DISTRICTS ARE CUTTING.

>> MARY: HERE WITH US NOW TO TALK BUDGET PRIORITIES, LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR PEGGY FLANAGAN.

WELL, LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, REPUBLICANS SAID THIS WAS STINGY.

DID YOU EVER THINK YOU WOULD BE PART OF A BUDGET PROPOSAL THAT WAS CRITICIZED AS STINGY?

>> I'M REALLY EXCITED THAT MINNESOTANS WANT TO PUT MORE INTO EDUCATION.

WE HAD A TREMENDOUS BILL THAT THEY COULD HAVE OTED NEXT YEAR AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEXT BUDGET YEAR WHEN THEY VOTE FOR MORE INVESTMENTS IN PUBLIC EDUCATION.

BUT I THINK THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO FOR YOUNG PEOPLE, IT IS A GAME-CHANGER THAT WE HAVE BREAKFASTS AND LUNCH FOR EVERY KID IN OUR SCHOOLS.

WE'RE HEARING FROM -- >> Mary: AND THEY NEEDS TO PAY FOR MORE MILK, TOO, THE GOVERNOR DID NOT PUT THAT IN THE BUDGET, RIGHT?

>> HERE'S WHAT I KNOW.

AFTER MANY YEARS OF DOING THIS, BUT AFTER SIX YEARS AS LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, I KNOW THAT THE BUDGET THAT WE PRESENT IS NOT THE BUDGET THAT WE WILL END UP WITH.

>> Mary: WE SHOULD REMIND PEOPLE, YOU USED TO WORK JUST DOWN THERE.

>> JUST OVER THERE.

>> Mary: SO YOU'RE BRINGING LESSLY ACTIVE EXPERIENCE SO SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE COUNTING ON THE LEGISLATURE TO BRING THAT PARTS TO THE TABLE.

>> YOU KNOW, ALL OF THIS IS A NEGOTIATION.

WE CERTAINLY THINK THAT KIDS DRINKING MILK AT SCHOOL IS, YOU KNOW, IMPORTANT AND SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE INTERESTED IN DOING.

I THINK WE ALSO JUST WANT TO BE REALLY INTENTIONAL SO TWO MORE MONTHS IN THE LIFE OF THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION IS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO LIVE A THOUSAND LIVES AND SO I KNOW THAT WE'LL GET TO A REALLY GOOD PLACE.

WE'VE GOT GREAT PARTNERS IN THE LEGISLATURE SO I'M EAGER TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS.

>> Mary: WHAT ABOUT SOME OF THE SPECIFICS E JUST SAW THERE, SENATOR COLEMAN HELD UP PAGES AND PAGES OF MANDATES, THEY SAID THERE'S RECORD FUNDING AND ALL THIS GREATS MORE MONEY, THERE'S ACTUALLY MORE MANDATES THAN THERE IS MONEY AND SCHOOLS ARE CUTTING AND STRUGGLING.

>> I THINK THAT WE ARE IN A MOMENT WHERE WE HAVE INVESTED A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT IN PUBLIC EDUCATION AS A RECOVERING SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER, I CAN TELL YOU THAT HAVING THAT PREDICTABILITY OF THE 2% EVERY YEAR IS GOING TO BE REALLY IMPORTANT AND WE KNOW THAT.

THERE'S SOME DISTRICTS, OF COURSE, AS WE'RE COMING OFF OF SOME OF THE PANDEMIC FUNDING THAT THAT HAS BEEN A DIFFICULT TRANSITION BUT I'M CONFIDENT, ESPECIALLY WITH, YOU KNOW, MINNESOTA'S ECONOMY, WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO, THE INVESTMENTS THAT WE MADE IN THIS LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION, WE'RE ON THE TRACK, I THINK WE'RE ON TRACK TO CONTINUE TO BE IN A GOOD PLACE AND, YOU KNOW, I -- I KNOW THAT OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE INCREDIBLY VALUABLE AND THE INVESTMENTS THAT WE MAKE IN OUR KIDS AND TEACHERS REALLY MATTER.

>> Mary: SPEAKING OF SCHOOLS, TOMORROW, YOU'RE GOING TO BE IN A SCHOOL AND TALKING BASICALLY ABOUT BANNING BOOK BANS.

>> YES.

>> Mary: YOU'RE SEEING THAT ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, THE GOVERNOR HAS TALKED ABOUT IT A LOTS IN NATIONAL PRESS.

IS THE BILL NECESSARY HERE, IS IT NECESSARY TO ACTUALLY PUTS IN LAW TO BE PECIFIC ABOUT A BAN ON BOOK BANS?

>> I THINK IT IS, AND I THINK THE MESSAGE THAT WE HEAR COMING FROM FOLKS WHO ARE TAKING BOOKS OFF OF OUR SHELVES AND PROHIBITING WHAT IT IS THAT FOLKS CAN READ, IT'S, FRANKLY UNAMERICAN.

I THINK WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE FREEDOM TO BE ABLE TO READ THE MATERIALS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO US, LIKE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO, AND I'M EAGER, RIGHT, FOR THIS EVENT TOMORROW WHERE WE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT IT AND, YOU KNOW, THE GOVERNOR'S A TEACHER AND HE CARES TREMENDOUSLY ABOUT THIS.

I'M A MOM AND I WANT TO DECIDE, YOU KNOW, WHAT BOOKS WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO CHECK OUT OF THE LIBRARY AND, YOU KNOW, LIMITING WHAT'S AVAILABLE TO MY KIDDO IS NOT ANYTHING I'M INTERESTED IN.

