Almanac: At the Capitol | Senator Tom Bakk | Season 2023 | Episode 8

SO, WE BRING YOU THIS SPECIAL LOOK AT A NUMBER OF NOTABLE FIGURES WHO HAVE LEFT THE LEGISLATURE.

WE START WITH ONE OF THE BIGGEST RETIREMENT ANNOUNCEMENTS, THAT OF SENATOR TOM BAKK.

HE WAS FIRST ELECTED TO THE LEGISLATURE IN 1994, HERE IN THE HOUSE AS A DEMOCRAT, THEN WENT OVER TO THE SENATE AND BECAME MAJORITY LEADER.

AND IN 2020, HE LEFT HIS PARTY TO CAUCUS WITH THE REPUBLICANS AND OFFICIALLY BECOME AN INDEPENDENT.

I SAT DOWN FACE TO FACE FOR A RARE IN-PERSON INTERVIEW WITH SENATOR BAKK ABOUT HIS FINAL EMOTIONAL SESSION.

TOM BAKK, SAME QUESTION EVERYBODY GETS AS THE FIRST QUESTION, WHY NOW?

>> YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN HERE A LONG TIME.

AND I HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS LEAVING.

AND I JUST THINK I'M PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT TOO OLD AND A LITTLE SHORT ON ENERGY TO INTRODUCE MYSELF AND MY EXPERIENCE TO PROBABLY A THIRD OF A NEW LEGISLATURE.

A LOT OF THE LEGISLATURE'S GOING TO TURN OVER.

>> MARY: THIS CANNOT BE EASY FOR YOU, THOUGH.

YOU'VE HAD A HUGE IMPACT, PHYSICALLY ON THIS BUILDING, IN LEADERSHIP, YOU LED ONE CAUCUS, YOU CAME CLOSE TO LEADING ANOTHER CAUCUS.

YOUR IMPRINT HERE IS BIG.

THAT HAS TO BE HARD TO LEAVE.

>> YOU KNOW, A SPENT A COUPLE MONTHS REALLY MULLING IT VERY HARD.

AND I CAME TO A POINT OF DESCRIBING IT LIKE, THERE ARE PROBABLY ONLY A COUPLE TIMES IN LIFE WHEN YOU COME TO A FORK IN THE ROAD, WHEN YOU TAKE IT, LIFE IS NEVER THE SAME.

I LOVE THIS PLACE.

BUT EVERYBODY'S REPLACEABLE.

>> MARY: HOW MUCH OF A FACTOR IS YOUR BEST FRIEND AND OFFICE MATE HERE ACROSS THE HALL, HOW HARD WOULD IT BE TO BE HERE WITHOUT DAVID TOMASSONI?

>> THAT KIND OF CUTS BOTH WAYS.

BECAUSE HIM AND I ARE CLOSE, CLOSE FRIENDS.

I MEAN, WE'VE BEEN A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT ONE-TWO PUNCH FOR THE IRON RANGE AND MAYBE FOR RURAL MINNESOTA IN GENERAL FOR A LONG, LONG TIME HERE, DECADES.

>> BONDING IS BIG.

[ LAUGHTER ] [ APPLAUSE ] >> I TOLD YOU WE WERE A ONE-TWO PUNCH.

>> AND BEING WITHOUT MY SIDEKICK HERE SEEMED PRETTY DIFFICULT, AND, AT THE SAME TIME, I WAS PULLED TO STAY BECAUSE LEAVING THE IRON RANGE WITH NO SENIORITY IN THE LEGISLATURE IS PROBABLY NOT THE BEST PLACE TO LEAVE THEM.

>> MARY: WHAT ABOUT THE POLITICS OF IT?

DOES YOUR SEAT AUTOMATICALLY GO REPUBLICAN?

>> NO, I THINK IT'S A SWING DISTRICT NOW.

AND I ACTUALLY THINK THAT'S A GOOD THING.

I THINK SWING DISTRICTS ARE A GOOD THING.

BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU HAVE SWING DISTRICTS IS THE STRONGEST CANDIDATE PREVAILS.

>> MARY: YOU HAVEN'T TALKED THAT MUCH ABOUT BEING THE KING OF THE IRON RANGE DELEGATION AND YOUR TIME AS TAX CHAIR.

TO ME, IT SEEMED LIKE YOU ENJOYED THAT JOB ALMOST MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE.

>> PROBABLY MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE.

AND I TAKE SPENDING MONEY, AND I THINK ALL TAX COMMITTEE MEMBERS TAKE SPENDING MONEY MORE SERIOUSLY THAN OTHER MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE.

