: HE'S IN IOWA THIS WEEKEND.
>> HE IS.
AND THERE'S A LOTS OF HOPE.
I THINK THAT WE CAN BRING FOLKS, ESPECIALLY IN PLACES WHERE PEOPLE FEEL LIKE THEY'RE RIGHTS ARE BEING TAKEN AWAY, WE'RE BRINGING AN ALTERNATIVE AND I THINK IT'S A GOOD THING TO ORGANIZE FOR.
>> Mary: IF I CAN JUMP IN, BECAUSE WE MENTIONED IOWA.
TALKING ABOUT MAY BE THE GOVERNOR INTERESTED IN A PRESIDENTIAL RUN OR YOU MAYBE INTERESTED IN HIS JOB.
LAY OUT THE FUTURE.
>> I AM VERY FOCUSED ON 2024 AND MAKING SURE THAT JOE BIDEN AND CAM YA LA HARRIS GET EEREELECTED AND THAT WE ALSO KEEP THE HOUSE.
I BELIEVE UNTIL GOVERNOR WRALZ AND HIS LEADERSHIP, CLEARLY.
BECAUSE WE ARE ON A TEAM -- >> Mary: ON A NATIONAL LEVEL, IS HE READY?
>> HE'S AN INGDAHL CREDIBLE LEADER AND I THINK WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO HERE IN MINNESOTA AND I THINK FOLKS ACROSS THE COUNTRY BENEFIT FROM THAT TOO.
>> Eric: DEAN PHILLIPS IS MEETING WITH DONORS I GUESS IN NEW YORK EARLY NEXT WEEK TO TALK ABOUT MAYBE CHALLENGING PRESIDENT BIDEN IN THE D.F.L., THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT?
>> I THINK DEAN PHILLIPS IS A GREAT CONGRESSPERSON FOR MINNESOTA.
I THINK JOE BIDEN IS A GREAT PRESIDENT FOR THE UNITED STATES.
AND WE SHOULD -- >> Eric: I WAS HOPING FOR A LITTLE MORE.
>> AND THEY SHOULD KEEP THEIR JOBS.
>> Eric: OKAY.
BUT IS BIDEN TOO OLD?
>> I THINK, I AM SO IMPRESSED WITH JOE BIDEN OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A REALLY -- I PERSONALLY HAVE A VERY SOFT SPOT IN MY HEART FOR HIM AS SOMEONE WHO WATCHED HIM WORK SO HARD ON THE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT.
I WILL DO WHAT IT TAKES TO MAKE SURE THAT HE GETS REELECTED.
THE WORK THAT HE'S DONE IN INDIAN COUNTRY, ALL THE INVESTMENTS IN INFRASTRUCTURE, WE'RE JUST BEGINNING TO SEA HOW THIS WILL CHANGE THINGS FOR GENERATIONHERE IN MINNESOTA AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
I THINK HE DESERVES ANOTHER SHOT.
>> Mary: WHAT ABOUT REELECTION FOR DEMOCRATS IN MINNESOTA.
IS THERE CONCERN ABOUT BACKLASH, OVERREACH?
>> YEAH, I MEAN, MY ADVICE TO, YOU KNOW, HOUSE CANDIDATES RIGHT NOW IS TO GET OUT ON THE DOORS AND TELL EVERYBODY WHAT YOU DID, BECAUSE -- >> Mary: IT WASN'T TOO MUCH?
>> I THINK IT'S WHAT WE -- NOBODY SHOULD BE SURPRISED.
IT'S WHAT WE TOLD PEOPLE.
WE WILL PROTECTED ACCESS TO ABORTION.
WE'D VENT IN THINGS LIKE CHILD CARE, PAID FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE, AND THIS CHILD TAX CREDIT, BUT 30% IN THE STATE, THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE CAN TALK THAT MAKE A RELEASED DIFFERENCE FOR MINNESOTANS.
>> Eric: THANKS FOR STOPPING BY.
APPRECIATE IT.