>> Mary: THE GOVERNOR HAS BEEN PUTTING THIS IN HIS BUCKETS OF THINGS HE NEEDS TO RECRUIT, WE NEEDS WORKERS, WE STILL HAVE A LABOR SHORTAGE, HE SAID COME TO MINNESOTA WHERE WE DON'T BAN BOOKS AND HAVE REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM.

TALK ABOUT THAT, DOES I.V.F.

LEGISLATION NEEDS TO COME OUT.

IS THAT GOING TO BE A CRUCIAL ISSUE ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL?

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

>> I THINK REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE AND ACCESS TO ABORTION, I.V.F., BEING I BELIEVE TO DECIDE HOW AND WHEN AND IF WE DECIDE TO START A FAMILY, THAT ABSOLUTELY WILL BE ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL AND IT WAS TWO YEARS AGO, TOO.

IT IS UNCONSCIONABILITY TO ME THAT WE WOULD MAKE DECISIONS FOR ANYBODY REGARDING WHAT KIND OF FAMILY THEY WANT TO HAVE, AND SO I THINK, AS, YOU KNOW, CORPORATIONS ARE LOOKING AROUND AS WE'VE GOT WOMEN EXECUTIVES, RIGHT, WHO ARE LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITY FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES, MINNESOTA IS AN ATTRACTIVE PLACE TO COME AND IT'S N ATTRACTIVE PLACE TO COME FOR CORPORATION WHO IS SAY, WE'VE GOT TO RECRUIT THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST.

HAVING STATE THAT'S LIMITING ACCESS TO REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM IS NOT IT.

>> Mary: AND YOUR COHORT, WE SHOULD SAY, NOT SIDEKICK, THE GOVERNOR HAS TALKED VERY PERSONALLY ABOUT I.V.F..

THERE'S NOT A LOT OF POLITICIANS OR GOVERNORS OUT THERE REALLY TELLING THAT STORY.

DO YOU THINK THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE FOR HIM, TALKING ABOUT HIS CHILDREN BROUGHT TO YOU BY I.V.F.?

>> I THINK IT MATTERS TREMENDOUSLY.

HE HAS BEEN SO VULNERABLE AND I THINK THAT THAT ATTERS.

THESE ARE DEEPLY PERSONAL CONVERSATIONS AND I LOVE THAT HIS DAUGHTER IS NAMED HOPE, RIGHT?

LIKE, MY HUSBAND WAS ALSO CONCEIVED BY I.V.F.

AND, YOU KNOW, LIKE, SO I THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT ISSUE AND I BET THERE IS A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WORK HERE WHO WILL TELL YOU A SIMILAR STORY.

IT'S A BEAUTIFUL THING THAT WE CAN -- WE HAVE THESE -- THIS MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY THAT ALLOWS US TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT AND HELP COUPLES WHO ARE STRUGGLING WITH FERTILITY OR FOLKS WHO WANT TO HAVE A CHILD, WE SHOULDN'T GET IN THE WAY OF THAT.

SO IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE MIGHT BE SOME BIPARTISAN SUPPORT FOR IT, TOO.

THAT'S A GOOD THING.

WE SHOULD WANT THAT.

>> Mary: LET'S TALK ABOUT A JOB YOU GET TO DO AND YOU GET TO BE THE BOSS AND I LOVE THE GEEK-OUT ON CAPITOL AREA ARCHITECTURE PLANNING OARDS AND LITTLE DO YOU KNOW, I WATCH EVERY SINGLE MEETING, BEGINNING TO ENDS AND THERE IS A BIG EXCITING PROJECT I'M WORKING ON A STORY RIGHT NOW.

TALK TO US ABOUT THE CAPITOL MALL, WE'RE TALKING WADING POOLS, SPLASH PADS, CAFÉS, MAYBE A THOUSAND TREES?

THIS IS ENORMOUS.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY TO REDEVELOP THE CAPITOL MALL.

>> SO I'M SO EXCITED AND I'M REALLY GLAD THAT YOU DON'T SLEEP ON THE C.A.A.P.

BOARD BECAUSE IT'S WHERE THE PARTY'S AT, CERTAINLY.

>> Mary: AND YOU'RE THE CHAIR.

>> I'M THE CHAIR, YES, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF DUTIES IN STATUTE, THAT IS ONE OF THEM.

BUT WE'VE HAD A REALLY EXCITING TIME, I THINK, ON THE CAP BOARD OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO IS COME TOGETHER AND REIMAGINE, YOU KNOW, WHAT MINNESOTA'S FRONT LAWN ESSENTIALLY LOOKS LIKE.

SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A PLACE IN SPACE FOR FOOD TRUCKS.

WE'RE LOOKING TOWARDS A CULTURAL WALK WHERE WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE CULTURES FROM MINNESOTA, POTENTIALLY MORE LONG-TERM A CAFÉ, ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.

>> Mary: BIG STUFF, BIG STUFF.

BEFORE WE'RE OUT OF TIME.

WHAT'S NEXT?

ARE YOU RUNNING AGAIN?

IS THE GOVERNOR RUNNING AGAIN?

WHAT'S HAPPENING, YOU TWO?

>> I REALLY LIKE MY CO-WORKER, WE'RE HAVING A GOOD TIME.

I WILL SAY THAT WE HAVE TO GET THROUGH 2021, I TROWEL BELIEVE THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT HE APPLICATION IN OUR TIME.

>> Mary: NOT RULING