♪♪ >> Cathy: JOINING US TO TALK MORE ABOUT THE SUPREME COURT COURT DECISION THAT A QUORUM IN THE HOUSE IS 68 VOTES IS D.F.L.

HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER DESIGNATE JAMIE LONG.

WE DID INVITE A MEMBER OF HOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP TO JOIN US TONIGHT BUT THEY DECLINED.

THANK YOU FOR COMING OVER ON SHORT NOTICE.

>> THANKS, CATHY.

>> TO BE CLEAR NOW ALL ACTION TAKEN IN THE MINNESOTA HOUSE TAKEN OVER THE PAST, 12 DAYS OR SO IS CONSTITUTIONALLY INVALID AND THE SPEAKER EARLIER TONIGHT SAID THE ONLY WAY TO ORGANIZE THE HOUSE WILL BE TO COLLABORATE, SO WHAT'S NEXT?

>> THAT'S RIGHT, SO THE COURT RULING SAYS THAT EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED AFTER STEVE SIMON DETERMINED THERE WAS NO QUORUM FROM THE ELECTION OF SPEAKER TO THE COMMITTEE HEARINGS TO THE BILL INTRODUCTIONS WAS ILLEGAL, ILLEGITIMATE AND UNCONSTITUTIONAL.

AND SO NOW WE'RE AT A PLACE WHERE WE ARE ASKING A VERY SIMPLE QUESTION, WHICH IS CAN WE COME TO AN AGREEMENT THAT RESPECTS THE WILL OF THE VOTERS, AND THOSE ARE THE VO VOTERS IN SHAKOPEE FOR BRAD TABKE'S SEAT IN 54A AND THE VOTERS WHO SENT A TIE TO THE MINNESOTA HOUSE.

WE'RE ASKING WHEN WE GET TO A TIE CAN WE HAVE SHARED POWER.

THAT WAS THE SAME POSITION THAT THE SENATE G.O.P.

AGREED TO AND WE'RE ASKING FOR THE SAME THING.

>> REPRESENTATIVE TABKE IS A DEMOCRAT FROM SHAKOPEE, NARROWLY WON BY 14 VOTES, 20 VOTES IN THE ETHER SOMEWHERE MAYBE ENDED UP IN A LANDFILL.

HE WON NARROWLY ON ELECTION NIGHT, RECOUNT HE HELD ON AND A COURT GAVE AN ADVISORY OPINION THAT HE'S OKAY, THAT HE SHOULD BE SEATED.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

>> BUT THE HOUSE DETERMINES ITS OWN MEMBERSHIP.

>> >> Cathy: SO HE'S A KEY FIGURE IN THIS.

>> HE IS, ABSOLUTELY.

SO HE HAS WON THREE TIMES AND A COURT FOUND IT WAS A MATHEMATICAL IMPOSSIBILITY THAT HE WOULD HAVE LOST.

THEY HAD SIX VOTERS TESTIFY THAT THEY VOTED FOR BRAD AND THERE WAS NO WAY THAT THAT COULD HAVE BEEN MADE UP WITH THE REMAINING VOTES.

SO THE COURT DID A VERY THOROUGH OPINION, BUT, YEAH, THE HOUSE G.O.P.

RIGHT NOW IS SAYING THEY'RE GOING TO IGNORE THE COURT OPINION, IGNORE THE VOTERS OF SHAKOPEE AND KICK OUT REPRESENTATIVE BRAD TABKE AND THAT IS SIMPLY NOT RESPECTING THE VOTERS OF 54A AND WOULD BE A REAL AFFRONT TO OUR DEMOCRACY AND SET A TERRIBLE PRECEDENT FOR THE HOUSE.

>> Cathy: CAN THEY GET RID OF REPRESENTATIVE TABKE, DON'T YOU NEED 68 VOTES IN THE HOUSE TO DO ANYTHING UNDER THIS RULING?

>> REPRESENTATIVE ABKE UNDER THE HOUSE RULE COULD NOT VOTE ON A CHALLENGE AGAINST HIMSELF.

AND SO HE'S IN THE TOUGH POSITION WHERE HE COULDN'T ACTUALLY STAND UP FOR HIMSELF ON THE FLOOR, AND SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE IN THIS POSITION RIGHT NOW IS THAT WE ARE ASKING NOT TO MOVE TO KICK OUT A REPRESENTATIVE WHO HAS WON THEIR ELECTION AND WON IN COURT, AND SO FAR THE REPUBLICANS HAVE NOT AGREED TO THAT.

>> Eric: ACROSS THE METRO AREA IN ROSEVILLE HERE'S A SPECIAL ELECTION IN DISTRICT 40B.

>> RIGHT.

>> Eric: THE DEMOCRAT WON HANDSOMELY BUT FAILED RESIDENCY TEST.

>> RIGHT.

>> Eric: AND THAT'S MARCH 11TH APPARENTLY.

WILL YOU BE OUT UNTIL MARCH 11TH UNTIL THAT SPECIAL ELECTION IS HELD?

>> WELL, I SURE HOPE NOT.

