>> Eric: CONGRESSMAN JIM RAMSTAD DIED FIVE YEARS AGO AND NOW THERE'S A NEW EFFORT TO KEEP HIS MODEL OF BIPARTISAN WORK ALIVE THROUGH THE RAMSTAD INSTITUTE FOR CIVILITY AND YOUTH LEADERSHIP.

REPORTER MARY LAHAMMER EXPLAINS AS PART OF HER ONGOING SERIES ON SOLUTIONS TO POLITICAL POLARIZATION.

>> WE WANT TO WELCOME YOU TO THE WHITE HOUSE.

>> CONGRESSMAN JIM RAMSTAD LOVED POLITICS FROM THE VERY BEGIN.

HE WAS AT BOYS STATE WITH FUTURE PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON INCLUDING A FAMOUS MEETING WITH PRESIDENT JOHN .

KENNEDY IN 1963.

>> HE EL BOWED HIS WAY TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE IN ORDER TO GET HIS PICTURE.

[ LAUGHTER ] >> I PLEAD GUILTY.

>> PRETTY SOON THERE'S GOING TO BE YOUNG PEOPLE THAT SAY I DON'T ANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH POLITICS, IT'S NOT A PLACE I WANT TO PLAY -- >> AND THAT WOULD REAK JIM'S HEART, WOULDN'T IT, HONESTLY?

>> KATHERINE RAMSTAD IS STILL HEARTBROKEN AT THE LOSS OF HER HUSBAND BUT SHE AND OTHERS WHO ADORED THE TRAIL BLAZING CONGRESSMAN ARE CHANNELING GRIEF INTO A NEW PROJECT.

>> IT'S CALLED JIM RAMSTAD INSTITUTE FOR CIVILITY AND YOUTH LEADERSHIP.

>> WHAT WOULD HE THINK?

>> I HOPE HE WOULD LOVE IT.

I THINK HE WOULD LOVE IT.

HE PRACTICED CIVILITY.

HE WAS ALWAYS A BIPARTISAN LEADER, WHICH NOW, I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF YOU CAN FIND THEM ANYMORE.

>> IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE JIM RAMSTAD TODAY IN CONGRESS, ISN'T IT?

>> YEAH, HE WOULD NOT BE -- HE WOULD NOT LIKE IT.

>> WE NEED TO FIND THAT COMMON GROUND WHICH IS SORELY MISSING I'VE NOTICED IN THIS CITY.

>> HE LOVED GOING TO SCHOOLS AND TALKING TO KIDS AND PASSING ON THE PASSION FOR PUBLIC SERVICE THAT WAS GIVEN TO IM BY JOHN F. KENNEDY IN THE ROSE GARDEN.

BUT ALSO EVEN GOING ACK TO HIS YOUTH IN JAMESTOWN, NORTH DAKOTA WHERE HE'S PULLING A RED WAGON, YOU KNOW, POLITICKING OR DOING PARADES HE JUST LOVED PUBLIC SERVICE.

>> PAUL ANDERSON INTERNED IN RAMSTAD'S OFFICE AND LATER SERVED IN HIS SAME STATE SENATE SEAT.

>> >> WHEN I WAS 7 YEARS OLD JIM RAMSTAD KNOCKED ON OUR DOOR IN PLYMOUTH WHEN HE WAS RUNNING FOR STATE SENATE.

I REMEMBER THAT VIVIDLY.

WE DON'T HAVE MODELS ANYMORE THAT ARE MODELING PASSION FOR PUBLIC SERVICE AND PASSION FOR HOW YOU TREAT ONE ANOTHER.

WE HAVE POLITICS OVER PEOPLE, WE HAVE POLITICS OVER POLICY.

AND THAT NEEDS TO CHANGE.

>> OUR CONFERENCE PROGRAMS, YOUTH IN GOVERNMENT AND MODEL UNITED NATIONS ARE RUN BY STUDENT LEADERS.

SO WE HAVE ABOUT 200 STUDENT LEADERS THAT HELP TO CREATE THESE OPPORTUNITIES FOR 2,000 PARTICIPANTS.

AND THE THEME IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO CREATE THIS INSTITUTE TO HELP TRAIN THOSE 200 LEADERS TO BE MORE LIKE JIM RAMSTAD.

HOW TO DO IT WITH THE KIND OF CIVILITY AND RESPECT AND EMPATHY AND CONSTITUENT FOCUS THAT HE BROUGHT TO THE TABLE.

