>> ERIC: IT IS TIME FOR THIS WEEK'S VERSION OF THE POLITICAL PANEL.

WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE FUN TO PAIR UP TWO CURRENT LEGISLATORS WITH TWO FORMER LEGISLATORS.

ALL FROM THE ST.

CLOUD AREA.

DFL STATE REPRESENTATIVE DAN WOLGAMOTT WAS FIRST ELECTED IN 2018.

REPUBLICAN STATE REPRESENTATIVE BERNIE PERRYMAN WAS FIRST ELECTED IN 2022.

BOTH ARE POISED TO LEAVE THE STATE HOUSE AS THEY RUN FOR OTHER OFFICES.

FORMER LEGISLATORS JOINING US TONIGHT - DAVE KLEIS WAS A REPUBLICAN SENATOR FOR A DECADE -- TWO DECADES.

AND IT WAS MAYOR -- WAIT A MINUTE.

THE OTHER WAY AROUND.

ONE DECADE.

>> ONE DECADE IN THE SENATE.

TWO MAYOR.

LONG TIME.

>> Eric: HE RETIRED FROM PUBLIC OFFICE JUST ABOUT A YEAR AGO.

ROUNDING OUT OUR GROUP, TARRYL CLARK IS A FORMER DFL STATE SENATOR, NOW A STEARNS COUNTY COMMISSIONER.

BONDING BILL.

YOU'VE GOT TWO St.

CLOUD-SPECIFIC PROJECTS, AT LEAST, RIGHT?

CONNECTIONS BETWEEN DOWNTOWN AND THE CAMPUS AND THE RIVER AND THE CAMPUS -- AND DOWNTOWN?

>> DOWNTOWN TOTAL REVAMP TYPE BONDING BILL.

AND THEN A COUPLE MORE OUTSIDE, WAITE PARK AND St.

JOE AS WELL.

SO, I'VE BEEN LUCKY THIS TERM TO FIND SOME PROJECTS THAT PEOPLE WANT TO HELP OUR AREA.

AND I HOPE THEY CAN GET THROUGH THE FINAL CAMPAIGN FOR IT.

>> Eric: WHAT'S THE STATUS OF THE BONDING BILL?

>> WE ARE WORKING HARD TO GET A BONDING BILL DONE.

AND IT IS SO IMPORTANT.

LIKE REPRESENTATIVE PERRYMAN SAID, THERE ARE KEY PROJECTS IN OUR DISTRICT AND THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE STATE THAT CAN HAVE AN IMPACT, A BENEFICIAL IMPACT THAT LASTS FOR DECADES TO COME.

THAT'S WHAT'S SO SPECIAL ABOUT THE BONDING BILL.

AND I'M SURE THAT WELL-INFORMED "ALMANAC" LISTENERS KNOW THAT IT TAKES A SUPER MAJORITY TO PASS A BONDING BILL.

SO THAT'S WHY WE NEED THE BIPARTISAN COOPERATION.

AND REPRESENTATIVE PERRYMAN'S BEEN A GREAT TEAMMATE TO WORK WITH TO GET OUR LOCAL PROJECTS OVER THE FINISH LINE.

THE CENTRACARE MEDICAL SCHOOL THAT WE TALKED ABOUT WAS AN EXAMPLE OF THAT.

THE THE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM THAT WE HAVE, JUST OPENED UP IN St.

CLOUD, IS AN EXAMPLE OF THAT.

THERE'S A LOT OF GREAT PROJECTS IN THIS BILL THAT WILL MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE FOR INFRASTRUCTURE FOR YEARS TO COME.

WE'RE WORKING OVERTIME TO GET IT DONE.

>> Cathy: DAVE KLEIS, AS A VETERAN LAWMAKER, GIVE US A SENSE, FOLKS WHO ARE OT REALLY FOLLOWING THE BOUNCING BALL AT THE LEGISLATURE, HOW MUCH HORSE TRADING GOES INTO THE BONDING BILL, ESPECIALLY AT THE END OF SESSION?

