>> MARY: THERE'S NO DENYING IT'S BEEN A PRODUCTIVE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
GOVERNOR WALZ HAS SIGNED LOTS OF BIG BILLS INTO LAW, INCLUDING A FEW TOP PRIORITIES FOR SENATOR ERIN MAYE QUADE, WHO JOINS ME NOW TO TAKE A LOOK BACK AT SOME OF MINNESOTA'S NEW LAWS, ONE HISTORIC BILL SHE WAS CHIEF AUTHOR OF.
>> IT WAS THE TRANS REFUGE BILL, MAKES MINNESOTA A SAFE PLACE FOR TRANS CHILDREN, THEIR FAMILIES AND PROVIDERS TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OTHER STATES TO BAN THEIR HEALTH CARYL DOESN'T HAPPEN HERE.
>> Mary: WE HAVE SOME IM MANAGES FROM THAT BILL SIGNING BECAUSE IT WAS A PARTICULARLY TRIUMPHANT MOMENT FOR YOU.
>> A JOYFUL DAY.
>> Mary: LET'S LOOK AT SOME OF THOSE PICTURES OF YOU AND THE GOVERNOR AND YOUR HOUSE AUTHOR, CAN YOU TAKE US THROUGH THAT MOMENT?
>> YEAH, SO REPRESENTATIVE LEIGH FINKE, THE FIRST TRANS LAWMAKER IN MINNESOTA, I'M O GRATEFUL FOR HER LEADERSHIP, HER PARTNERSHIP ON THIS ISSUE AND IT WAS AN INCREDIBLE DAY NOT JUST FOR, YOU KNOW, GENDER EXPANSIVE CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES BUT FOR BODILY AWE TON HEE AND FOR RIGHTS IN MINNESOTA DO IT WAS A REALLY WONDERFUL DAY.
THE GOVERNOR HAS BEEN SUCH A STEADFAST CHAMPION FOR LGBTQ PEOPLE, FOR BODILY AUTONOMY AND YOU SAW THAT THAT DAY.
>> Mary: TALK ABOUT THE QUEER CAUCUS.
>> THE QUEER CAUCUS IS HUGE NOW.
>> ary: USED TO BE TINY.
>> IT WAS FOUR OF US, MY, SUSAN ALLEN, KAREN CLARK AND SENATOR DIBBLE, SO IT'S BIG NOW, I THINK THERE'S 11 NOW.
WE'RE GETTING A LOT DONE.
>> Mary: YOU'RE GETTING A LOT OF YOUR TOP ISSUES DONE, LGBTQ, WOMEN'S RIGHTS.
DID YOU THINK THIS MUCH COULD HAPPEN THIS FAST?
>> YES AND NOT.
I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE KNOW IS THAT IN THE GOVERNMENT IT OFTEN TAKES A LONG TIME TO GET ATTENTION TO GET PEOPLE TO NOTICE, TO GETS PEOPLE TO CARE, THEN TO GET THE LANGUAGE, TO GET IT PASSED AND SIGNED INTO LAW BUT THERE HAS BEEN SUCH A DEMAND, A PENT-UP DEMAND TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN HAPPENING ON THE OUTSIDE OF THIS CHAMBER AND SO WE SAW THAT JUST COME RUSHING IN WITH THE DFL TRIFECTA AND WE'RE HANDLING IT AS FAST AS WE POSSIBILITY CAN.
>> Mary: WHAT ABOUT YOU HEARD CAMPAIGNING ABOUT REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS BECAUSE THE ANALYSIS IS BASICALLY DEMOCRATS WON THIS TRIFECTA MAYBE BECAUSE OF THAT ISSUE ALONE, OR PREDOMINANTLY.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT ARGUMENT?
>> I MEAN, I DIFFERENTLY HERALD A LOT ABOUT REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY.
I THINK WE CAN DEFINITELY PINPOINT THE BACKLIED INTO AUTHORITARIANISM AND FACISM WITH THE BACK SLIDE ON REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS AND WE'VE DONE THAT ACROSS THE WORLD SO PEOPLE OFTEN PAIRED THOSE TWO THINGS TOGETHER AND WE'RE SEEING PROTECTS FOR DEMOCRACY AND FOR REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS IN MINNESOTA AND HAT'S PROBABLY WHY WE ON THE ELECTION AND CAN WHY WE'RE DOING WHAT WE'RE DOING.
>> Mary: YOU HAD A PARTICULARLY INTERESTING INTERSECTION OF DEMOCRACY AND RIGHTS.
WHEN YOU WENT INTO LABOR DURING THE ENDORSING CONVENTION.
THAT'S HOW YOU GOT HERE AND YOU DID NOT GET ENDORSED.