>> Mary: THE FIRST WAVE OF STUDENTS HAS ALREADY STARTED LEARNING ABOUT RAMSTAD'S LEGACY.

>> THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY DON'T KNOW, RIGHT?

BUT THEY DON'T GET A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES.

WHAT WE SEE IS HOW MUCH THEY ENJOY THE OPPORTUNITIES THEY GET TO BUILD DEEPER RELATIONSHIPS, TO UNDERSTAND ONE ANOTHER.

THAT IS NOT A NORMAL THING FOR MOST YOUNG PEOPLE RIGHT NOW.

>> Mary: HERE IN WAYZATA THE POST OFFICE IS NAMED FOR CONGRESSMAN JIM RAMSTAD.

THAT TOOK AN ACT OF CONGRESS AND HIS IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY IS FAR WIDER THAN THAT.

>> IT'S NOT JUST POLITICS, IT'S COMMUNITY SERVICE, AND THAT'S WHY I LOVE THE CENTER FOR YOUTH VOICE.

IT'S EXPANSIVE.

>> Mary: THE INSTITUTE WILL ALSO TRAIN TEACHERS ON HOW TO INSTRUCT CIVILITY AND CONSENSUS BUILDING.

A RECENT EVENT WITH PATRICK KENNEDY HELPED RAISE THE NOW $800,000 TOWARDS THE MILLION-DOLLAR GOAL.

>> WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO KEEP JIM'S LEGACY ALIVE IN PUBLIC POLICY AND POLITICS.

BECAUSE AGAIN, HERE IS SOMEBODY THAT WON AT 70% IN A DISTRICT THAT CONSISTENTLY WAS A 50/50 NATIONAL PRESIDENTIAL DISTRICT.

PEOPLE FORGET THAT.

>> Mary: COULD A PAUL ANDERSON OR JIM RAMSTAD WIN TODAY?

>> IT'S PRETTY TOUGH, IT'S PRETTY TOUGH.

YOU KNOW, SOMETHING HAS SHIFTED.

>> Mary: THE SHIFT IN POLARIZATION AND ANGER SYMBOLIZED BY A HORRIFIC ACT OF VIOLENCE AGAINST PEOPLE ANDERSON SERVED WITH AT THE STATE CAPITOL.

>> THIS BECAME REAL.

MELISSA AND MARK WERE MURDERED.

JOHN AND YVETTE WERE SHOT NINE AND EIGHT TIMES.

JOHN AND YVETTE AND HOPE, THEY HAD A RELATIONSHIP WITH JIM RAMSTAD WAY BEFORE HE BECAME A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER AND A STATE SENATOR.

>> Mary: SO HOW DESPERATELY DO WE NEED THIS RIGHT NOW?

>> HE ALWAYS WORKED ACROSS THE AISLE, THE BIPARTISANSHIP, THE CONSENSUS MAKING, THE, YOU KNOW, CIVILITY WITH PEOPLE WHO HE DIDN'T AGREE WITH, BUT HE FIGURED OUT WHAT HE COULD AGREE WITH.

AND IF WE DON'T COME TOGETHER LIKE THAT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN.

>> Mary: RAMSTAD PASSED IN 2020 OF PARKINSONS, LEAVING AN ENDLESS IMPACT ON POLICY AND PEOPLE.

>> YOU THINK OF JIM RAMSTAD AND HIS LEGACY IN THE TREATMENT WORLD, IN RECOVERY.

OBVIOUSLY WITH MENTAL HEALTH PARITY LEGISLATION WHICH WAS MONUMENTAL.

BUT WHAT HE DID IN THE COMMUNITY AND WHAT HE MEANT TO PEOPLE EVEN WALKING DOWN THE STREET, EVERYBODY KNEW JIM.

>> Mary: GROUNDBREAKING, HISTORIC BIPARTISAN LEGISLATION, I DON'T THINK WE COULD EVER TALK ABOUT JIM RAMSTAD WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT WHAT HE DID WITH PAUL WELLSTONE.

>> PAUL AND JIM WERE LIKE HERE TO THERE ON POLITICS BUT THEY VERY MUCH AGREED ON MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTION PARITY AND THEY CAME TOGETHER AND BECAME VERY GOOD FRIENDS.

>> Mary: HOW ABOUT YOU PERSONALLY, HOW MUCH DO YOU MISS HIM AND HIS DAILY PRESENCE?

>> I MISS HIM A LOT.

IT'S A HARD THING TO TALK ABOUT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I LIVED HIS