I KNOW THE SPEAKER, SPEAKER DESIGNATE ON OUR SIDE MELISSA HORTMAN HAS REACHED OUT TO SPEAKER DESIGNATE DEMUTH AND WE'RE HOPING THAT WE CAN REACH AN AGREEMENT.

THERE IS NO INCENTIVE ANYMORE FOR US TO PRETEND THAT WE CAN'T WORK TOGETHER AND TO GET BACK TO THE TABLE.

SO WE'RE HOPING WE CAN BE IN NEXT WEEK BUT IT'S GOING TO TAKE TWO TO BE ABLE TO REACH AGREEMENT.

>> Eric: WHEN DOES THE WORK PRODUCT OF THE HOUSE BECOME THREATENED?

>> WELL, USUALLY THE BEGINNING OF SESSION IS A LITTLE BIT SLOW.

WE DO INFORMATIONAL HEARINGS AND OVERVIEWS.

I'VE HEARD FROM MEMBERS THEY'VE BEEN BUSIER THESE TWO WEEKS THAN THEY USUALLY ARE WHEN WE START SESSION MEETING WITH FOLKS IN THEIR DISTRICT.

WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET A FORECAST UNTIL PROBABLY MARCH AT THIS POINT.

>> A BUDGET FORECAST.

>> BUDGET FORECAST, THAT'S BEEN DELAYED.

THAT'S USUALLY THE START OF THE BIG PART OF THE BUDGET YEAR IN THE MINNESOTA LEGISLATURE.

AND SO I DON'T THINK WE ARE GOING TO NECESSARILY HAVE TO LOSE TIME.

WE COULD BE BACK IN THIS WEEK IF WE'RE ABLE TO REACH AGREEMENT.

>> Cathy: DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE LATEST OFFER MAY BE ON THE TABLE AT THIS POINT?

I KNOW THE SPEAKER WAS SAYING SHE WAS WANTING TO HAVE DINNER PERHAPS THIS EVENING WITH SPEAKER DESIGNATE DEMUTH.

>> WELL, WE'VE BEEN VERY CLEAR ON OUR TWO BRIGHT LINES WHICH IS THAT WE WANT TO RESPECT THE WILL OF THE VOTERS IN SHAKOPEE AND KICK OUT REPRESENTATIVE BRAD TABKE AND RESPECT THE VOTERS WHO SENT A TIE TO THE MINNESOTA HOUSE AND THAT WOULD MEAN THAT IN MARCH IF WE WIN THE SPECIAL ELECTION WHICH THEY HAVEN'T REALLY ARGUED THAT THEY HAVE A SHOT AT, THEN WE WOULD GET BACK TO A TIE.

IN THE MEANTIME WE HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THE G.O.P.

RUNNING THE HOUSE.

IT'S JUST WHEN WE GET BACK TO THAT TIE WE NEED TO PROTECT OUR ABILITY TO GOVERN TOGETHER.

>> Eric: SO WILL YOU BE THERE ON MONDAY?

WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN?

IS THE SESSION MONDAY OR TUESDAY YOU START?

>> WELL, STEVE SIMON I KNOW IS PROBABLY REVIEWING THE OPINION TOO, THE SECRETARY OF STATE.

>> Eric: SECRETARY OF STATE, YEAH.

>> YES, SO WE DON'T EXACTLY KNOW BUT PRESUMABLY HE WILL CALL THE HOUSE BACK INTO SESSION ON MONDAY AND WE ARE HOPING THAT WE CAN REACH A BIPARTISAN AGREEMENT.

THAT'S WHAT THE PEOPLE OF MINNESOTA ARE ASKING US TO DO IS TO WORK TOGETHER.

THEY SENT A TIE.

THIS COULD BE A REAL OPPORTUNITY FOR US.

>> Eric: ANY INDICATION THAT COULD BE TALKS OVER THE WEEKEND?

>> I HOPE SO, THAT'S THE INTENT.

>> Cathy: WILL YOU BE A PART OF THAT AT ALL?

>> WELL, I'M NOT THE NUMBER ONE, I'M THE NUMBER TWO, SO I THINK THAT WILL BE IN THE HANDS OF MELISSA HORTMAN AND LISA DEMUTH.

BUT I HAVE UTMOST FAITH THAT THE TWO OF THEM I HOPE CAN WORK TOGETHER AND FIND THIS COMMONSENSE AGREEMENT.

>> Eric: 30 SECONDS LEFT.

PUSHBACK BY CONSTITUENTS OF DEMOCRATS IN THE HOUSE >> I'VE HEARD FROM MY CONSTITUENTS THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THE RATIONALE WHY WE NEED TODAY TAKE THIS STEP.

>> Cathy: BUT THE OPTICS ARE NOT GREAT FOR YOU ALL.

YOU HAVE TO ADMIT THAT.

>> CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND THAT, I DON'T THINK THE OPTICS FOR THE REPUBLICANS ARE GREAT EITHER WHERE SECRETARY SIMON GAVELED OUT, THEY LITERALLY WENT UP AND TOOK AN UNCONSTITUTIONAL ILLEGAL VOTE, UNPRACTICE MOVE IN STATE HISTORY.

THOSE ARE PRETTY BAD OPTICS.

, THANKS FOR RUNNING OVER HERE.