>> WELL, AS A FORMER MAYOR, I'M STILL WAITING FOR THE $100 MILLION BEFORE I LEFT THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, A LOT GOES INTO T. AS THE REPRESENTATIVES SAID T TAKES A SUPER MAJORITY.

IT'S SOMETHING THAW START AND IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT OF ALL OF THE LEGISLATION THAT'S THERE, IT'S THE BONDING THAT REALLY TIES OTHER THINGS TOGETHER.

BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THE BONDING COMMITTEE GOES OUT THROUGHOUT THE STATE AHEAD OF TIME, BUT IT REALLY IDENTIFIES, YOU KNOW, I KNOW ALMOST EVERY LEGISLATOR THROUGH THE THE ENTIRE SESSION CONSTANTLY IS LOBBYING THEIR COLLEAGUES TO GET THAT LITTLE PIECE OF THAT BONDING BILL.

IN ORDER TO GET A SUPER MAJORITY, YOU NEED A LOT OF PROJECTS IN THERE AND THAT'S NORMALLY THE CHALLENGE.

>> Eric: ARE YOU GOING TO GET SOME HELP FINANCIALLY FROM THE LEGISLATURE AS THE CUTS FROM THE FEDS KIND OF BOIL DOWN TO COUNTY LEVEL?

>> YEAH, WE'RE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.

AS BOTH REPRESENTATIVE PERRYMAN AND REPRESENTATIVE WOLGAMOTT WILL TELL YOU, THEY COULD PROBABLY EACH TALK ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT GETTING TECHNOLOGY THAT'S REALLY OLD AND REALLY BAD MODERNIZED FOR OUR HUMAN SERVICES.

AND THEN THE FUNDS THAT ARE NEEDED TO ADMINISTER THE PROGRAMS THAT THE FEDS ARE SHIFTING BECAUSE, HONESTLY, OTHERWISE IT'S PROPERTY TAX INCREASES.

SO, FOR EVERYBODY -- FOR EVERY LEGISLATOR LISTENING, DON'T MAKE PEOPLE RAISE PROPERTY TAXES, THIS IS SOMETHING YOU ALL NEED TO WORK ON.

>> Eric: YOU'RE A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER.

>> YES.

>> Eric: WHAT'S YOUR SENSE OF HOW THE LEGISLATURE'S TREATING BUSINESS?

>> AHH, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

BEING A BUSINESS OWNER, LIVING HERE ALL THESE 27 YEARS, IT'S NOT GOOD.

THERE'S JUST TOO MANY LAYERS OF AXES.

UNFUNDED MANDATES PUT ON US.

IT TARTED WITH EARNED SICK AND SAFE TIME, WHICH IS A TAX ON YOUR PAYROLL AND SALARY.

AND THEN YOU ADD FAMILY PAID LEAVE TO IT, WHICH IS ANOTHER TAX, AND THEY'RE ALL UNFUNDED TAXES.

AND IT REALLY HURTS UR BUSINESSES.

AND IT HURTS GROWTH, IT HURTS BUSINESSES THAT MIGHT COME HERE, THAT WANT TO COME HERE, BUT THEY LOOK AT OUR TAXES, AND IT'S A LITTLE -- IT'S DIFFICULT.

>> Eric: YOUR RESPONSE?

>> WE NEED A WORKFORCE.

THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE THAT I HEAR ABOUT WHEN I TALK TO BUSINESSES IN OUR COMMUNITY IS WE NEED MORE WORKERS.

AND THE LACK OF PAID FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE IN CHILD CARE IN THIS STATE IS A HUGE BARRIER TO THE WORKFORCE.

IT DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTS WOMEN.

THAT'S WHY I'M SO PROUD OF THE INVESTMENTS THAT WE AS A STATE HAVE MADE IN PAID FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE.

NO MINNESOTAN SHOULD AVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN TAKING CARE OF THEMSELVES OR A LOVED ONE IF THEY'RE SICK AND EARNING THE MONEY THAT THEY NEED TO PAY THEIR BILLS AND LIVE A FULFILLING LIFE.

THAT'S WHY I'M PROUD OF THESE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE ENACTED.

