>> ERIC: MARATHON FLOOR SESSIONS AND CONFERENCE COMMITTEES ARE WHERE ALL THE WORK IS HAPPENING AT THE CAPITOL AS LAWMAKERS NEAR ADJOURNMENT.

MARY LAHAMMER IS BACK TO SHOW US HISTORY THAT WAS MADE IN ONE OF THOSE COMMITTEES WITH TWO GROUNDBREAKING LEADERS SUCCEEDING AMIDST END OF SESSION TENSIONS.

>> THE MOTION PREVAILS.

>> DIVISION!

DIVISION!

DIVISION!

>> CALENDAR -- >> DIVISION!!!!

>> Mary: CHAOTIC, LONG, LATE-NIGHT FLOOR SESSIONS OFTEN MARK THE ENDING DAYS OF THE LEGISLATURE.

>> DIVISION.

>> SENATOR LONG.

>> THIS IS WHAT DEMOCRACY LOOKS LIKE.

>> MADAM SPEAKER, I MOVE WE ADJOURN SINE DIE.

>> EVERYTHING IS AT RISK BECAUSE OF THE ACTION TAKEN LAST NIGHT.

>> WE'VE SEEN A LONG AND UGLY HISTORY OF FILIBUSTERING OF CIVIL RIGHTS BILLS.

- >> Mary: MUCH OF THE ACTION AT THIS STAGE IS IN CONFERENCE COMMITTEES WHERE OUSE AND SENATE MEMBERS CRAFT FINAL COMPROMISES.

>> COOL.

>> Mary: SOMETHING COOL HAPPENED IN ONE OF THOSE COMMITTEES THAT MAKES HISTORY.

>> I THINK MAYBE I WAS THE FIRST ONE TO REALIZE IT, BUT I WAS LIKE, WAIT, ARE WE THE - FIRST TWO BLACK WOMEN TO CO-CHAIR A CONFERENCE COMMITTEE?

>> Mary: DID YOU KNOW THAT GOING IN, YOU WERE MAKING HISTORY OF BEFORE THE COMMITTEE MET?

>> NOT AT ALL.

I MEAN, RIGHT AFTER OUR PRECONFERENCE COMMITTEE, ESTHER WAS LIKE, I THINK WE'RE THE FIRST, AND WE'RE SITTING IN THE ROOM, IT WAS ME, HER, AND SENATOR OUMOU VERBETEN, WE'RE LIKE, OW.

SO IT WAS KIND OF LIKE A GOOD MOMENT TO JUST TAKE IT IN.

>> I JUST WANT TO SAY HOW MUCH I ENJOY SEEING THE TWO OF YOU CHAIR OUR CONFERENCE COMMITTEE.

IT'S JUST LOVELY.

>> Mary: SHE KIND OF CREATED A MOMENT, IT FELT LIKE, IN THE ROOM.

>> IN THE ROOM, I WAS GLAD THAT SHE DID THAT BECAUSE IT'S NICE TO JUST, LIKE, HAVE THAT RECOGNITION, HAVE THAT REPRESENTATION, LET PEOPLE WHO, IF THEY DO STUMBLE ACROSS THIS SOMETIME, SEE IT, THEY'RE, LIKE, OH, MAYBE I CAN DO THAT, TOO.

>> Mary: WHAT DID YOU IT MEAN TO YOU?

>> IF SHE HADN'T POINTED IT OUT, I DON'T THINK PEOPLE WOULD HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT IT, WOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED IN THIS BODY.

I THINK IT POINTS O THE FACT THAT WE'RE REPRESENTING MORE THAN JUST OUR SEATS AND WHO WE ARE, BUT WE'RE REPRESENTING GENERATIONS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO COME THROUGH THESE DOORS AND OPENING DOORS FOR THEM.

>> Mary: MOHAMED IS A FRESHMAN ND ONE OF THE FIRST BLACK WOMEN ELECTED TO THE SENATE AND THE YOUNGEST EVER.

SO SHE'S NOT NEW TO BREAKING BARRIERS.

LIKE YOUR SECOND CHANCE AT HISTORY.

>> I THINK SO.

I MEAN, RIGHT BEFORE I WAS RUNNING, ESTHER WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE I CALLED.

I LOOK AT EPRESENTATIVE AGBAJE, A DOUBLE IVY DEGREE, LIKE DOING THIS WORK WITH HER, LIKE WHO AM I?