EVERY DIME WE SPEND WE TAKE OUT OF SOMEBODY'S WALLET.

AND THAT'S SERIOUS.

>> MARY: DO YOU LEAVE WANTING TO BE DESCRIBED AS A DEMOCRAT, A REPUBLICAN, AN INDEPENDENT?

HOW DO YOU WANT TO BE THOUGHT OF?

>> I'M A CARPENTER.

AND IF THERE'S ONE OCCUPATION OUT IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT'S MORE PROBLEM SOLVERS, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS, BUT CARPENTERS SOLVE PROBLEMS BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T, YOU NEVER GET ANYTHING BUILT.

I THINK THAT'S HOW I WANT TO BE REMEMBERED, NOT AS A DEMOCRAT REPUBLICAN, INDEPENDENT, SOMEONE WHO CAME HERE WHO JUST WANTED TO GET WORK DONE, WHETHER IT'S BUILDING A NEW STADIUM, TRAILS, ONE OF MY PROUDEST ACCOMPLISHMENTS IS ALL-DAY KINDERGARTEN, A LOT OF PEOPLE TAKE CREDIT FOR THAT AND I KNOW WHO REALLY DID IT AND IT WAS ME.

I WAS IN THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE AND I HAD TO GET UP AND WALK OUT OF THE MEETING BECAUSE I TOLD HIM I WASN'T GOING HOME WITHOUT IT.

I THINK THE VIKINGS WOULD BE A TEAM IN CALIFORNIA BUT FOR ME.

WE'RE SITTING IN THERE WITH ALL THE PLAYERS, ABOUT TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO BUILD A NEW STADIUM.

AND NO ONE HAD AN IDEA.

AND THE SPEAKER SAID, I'LL PUT IT UP FOR A VOTE BUT I'M NOT RAISING TAXES TO PAY FOR IT.

I SAID, HOW ABOUT IF WE USE ELECTRONIC PULL TABS?

NOT ONE PERSON IN THE ROOM KNEW WHAT IT WAS.

I KNEW SOMETHING ABOUT ELECTRONIC PULL TABS BECAUSE I WAS A FORMER TAX CHAIR.

AND THE GOVERNOR LOOKED AT ME AND SAID, WELL, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS, BUT DOES IT RAISE ANY MONEY?

AND I SAID, ABOUT $70 MILLION A YEAR.

AND HE LOOKED OVER TO HIS COMMISSIONER OF REVENUE AND HE SAID, MYRON, YOU LOOK INTO THAT.

AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE STADIUM GOT SOME LEGS UNDER IT.

I WAS JUST THE MINORITY LEADER AT THE TIME.

BUT WHEN WE FINALLY GOT THE BILL UP TO THE FLOOR, I HAD TO PUT MORE VOTES UP FROM MY CAUCUS, THE MINORITY CAUCUS, THAN THE MAJORITY DID TO GET IT OVER THE FINISH LINE.

THIS CAPITOL, THE NEW SENATE BUILDING, YOU CAN SEE MY PERSONAL GROUNDBREAKING ON IT.

>> MARY: THAT'S GOT TO STAND OUT FOR YOU.

THAT HAS TO BE ONE OF YOUR TOP ACCOMPLISHMENTS, NOT JUST THE CAPITOL RENOVATION BUT THE SENATE BUILDING TOO.

>> THE CAPITOL COULDN'T HAVE BEEN RENOVATED WITHOUT THE NEW SENATE BUILDING, COULDN'T HAVE BEEN DONE.

THAT'S WHY FOR 40 YEARS, GOING BACK TO NICK COLEMAN, LEADERS WERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, WE KNEW THE CAPITOL NEEDED THE RENOVATION, NO ONE COULD FIGURE OUT, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO WITH THE SENATE, UNTIL A CARPENTER CAME ALONG.

I THINK TO BE REAL LEADERS, YOU HAVE TO BE WILLING TO BE A LITTLE LONELY SOMETIMES.

MAYBE NOT EVERYBODY CAN SEE YOUR VISION OF WHAT YOU WANT TO ACCOMPLISH.

>> MARY: SO WHAT'S YOUR SECRET?

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO TELL PEOPLE BECAUSE YOU'VE GOTTEN AN AWFUL LOT DONE.

HOW DID YOU DO IT?

WHAT CAN PEOPLE LEARN FROM YOU?

HOW CAN THEY DO THE SAME?

>> I WAS LUCKY.

WHEN I CAME HERE, IRV ANDERSON WAS THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE FROM INTERNATIONAL FALLS, DOUG JOHNSON, MY SENATOR, WAS ONE OF THE FIXTURES IN THE SENATE.

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