AND I KNOW THAT WE ALL WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN FIND THAT BALANCE OF MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AFTER WORKING FAMILIES IN A WAY THAT IS MANAGEABLE FOR BUSINESSES SO THAT IT'S SUSTAINABLE.

THAT'S WHAT WE PUT FORWARD, THAT'S WHAT WE'LL SEE CONTINUE TO PLAY OUT IS PAID FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE AND EARNED SICK AND SAFE TIME FURTHER IMPLEMENTED.

>> Eric: WHAT DO YOU SAY IS GOVERNOR WALZ'S LEGACY?

>> WELL, I THINK IN GENERAL, I THINK THE LEGACY FOR THE LEGISLATURE IN GENERAL, AND I'VE JUST SEEN IN THE LAST -- SINCE I RETIRED, THERE'S JUST BEEN A LOT OF DIVISION.

AND I SEE THIS LEGISLATURE, I SEE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE, I SEE IT AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.

YOU KNOW, AND I WAS IN THE LEGISLATURE, THERE'S DIVISION AT THAT TIME.

THERE'S NO DOUBT.

WE HAD THAT.

BUT I THINK THE POLARIZATION HAS GOT TO THE POINT WHERE IT'S JUST NOT SUSTAINABLE.

I THINK IT IS ELIMINATING THE ABILITY AND THE WILLINGNESS FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO RUN FOR OFFICE.

I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY TIMES I'VE TALKED TO PEOPLE, SAY, YOU SHOULD RUN FOR COUNCIL OR RUN FOR COUNTY COMMISSIONER, SOME OFFICE.

BUT PEOPLE ARE SO TURNED OFF ON IT.

SO I THINK I WOULD SAY, FOR THE LEGISLATURE, PRESENT COMPANY -- [ Laughter ] -- YOU KNOW, YOU TOOK A RISK BY INVITING FOUR PEOPLE THAT AREN'T KNOWN FOR THEIR BREVITY.

>> Eric: WELL, THAT'S ALL RIGHT.

GO FOR IT.

>> THE ISSUE, I THINK IT'S MORE JUST THE POLARIZATION.

ANYBODY SERVING RIGHT NOW, THE LEGACY, REALLY, THE LEGISLATURE AT THE FEDERAL AND STATE LEVEL, THERE'S JUST O MUCH DIVISION.

>> Eric: YOU WERE IN DFL SENATE LEADERSHIP.

WHAT'S YOUR SENSE OF THE CHANGE?

>> YEAH, WELL, MY FIRST TERM, THE HOUSE WAS REPUBLICAN, THE GOVERNOR WAS REPUBLICAN, AND THE SENATE WAS DFL.

AND THE PEOPLE WHO GOT THE MOST IMPACT ON LEGISLATION HAD NEVER ERVED IN THE MAJORITY IN THEIR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY IN THE SENATE.

I THINK ABOUT STEVE DILL AND I THINK ABOUT DENNY FREDRICKSON AND A COUPLE OTHER FOLKS, AND IT'S PART BECAUSE THEY BUILT RELATIONSHIPS, THEY DIDN'T CARE WHO THEY WERE, THEY WERE GOING TO TALK TO YOU AND WE NEED MORE OF THAT.

RIGHT NOW WITH IT BEING SO CLOSE, IT'S SO HARD, I HEAR FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE, IN BOTH BODIES, WE WANT TO GET THINGS DONE AND PEOPLE ARE DISCOURAGED.

WE GOTTA GET PAST THE DISCOURAGED TO ACTUALLY GET SOMETHING DONE BY THE END OF THE SESSION.

THERE'S AN AWFUL LOT AT STAKE.

>> Cathy: YOU KNOW, SOME OF US WHO WATCH THE LEGISLATURE WERE WONDERING, WHETHER THE HOUSE MIGHT BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT, THE HOUSE AND SENATE A LITTLE DIFFERENT THIS SESSION BECAUSE OF THE UNTIMELY DEATH OF SPEAKER HORTMAN AND MAYBE THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING TO BRING EVERYONE TOGETHER.

HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED THAT OR NOT?