I THINK THAT'S THE PART THAT MINNESOTANS GET TO SEE S HOW SMART SOME OF THE PEOPLE HERE WHO WALK THROUGH THESE DOORS THAT ARE REPRESENTING GENERATIONS OF EOPLE ARE AND THE WORK THAT THEY HAVE DONE TO GET HERE.

>> Mary: THE REPRESENTATIVE HAS TWO IVY LEAGUE DEGREES WITH A MASTER'S FROM PENN AND A J.D.

LAW DEGREE FROM HARVARD.

SO IN HER SECOND TERM, HER SMARTS ARE WELL ESTABLISHED.

>> FEELS LIKE I KNOW MY WAY AROUND A LITTLE BIT, BUT I'M STILL LEARNING NEW THINGS EVERY AY, I'M STILL WORKING WITH NEW ADVOCATES, I'M STILL TRYING TO MAKE SURE I'M BRINGING IN ALL TYPES OF VOICES.

ONE OF THE THINGS I REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I DO HERE, WE DON'T KEEP DOING THE SAME STATUS QUO AND THAT WE'RE BRINGING IN PEOPLE WHO REALLY WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN MINNESOTA, ARE REALLY FIGHTING FOR PEOPLE WHO BE DON'T EVEN KNOW THEY CAN COME TO THIS BUILDING.

>> WHAT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO LEARN FROM REPRESENTATIVE AGBAJE, HOW GOOD SHE IS AT THIS JOB AND HOW MUCH OF A MENTOR SHE'S BECOME TO ME.

I GET TO BE ABLE TO LEARN FROM SOMEONE WHO LOOKS LIKE ME, WHO'S LOOKING OUT FOR ME, MAKING SURE THAT I DO A GOOD JOB.

>> THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.

IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE TO WORK WITH YOU ON THIS CONFERENCE COMMITTEE.

>> THIS YEAR WHAT WE DID, WE WERE BUILDING ON THE TENANT'S RIGHTS THAT WE PUT INTO PLACE LAST YEAR.

SO WHAT I LIKE TO SAY, MINNESOTA IS COMING UP TO PAR WITH TENANTS' RIGHTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

SO WHAT WE DID THIS YEAR IS ENSURE THAT WE HAD THE CLARIFICATIONS IN PLACE, SO PEOPLE KNEW HOW TO FOLLOW IT.

WE ALSO ADDED A REALLY BIG ONE, TENANTS' RIGHT TO ORGANIZE, SENATOR MOHAMED WORKED REALLY HEAVILY ON THAT.

>> Mary: HOW ABOUT YOU PERSONALLY AND YOUR CONSTITUTENTS, WHY THIS MATTERS?

>> IT MATTERS TO MY CONSTITUENTS T MATTERS TO ME.

I HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF RENTERS, I RAN ON BEING AN IMMIGRANT, RENTER, ORGANIZER, BOTH OF US ARE STILL RENTING, 1/3 OF MINNESOTANS ARE RENTERS.

WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A LARGE POPULATION THAT THIS IS GOING TO AFFECT.

>> Mary: THE HOUSING CHAIR HAS HIGH PRAISE FOR THE PAIR.

>> THIS IS A REALLY REALLY BIG DEAL.

AND I'M JUST GRATEFUL FOR THE LEADERS ON THIS CONFERENCE COMMITTEE THAT HAVE WORKED TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.

>> I THINK POLITICS IS A WAY TO MAKE SOMETHING OUT OF NOTHING.

SO I'M HOPING THE SOMETHING THAT I'M MAKING IS GOING TO CHANGE PEOPLE'S LIVES FOR THE BETTER.

>> THERE ARE NO OTHER BUSINESS, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.

>> Mary: IN THE MEND, THEY'RE -- IN THE END, THEY'RE HUMBLE AND APPRECIATIVE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES.

>> WE HAVE ONE MORE THING, GUYS.

FIRST TIME CHAIRING, I APOLOGIZE.

>> THERE'S SO MANY THINGS YOU DON'T ACTUALLY LEARN UNTIL YOU'RE SITTING THERE AT THE TABLE, YOU'RE DOING IT YOURSELF, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SAY AYE.

ALL THOSE OPPOSED SAY NAY.

WITH THAT, THE MEETING IS