 Well, with only 41 days remaining in the 2017 legislative session, area lawmakers are making a final push in lobbying the bills that they hope to pass. Josh Peterson sat down with area representatives and the Minnesota Speaker of the House today and got their thoughts on how this year's legislative session is going. With control of the House and Senate, Republicans went into the 2017 legislative session with high hopes. With last year's session unsuccessfully passing a bonding bill, House Republicans are looking to not only pass a state budget, but to also pass a bonding bill as well. You know, potential for a bonding bill, and we know there's some needed investment in this area, frankly, that is overdue. We also didn't get a bonding bill in the last two-year period. So we know that's overdue. We'd like to do that as well. For local freshman House representatives, there was a high learning curve for representative Matt Bliss. The expansion of the Paul Bunyan Expressway turned out to be a contested issue, but it's not off the table yet. There's so many people that want something to be done, and it's been a project for so long that we really need to get resolution to this and do it in a way that gets everybody's input. For Representative Matt Grossell, his first year representing District 2A has provided him a chance to work on issues that are gaining bipartisan support. Before the session wraps up, I want to make sure that those two bills, the ones for the firefighters and medical personnel and the criminal sexual conduct bill in the Republic's safety omnibus. Even though Republicans have often been at odds with the Democratic Governor, Mark Dayton, Republicans in the House maintain an optimistic outlook. Obviously, we want to put some tax relief back in Minnesota family pockets. We want to reduce the cost of health care and health coverage in the state. We know Minnesotans want and need that. We also want to take care of our road and bridge infrastructure and make sure that we're investing at a level and in a way that Minnesotans will appreciate. If we can accomplish those things, I would call it a successful session. While the House remains in recess for the Easter holiday, their work continues. Speaker Doubt and House Representatives are traveling the state, visiting with constituents and preparing for the final weeks of the legislative session. Josh Peterson, Lakeland News. The House and Senate must complete all work by midnight on May Monday, May 22nd. If you've enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland Public Television.