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WASHINGTON - While most of the members of Congress were busy worrying about which member of Congress they planned to sit with, DFL Rep. Tim Walz decided to invite a Republican from his congressional district.  Walz invited GOP state Sen. Julie Rosen to attend tonight's State of the Union in an effort to show bipartisanship.

"We represent the same people," Walz said.  "I think it's important for us that this isn't, just as the President said, sitting together tonight but an effort to keep working and move forward on that."

Rosen said she felt that there was a firm commitment from both Republicans and Democrats to work together.  Something she hopes will also occur on the state level.

"I walked away feeling much better about the cooperation and collaboration and communication that I felt in that room," Rosen said.  "Hopefully tomorrow and the next two weeks and two years will show results in that manner."

Rosen's hope could be put to the test later this week.  Her committee, the Senate Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications Committee, will vote on a bill that lifts the moratorium on building new nuclear power plants in Minnesota.  Walz took the rare move of stepping into state politics by announcing he backed the move.

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Tom Scheck

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DFL Rep. Tim Walz invited GOP state Sen. Julie Rosen to attend tonight's State of the Union.

Walz brings a different kind of date to the SOTU

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