>> Cathy: ELECTED OFFICIALS ARE KNOWN FOR DISAGREEING ABOUT NEARLY EVERYTHING THESE DAYS.

BUT AS WE JUST DISCUSSED, WHEN MINNESOTA'S NEXT LEGISLATURE CONVENES IN JANUARY, ELECTED OFFICIALS WILL HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER OR FACE NEAR-CERTAIN GRIDLOCK.

JOINING US TO TALK MORE ABOUT WHAT POLITICAL COMPROMISE CAN LOOK LIKE, THE FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF MAJORITY IN THE MIDDLE, A NON-PROFIT THAT ENCOURAGES WORKING TOGETHER.

SHANNON WATSON.

WELCOME BACK.

>> THANK YOU, GOOD TO SEE YOU GUYS.

>> Cathy: IS THIS ALMOST LIKE THE COOLEST THING YOU COULD THINK OF IN TERMS OF YOUR GROUP?

67-67, IT'S ALMOST TAILOR MADE FOR YOUR GROUP.

>> I'M HAVING A GOOD WEEK, LET ME JUST SAY I WAS I'M HAVING A GOOD WEEK.

I WAS ON A PANEL WITH AMY KOCH AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE SENATE AND MAJORITY BEING THAT SENATE RACE AND HE SAID THE HOUSE THERE'S ALWAYS POSSIBILITY OF 67-67 SPLIT AND PEOPLE WERE LIKE REALLY?

AND I'M LIKE, YEAH, I'M THE ONLY PERSON IN THE STATE VOTING TO THAT.

THE FACT THAT IT HAPPENED I THINK WE MAY HAVE BEETLEJUICEED IT INTO EXISTENCE.

>> Eric: YOU WERE ON BOTH NEWS CONFERENCES THIS WEEK.

WHAT DID YOU SAY THAT CAUGHT YOUR EYE?

>> I STOOD IN THE BACK AND SMILED LIKE AN IDIOT THE ENTIRE TIME.

THAT WAS THE BEST PRESS CONFERENCE I'VE EVER SEEN.

BECAUSE THOSE TWO IN PARTICULAR SEEM TO BE EMBRACING THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY WITH, AS DIVIDED AS THE COUNTRY IS, THIS IS AN ENORMOUS OPPORTUNITY FOR MINNESOTA TO BE LEADERS AND SHOW HOW YOU CAN COME ACROSS, WORK TOGETHER, CROSS THE AISLE, SHARE THAT POWER, AND THEN HOPEFULLY REPLICATE THAT OTHER PLACES.

>> Cathy: I WONDER IF THAT WOULD BE THE SAME CASE IF THERE WERE TWO MEN WHO WOULD BE IN LEADERSHIP.

I KNOW MAYBE THAT'S NOT A QUESTION TO ASK.

>> WELL, IT DEPENDS WHO IT IS.

THERE WERE MEN FOR MANY YEARS, JIM RAM STAD, DAVE DURENBERGER, THOSE GUYS KNEW HOW TO GET ALONG AND THEY HAD THE RELATIONSHIPS BUT I WILL SAY THERE IS A THING ABOUT WOMEN, GENERALLY A LITTLE MORE COLLABORATIVE AND THE FACT THAT THOSE TWO HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIME BUILDING THEIR RELATIONSHIP.

>> Cathy: THEY HAVE.

>> AND LEARNING TO TRUST EACH OTHER.

>> Cathy: SO HOW, WHAT MIGHT BE THE FIRST STEPS TO TAKE TO GOVERN FROM THE MIDDLE?

>> SO WHEN THE SESSION STARTS, THE SPEAKER -- I'M SORRY, THE SECRETARY OF STATE OFFICIALLY GAVELS IN THE HOUSE.

AND THEN THE FIRST THING THAT HAPPENS IS EVERYBODY GETS SWORN IN AND THEN THE FIRST SORT OF PROCEDURAL THING IS THEY ELECT A SPEAKER.

AND THIS IS WHAT'S SO INTERESTING ABOUT THE STRUCTURE AND ABOUT HOW WHY WE PAY SO MUCH ATTENTION TO WHO'S IN THE MAJORITIES, BECAUSE WHOEVER'S IN THE MAJORITY RUNS THE TABLE, THEY CONTROL EVERYTHING, THEY CONTROL THE STAFF, THEY CONTROL, YOU KNOW, THE COMMITTEE CHAIRS, AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS.

SO EVEN BEFORE EVERYBODY'S SWORN IN AND THEY FIGURE OUT WHO'S GOING TO HOLD THAT SPEAKER GAVEL, THEY HAVE TO FIGURE OUT THIS POWER-SHARING ARRANGEMENT.

I HEARD GOOD THINGS FROM MELISSA HORTMAN TODAY ABOUT WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE, THEY'RE LOOKING AT WHAT OTHER STATES DO.

BUT WE'LL SEE, WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS IN THE NEGOTIATIONS.

>> Eric: YOUR REPORT HAS DISCOVERED THAT THERE IS SOME SUBTERRANEAN BIPARTISANSHIP GOING ON.

>> ABSOLUTELY, YEAH.

AND THE HIDDEN BIPARTISANSHIP, THE INDIVIDUAL RANK AND FILE MEMBERS WORKING WITH EACH OTHER ON LEGISLATION, I THINK THAT ACTUALLY THERE'S SOME CONCERN THAT, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF THE TWO LEADERS GET ALONG WILL THE REST OF THE AUCUSES GO ALONG WITH THAT, AND I WILL SAY LIKE IF THEY HAVE ALREADY HAD THAT EXPERIENCE WORKING ACROSS THE AISLE ON BILLS, THIS JUST GIVES THEM MORE INCENTIVE TO DO SO.

AND THEN OF COURSE THE REPUBLICANS IN THE SENATE EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE IN THE MINORITY, THEY HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN WHAT THE HOUSE IS DOING AND SO I'M HOPING THAT WITH THE HOUSE BEING A LITTLE MORE COLLABORATIVE THE SENATE WILL GO AHEAD AND DO THAT AS WELL.

>> Cathy: OKAY.

BECAUSE YOU WERE AT THE NEWS CONFERENCES SMILING BROADLY IN THE BACKGROUND.

>> YES.

>> Cathy: I WONDER WHAT ROLE COULD YOUR GROUP POSSIBLY PLAY IN ALL OF THIS?

>> OH, WE -- THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION.

WE WANT TO E SORT OF AN OUTSIDE FORCE TO ENDORSE THE IDEAS THAT WE THINK ARE GOOD.

WE VERY SPECIFICALLY DON'T WALK AROUND THE CAPITOL TELLING PEOPLE DON'T BE SO PARTISAN, NUMBER ONE, IT'S NOT FUN, AND TO TWO, IT'S NOT FUN TO TELL PEOPLE THEY'RE WRONG.

THIS IS GOING TO BE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR US.

IF THOSE COMMITTEES WIND UP COCHAIRED COMMITTEES, THEN I'M GOING TO BE TELL A STORY OF EVERY COMMITTEE IN THE HOUSE, THE WHOLE SESSION LONG.

>> Eric: ONE MINNESOTA HAS COME TO THE HOUSE.