>> Eric: LAWMAKERS ARE STILL STRUGGLING TO REACH CONSENSUS ON TOP PRIORITIES OF SESSION WITH WEEKS TO GO, BUT SMALLER BIPARTISAN MEASURES ARE MOVING ALONG AND SOME OF THEM HAVE EVEN BEEN FUN.

MARY LAHAMMER HAS BEEN TRACKING THIS FAVORITE FEEL-GOOD BILL FOR WEEKS.

>> THERE BEING 48 AYES AND 18 NOS, THE BILL IS PASSED AND ITS TITLE IS AGREED TO.

>> Mary: BIPARTISAN BILLS ARE BREAKING THROUGH, SMALLER THINGS, SUCH AS A NEW LICENSE PLATE CONTEST.

>> THIS MIGHT BE THE EASIEST YES VOTE THAT WE'LL GET TO TAKE ALL SESSION.

BECAUSE THIS BILL CELEBRATES ONE OF THE MOST RECOGNIZABLE SYMBOLS WE HAVE IN MINNESOTA.

>> THIS IS AN AWESOME EXAMPLE OF HOW THINGS SHOULD GET DONE AROUND THIS PLACE.

THIS BILL TRULY SHOWS THE POWER OF THE PEOPLE.

>> Mary: WATCHING FROM THE SENATE GALLERY IS THE CITIZEN WHO SPEARHEADED HE IDEA OF CELEBRATING THE OFFICIAL STATE GEM STONE.

SO HOW DOES IT FEEL TO HAVE ONE OF THE FEEL-GOOD BILLS OF SESSION?

>> FEELS INCREDIBLE.

IT JUST ABSOLUTELY -- ABSOLUTE AMAZING ENERGY TO SEE THIS COME TOGETHER, SEE THE RESPONSE, AND HAVE THIS AS SOMETHING THAT CAN BRING MINNESOTA TOGETHER.

>> Mary: LEAFBLAD GOT TO GO ON THE HOUSE FLOOR TO SEE LAWMAKERS ENJOY DEBATING THE NEW AGRICULTURE YATES PLATE.

>> THIS BILL MAY NOT PLOT A BOULDER PATH FORWARD, BUT IT IS FUN AND I WOULD CHARACTERIZE IT AS HIGHLY UNCONTROVERSIAL.

>> I RISE IN SUPPORT, NOT JUST FOR SHIFTS AND GIGGLES BUT FOR REAL -- FOR REAL SUPPORT FOR -- [ Laughter ] >> POINT OF ORDER.

>> THOSE OF US THAT WORK WITH ROCKS IN OUR DISTRICT KNOW WHAT THEY ARE.

I ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT BECAUSE I DO NOT WANT TO TAKE IT FOR GRANITE.

[ Laughter ] >> UPON LEARNING THAT IT WAS REPRESENTATIVE GOTTFRIED'S FIRST BILL TO PASS, AND SEEING THE COLLEGIALITY OF FOLKS COMING FROM ACROSS THE AISLE TO KIND OF DO, YOU KNOW, FIRST BILL MOMENT AND TO BE PART OF THAT JOURNEY AND STORY HAS JUST BEEN ANOTHER AMAZING PART OF THE JOURNEY.

>> THANK YOU, MADAM SPEAKER, MAY THE MOSTDY VISIVE THING HAPPEN TODAY BE MY TERRIBLE PUNS, ROCK ON, THANK YOU.

>> Mary: THE JOURNEY PLAYS LIKE A CLASSIC TAIL OF HOW A BILL BECOMES A LAW.

TALE.

>> REACHING OUT TO MY STATE REPRESENTATIVE, I HAD NEVER MET REPRESENTATIVE GOTTFRIED, REACHED OUT WITH AN EMAIL, CAN WE GRAB A CUP OF COFFEE, TALK ABOUT AN IDEA OF HOW DOES SOMETHING GET ON A LICENSE PLATE, LET'S GRAB COFFEE.

THAT'S HOW IT ALL STARTED.

>> Mary: IN A SESSION THAT NOTHING HAS TO HAPPEN, ESPECIALLY A BUDGET, LAWMAKERS ARE EAGER TO EMBRACE SOME OF THE FEEL-GOOD BILLS OF SESSION, WHICH INCLUDE A NURSING HOME HAPPY HOUR, MEAT RAFFLE RULE UPDATES AND A NEW CONTEST FOR A STATE AGRICULTURE YATES LICENSE PLATE.

>> FEEL LIKE WE'RE IN A SESSION WHERE IT'S RAFFLES, ROCKS, AND RETIREE R & R.

>> AND A STANDALONE BILL THAT PASSES HOUSE AND SENATE AND SAILING TO THE GOVERNOR.

THE PROCESS IS PRETTY REMARKABLE TO YOU, YEAH?

>> IT FEELS VERY SERENDIPITOUS THAT THE WAY THE PLANETS HAVE ALIGNED IN TERMS OF A MOMENT THAT WE COULD USE SOME OF THAT GOOD ENERGY AND TO SEE HOW THINGS CAME TOGETHER IN A WAY THAT WAS NOT ORCHESTRATED BUT SIMPLY FOLKS COMING TOGETHER AND SAYING HOW WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO THIS TOGETHER HAS BEEN AMAZING.

>> HEY, WHAT'S UP, EVERYBODY?

I'M CURRENTLY MAKING MY WAY DOWN TO LAKE SUPERIOR BEACH.

>> Mary: THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF AGRICULTURE YATES ENTHUSIASTS WHO ORGANIZED AROUND THE GEM OFTEN FOUND ON THE SHORES OF THE STATE'S MANY LAKES.

AGRICULTURE YATES.

AGATE.

AGATES.

>> OOH, THIS IS AWESOME.

>> Mary: DO YOU THINK IT HELPED TO HAVE THE AGATE ESTABLISHED AS THE STATE GEM STONE, DO YOU THINK YOU HAD A STARTING POINT?

>> I THINK WE'RE WORKING WITH ANOTHER GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS IN THE 1960s THAT SAID, WE HAVE A PASSION, ABOUT THIS GEM STONE, ULTIMATELY IN 1969 THE MINN MINERAL CLUB WORKED TO HELP GET THE LAKE SUPERIOR AGATE PICKED AND SIGNED INTO LAW IN 1969 BY THE OVERNOR.

>> Mary: NOW THE PUBLIC WILL GET A CHANCE TO WEIGH IN ON CREATING A NEW PLATE.

AND IT'S A CONTEST, THAT'S PART OF THE FUN.

>> THAT IS ABSOLUTELY PART OF THE FUN.

I WANT TO CHANNEL THAT ENERGY OF THE NAME A NOWPLOW CONTEST THAW SEE MINNESOTANS SUBMIT IDEAS FOR NAME A SNOWPLOW.

>> Mary: AS A WELL CONNECTED CONSULTANT, LEAFBLAD S NO STRANGER TO WHERE THIS EFFORT ARRIVES.

>> YOU CAN FEEL THE CHALLENGE OF THE MOMENT WE'RE IN, IN TERMS OF WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE AS TWIN CITIES AND AS A STATE.

AND I THINK PART OF WHAT THIS WHOLE PROCESS HAS BEEN, SUCH AN INFUSION OF HOPE AND OPTIMISM AND JOY IS TO SEE FOLKS A LITTLE SMILE CRACK WHEN YOU SAY, THIS IS AN IDEA ABOUT PUTTING OUR STATE GEM STONE ON A LICENSE PLATE.

>> TO ALL THE ROCK HOUNDS ACROSS THE STATE, GOOD WORK,