NO WORD ON WHETHER ANY
COMPROMISES WERE REACHED WHILE
FISHING OVER SOME OF THE BIG
ISSUES LEFT AS THE MINNESOTA
LEGISLATURE ENTERS ITS LAST
WEEK OF SESSION.
AND JUST UNDER THREE WEEKS,
THE WEEKEND OF JUNE 1 AND
SECOND, GOP DELEGATES WILL GO
TO THEIR ENDORSING CONVENTIONS
TO ENDORSE THEIR PICS FOR
GOVERNOR AS WELL AS OTHER
CANDIDATES.
THE LEADING CANDIDATES ON THE
GOP SIDE FOR GOVERNOR ARE THE
FOLLOWING. THEY HAVE INVESTED
RECENT MONTHS.
TODAY WE WELCOME REBECCA OTTO.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING
IN.
20 DAYS UNTIL THE ENDORSING
CONVENTION.
WHERE ARE YOU IN TERMS OF THE
DELEGATE COUNT?
YOU NEED 60%.
IF YOU GET 60%, WE HAVE BEEN
WORKING VERY HARD, WE HAVE DONE
WELL FOR THE CAUCUS PROCESS IN
TERMS OF BEING DELEGATES.
NOW WE CONTINUE TO DO WORK
EVERY DAY TO CONTINUE TO
IDENTIFY DELEGATES AND WE ARE
NECK AND NECK WITH SOME RIGHT
NOW.
HE SAID IF HE DOES NOT GIVE
THE ENDORSEMENT HE WILL TAKE IT
TO THE AUGUST PRIMARY.
THAT IS NOT WHAT YOU ARE SAYING.
I'M GOING TO ABIDE BY THE
ENDORSEMENT BECAUSE I RESPECT
THE DELEGATES AND THE PROCESS.
I HAVE BEEN WORKING THE PROCESS
HARD.
ENDORSEMENT HAS SERVED ME WELL
IN THE PAST.
IN TERMS OF KEY ISSUES, ONE
OF THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCES HAS
BEEN THE EVOLUTION OF A
CONGRESSMAN ON AN ISSUE.
HE CHANGED HIS POSITION IN THE
PAST YEAR AND HE IS SAYING HE
IS MOVING WHERE THE PEOPLE ARE,
WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO THAT?
IT IS GREAT HE CHANGED HIS
POSITION, BUT THERE HAVE BEEN
ISSUES FOR A LONG TIME ALONG
MASS SHOOTINGS.
HIS CLOSE AFFILIATION WITH THE
NRA IS TROUBLING TOO MANY.
I'M GLAD HE CHANGED HIS
POSITION.
BUT HE SAID THE TIME IS CHANGE,
BUT THE CHANGES HE IS RUNNING
FOR GOVERNOR.
BECAUSE HE WAS FORMALLY
ENDORSED BY THE NRA, NOW HE IS
GIVING BACK THE MONEY OR
DONATING IT TO OTHER GROUPS.
IS CALLING FOR AN ASSAULT
WEAPONS BAN.
HE WILL LIKE IT AND A RATING
AND MORE, WHAT IS YOUR
POSITION?
IT IS GOOD.
MY POSITION IS NOW WHERE HIS IS
IN TERMS OF DEALING WITH GUN
VIOLENCE AS A PUBLIC SAFETY AND
HEALTH ISSUE.
IT IS A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE.
THERE ARE LAWS THAT SHOULD HAVE
CHANGED A LONG TIME AGO THAT
WOULD PROVIDE ADDITIONAL
PROTECTIONS, BUT WE SHOULD
REALLY STUDY THIS IS A PUBLIC
HEALTH ISSUE.
OUR KIDS ARE RELYING ON US TO
DO THIS.
WE NEED TO BE THE GROWN-UPS.
THE NRA HAS AN UNDUE INFLUENCE
AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
WE MUST DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
YOU RECENTLY LOST A DECISION
THE SUPREME COURT.
YOU ACTUALLY WENT TO COURT TO
TRY TO GET SOME OF THE POWERS
OF THE STATE AUDITOR BACK AS
LEGISLATURE ROLE THE BACTERIA
THAT CAUSE TAXPAYERS $200,000,
WAS THAT A WISE USE OF
TAXPAYERS MONEY?
ABSOLUTE.
I SWORE AN OATH TO PROTECT THE
CONSTITUTION.
THE LEGISLATURE SPENT OVER
$400,000, THEY DO NOT GET WHAT
THEY WANTED AND THE COURT SAID
YOU HAVE MONEY, YOU WILL BE
FIND.
WE ACTUALLY GOT SOMETHING FROM
THE SUPREME COURT.
THEY GIVE US IMPORTANT
CLARIFICATIONS AROUND OUR
AUTHORITY, WE CONTINUE TO HAVE
AUTHORITY OVER THE COUNTIES, IT
IS LESS EFFICIENT.
THE LEGISLATURE SAID THERE
WORKING FOR COST-EFFECTIVENESS.
THEY HAVE NOT A COMPASS THAT.
THE COURTS DID SAY WE HAVE
BROAD AUTHORITY THEN WE
INTERPRETED.
THIS IS AN IMPORTANT WHEN -- WIN
FOR THE TAX PICKERSÃ
TAXPAYERS.
AND THE STATE OF MINNESOTA
REALLY HANDLE RUNNING A BANK?
WE DO SIMILAR WORK,
ESPECIALLY THE HOUSING FINANCE
AGENCY BOARD.
THIS IS A DIFFERENT SITUATION.
ABSOLUTELY, NORTH DAKOTA DOES
THIS AND THEY HAVE DONE SINCE
THE EARLY 1900S.
WE HAVE YOUNG PEOPLE AND MIDDLE-
AGED PEOPLE THAT ARE SETTLED
WITH STUDENT DEBT.
WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO REFINANCE
THAT.
WE SHOULD HELP STUDENTS GOING
INTO SCHOOL HAVING LOW INTEREST
LOANS ON THAT.
ALSO, THE SMALL BUSINESS
COMMITTEE, MICRO-BUSINESSES,
WOMEN-OWNED, MINORITY OWNED,
THEY HAVE PROBLEMS GETTING
ACCESS TO CAPITAL.
I FOCUS ON LOCAL ECONOMIES.
WE CAN ALSO PROVIDE THEM WITH
ACCESS TO CAPITAL AND REALLY
REFURBISH OUR MAIN STREET
BUSINESSES.
SHE HAS GRACIOUSLY AGREED TO
CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION ON
FACEBOOK LIVE ON THE WCCO
FACEBOOK PAGE AT 11:00
IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE SHOW.
LIKE THAT ON FACEBOOK AND YOU