TALKS US THROUGH THAT.
>> IT WAS A REALLY INTERESTING DAY.
A LOT OF IT MY BRAIN WAS NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT WAS HAPPENING THAT DAY, I WAS PREPARING TO HAVE A BABY SO WE TRIED TO MAKE IT AS FAR AS WE COULD.
WE KNEW WE HAD SUPPORT BY THE SECOND BALLOT AND I TRIED TO MAKE IT TO THE SECOND BALLOT.
I DIDN'T QUITE MAKE IT TO THE FIRST SO I HAD JUST SAID, CAN WE SUSPEND AND GO TO A PRIMARY?
>> Mary: IN THE MIDDLE OF A CONTRACTION.
>> MANY, ACTUALLY.
[Laughter] >> Mary: I HAD SAW AT LEAST ONE IN THE IDEO THAT GOT KID OF FAMOUS.
>> YEA.
SO I HAD TO LEAVE AND GO HAVE A BABY, AFTER I WAS HOSPITAL AIDED FOR PREHE CHANNELS I CAN'T, THEN I HAD TO MAKE A DECISION TO CONNECT ON AND I VERY MUCH RESPECT THE ENDORSING PROCESS BUT DECIDED THIS MIGHT BE ONE OF THE MOMENTS WE TAKE IT TO THE PRIMARY.
>> Mary: HOW GLAD ARE YOU THAT YOU FOUGHT ON AFTER WHAT HAPPENED?
PARTICULARLY IN THE SENATE, YOU SERVED IN THE HOUSE.
>> I DID.
>> Mary: BUT THE SENATE WAS NOT EXPECTED TO FLIP TO DEMOCRATIC CONTROL, IT WAS IN REPUBLICAN CONTROL.
>> I EXPECTED IT ONLY BECAUSE I HAD BEEN ON THE GROUND ON THE REPRODUCTIVE EALTH AND JUSTICE ISSUE FOR SO LONG AND I THINK PEOPLE MISTOOK HOW HORRIFIED THAT PEOPLE WERE ABOUT THE ROE VERSUS WEIGHT CASE BEING TURNED OVER.
I WAS WAD GO TO THE DOORS SIX-WEEKS POST-PARTUM BUT THIS HAS BEEN HISTORIC OR OUR STATE AND I THINK WE'LL SEE THE WORK OF THIS YEAR FOR A LONG TIME.
>> Mary: I REMEMBER TWEETING OUT AND I MET NOTHING BY FEMALE SENATORS AND THAT HAD NEVER HAPPENED TO ME IN MY 25 YEARS HERE AND YOU WERE ONE OF THE SENATORS I RAN INTO.
HOW MUCH HAS IT CHANGED THE CULTURE, THE YOUTHS, THE DIVERSITY, HE WOMEN?
>> I MEAN, IT CHANGES EVERYTHING, IT CHANGES THE CONVERSATION, IT'S NO LONGER A HYPOTHETICAL ACADEMIC DEBATE ABOUT WHETHER NURSING PROTECTIONS AND PREGNANCY ACCOMMODATIONS ARE IMPORTANT.
LIKE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE IMPACTED ARE SITTING AT THE TABLE, WE'RE CHIEF-AUTHORING THE BILLS AND SO IT CHANGES EVERYTHING ABOUT THE CONVERSATION.
IT'S NOT ABOUT US WITHOUT US, WE'RE IN THE ROOM.
>> Mary: AND HOW MUCH HAS IT HELPED TO HAVE SUPPORT, TO HAVE OTHER ATTENTION WITH YOU?
>> AMAZING.
I WILL POINT OUT, SENATOR HEATHER GUSTAFSON TODAY HAD AN AMAZING, AMAZING KIND OF REBUTTAL TO SENATOR DRAZKOWSKI'S REMARKS THAT HE KEEPS MAKING ABOUT WHITE SUPREMACY AND COMMITTEE AND IT WAS SO AMAZING TO HAVE AN ALLEY IN THAT COMMITTEE SO I DIDN'T HAVE TO BE THE ONE BLACK WOMAN IN THE ROOM TO SPEAK UP AND SAY THAT'S A REALLY DANGEROUS LINE OF RHETORIC.
I HAD A COLLEAGUE, ALLY SITTING THERE WHO WAS READY TO SAY SOMETHING FINALLY AFTER A LONG TIME OF HOLDING IT BACK AND IT'S CHANGED HOW WE OPERATE HERE.
>> Mary: YOU'RE NOT JUST THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO BE ELECTED BUT YOU'RE AMONG OTHERS.
>> .
THE FIRST BLACK MOM, IT DOES
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