WENT TO IOWA TO MAKE NEWS THERE, BACK HOME HE'’S HAD PRESS EVENTS TOUTING NURSING HOME FUNDING PASSED IN AN END-OF-SESSION DEAL.

THAT CAUGHT THE ATTENTION OF THE HOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER WHO'’S CONCERNED ABOUT JUST WHO IS TAKING CREDIT.

MARY LAHAMMER HAS THAT AND MORE IN HER CONVERSATION WITH THE NEW CAUCUS LEADER.

>> MANY NURSING HOMES ARE STILL REELING -- >> Mary: IN THE EWS WEEK AFTER WEEK.

>> IT'S EXPENSIVE TO CARE FOR SENIORS, BUT WE'VE DECIDED AS A STATE AND AS A NATION WE CARE ABOUT OUR ENIORS AND WE'RE GOING TO INVEST TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT HAPPENS.

>> WE'RE HAPPY SOME OF THE BILLS THAT GOT PASSED, THERE WERE GOOD NURSING HOME DOLLARS LEFT, IN THE LAST MINUTE THAT CAME THROUGH, WE APPLAUD THAT EFFORT.

>> Mary: THE GOVERNOR WAS VISITING NURSING HOMES, CELEBRATING FUNDING THAT WASN'T EXACTLY EASY TO GET IN AN END-OF-SESSION DEAL.

>> AS WE GOT INTO SESSION, IN JANUARY, WE WERE HEARING FROM OUR NURSING HOMES AND THE DIRE NEED THAT THEY HAD.

SO AS HOUSE REPUBLICANS, WE PUT TOGETHER A WORKING GROUP, JUST WITHIN OUR CAUCUS.

>> Mary: DEMUTH, A NEW LEADER, ASKED THE GOVERNOR FOR AN EARLY SOLUTION TO THE LONG-TERM CARE CRISIS.

>> $18 BILLION OF SURPLUS, THERE WAS -- WE WERE FLUSH WITH CASH.

AND IT DIDN'T LOOK LIKE WE WERE GOING TO BE IN A HARD POSITION FINANCIALLY TO ADDRESS A GREAT NEED ACROSS THE STATE.

LET ME REMIND YOU THAT THE GOVERNOR ONLY HAD $3.9 MILLION IN HIS ORIGINAL BUDGET PROPOSAL.

THAT WAS NOT GOING TO BE ENOUGH WHATSOEVER.

THANKFULLY, AT THE VERY END OF SESSION, WITH A LOT OF NEGOTIATION FROM SENATE REPUBLICANS, HOUSE REPUBLICANS, OBVIOUSLY THE MAJORITY WAS INVOLVED IN THAT, WE WERE TOLD BY DHS THAT WE COULD NOT DO THIS, IT HAD TO BE LOANS.

>> Mary: NOW SHE'S SEEN DFL LEADERS AND THE GOVERNOR TOUTING THE FUNDING WHICH SHE SAYS REPUBLICANS REALLY BROUGHT TO THE TABLE IN A LARGER COMPROMISE.

DO YOU FEEL LIKE HE'S TAKEN CREDIT?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

>> Mary: AND SHOULD HE?

>> NO, I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD TAKE CREDIT FOR IT BECAUSE IT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE EARLIER IN SESSION WHEN WE FIRST BROUGHT UP THE NEED.

NURSING HOME UNDING SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN PARTISAN.

IT SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE BEEN AN ISSUE THAT WE COULD COME TOGETHER AND FIND SOLUTIONS FOR.

>> Mary: BUT HAS IT TURNED PARTISAN?

>> I THINK SO.

OTHERWISE WE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN HAVING THIS CONVERSATION.

>> Mary: THE OTHER ISSUE LEADER DEMUTH AND REPUBLICANS THINK COULD BECOME CAMPAIGN FODDER IS DEMOCRATS' PLAN TO SPEND HALF A BILLION DOLLARS TO RENOVATE THE STATE OFFICE BUILDING.

>> WE HAVE A BEAUTIFUL CAPITOL BEHIND US, STATE OFFICE BUILDING.

WE ARE LOOKING AT SPENDING $500 MILLION AS A BASE, FOR THE RENOVATION AND ADDITION TO THIS BUILDING FOR 134 LEGISLATORS.

ALL WE HAVE FOR NURSING HOME FUNDING THAT WE HAD TO BEG FOR AT THE VERY END IS $300 MILLION FOR NURSING HOMES ACROSS THE STATE FOR 27,000 RESIDENTS THAT RE IN NURSING HOMES RIGHT NOW.

THAT EELS VERY PARTISAN TO ME.

THIS WAS DONE UNDER THE RADAR BEFORE WE CAME BACK INTO SESSION, SO THIS WAS DONE BEFORE MY LEADERSHIP, IT WAS DONE BY THE HOUSE MAJORITY.

>> Mary: BUT IT'S HARD TO DENY DEMOCRATS DOMINATED THE ELECTION CYCLE AND THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IN THE STATE CONTINUES TO SUFFER WITH A LACK OF MONEY, A TOP DONOR, SENTENCE FOR SEX TRAFFICKING KIDS, AND AN ALL-WHITE-MALE SUBURB BANS CAUCUS ROUNDLY CRITICIZED FOR FORGETTING WOMEN.

CAN YOUR PARTY HELP YOU TO TAKE BACK CONTROL?

>> THINK MY FOCUS RIGHT NOW IS GETTING THE HOUSE INTO THE MAJORITY.

AND I THINK AS MINNESOTANS SEE THAT WE ARE REASONABLE, WE'LL HAVE GREAT CANDIDATES IN THE AREAS THAT WE MOST WANT TO FOCUS ON WILL HOLD ALL 64 OF THE SEATS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE.

>> Mary: DEMUTH SAYS SHE'S FOCUSED ON HER CURRENT JOB, BUT OTHERS MENTION ER FOR HIGHER OFFICE.

>> MARY, YOU KNOW, I DON'T LEAD WITH, WELL, I'M A WOMAN, OR I'M A BLACK WOMAN, I DON'T LEAD WITH THAT, BUT THAT IS SOMETHING TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION.

I KNOW THERE ARE A LOT OF GOOD QUALITY CANDIDATES OUT THERE.

OUR JOB IS TO FIND THEM AND EMPOWER THEM TO WIN.

IF IT'S WOMEN, GREAT.

IF IT'S A GOOD, QUALIFIED MAN, THAT'S AWESOME OO.

>> Mary: REPUBLICANS NEED TO STOP SCARING SUBURBAN WOMEN.

WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THAT?

>> I WOULD SAY, LET'S HAVE A CONVERSATION.

OUR INTENT IS NOT TO SCARE SUBURBAN WOMEN.

I THINK THE THINGS THAT ARE LOOKED AT ACROSS THE STATE FIT BOTH IN THE SUBURBS AND GREATERAND, IS --AND MINNESOTA, IS MINNESOTA A SAFE PLACE TO LIVE, IS IT A GOOD PLACE TO DO BUSINESS?

>> Mary: WOMEN MIGHT ALSO BE CONCERNED ABOUT KIDS AND ACCESS TO CANNABIS.

>> IT WAS NOT READY TO BE SIGNED INTO LAW.

WE MADE SOMETHING LEGAL THAT BECAME LEGAL TO HAVE IN MINNESOTA WITHOUT THE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK AT ALL IN PLACE.

AND, SO, IT'S KIND OF CART BEFORE THE HORSE TYPE THING.

WE WANT A SPECIAL SESSION, ESPECIALLY WHERE IT TALKS ABOUT THE PENALTIES FOR MINORS.

WE HEARD FROM BOTH DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS THAT WERE ON THE BILL, THEY WERE PART OF THE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE, SO I'M NOT SAYING WE BACK THAT UP AND DON'T MAKE IT LEGAL.

I'M SAYING, LET'S FIX THE MOST CONCERNING THINGS.

SPECIFICALLY WHEN IT COMES TO MINORS.

ALMOST $18 BILLION OF SURPLUS WAS BLOWN THROUGH AND IT DIDN'T COME BACK TO MINNESOTANS.

WE ALSO RAISED STATE SPENDING BY $10 BILLION, INCREASED THAT STATE BUDGET BY $10 BILLION.

THAT IS GOING TO AFFECT ALL MINNESOTANS.

THAT'S GOING TO COME UP TO THE TOP, WHETHER IT'S BUSINESS OWNERS, PEOPLE ON THE STREET, PEOPLE I RUN INTO, THEY'RE, LIKE, WHERE'S OUR MONEY?

WHERE IS OUR SURPLUS THAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE GETTING, LIKE, WHAT DID YOU DO TO OUR STATE?

SERIOUSLY.

WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR STATE?