The 2026 legislative session gets underway on Tuesday, and DFL lawmakers are calling on Republicans to support bills that would change how federal immigration agents operate in Minnesota.
Bills in the House would bar all law enforcement officers from wearing masks, and require all vehicles used to detain people be marked.
DFL caucus leader Zach Stephenson says unfortunately many Republicans are not interested in holding the Trump administration accountable.
"We have three House members in the Republican Party running for governor," Stephenson explains. "They're all competing for the affections of the same 500 Republican delegates and ideally from the Speaker's perspective, the endorsement of Donald Trump. So we don't expect them to challenge. What we're hopeful for is that some other Republicans will recognize the humanity of the situation and do the right thing."
House Republican Floor Leader Harry Niska says they're in agreement with the need for a safer way to transfer suspected illegal immigrants who are in county jails to federal authorities. He says they support the idea of handling those transfers inside the jails.
"We would love to work with Democrats on ways to make sure that those criminal illegal immigrants get transferred in that kind of a safe circumstance, instead of being out in the community where federal immigration enforcement has to go surveil them, try to take them down, try to apprehend them out in the public," Niska added.
There are no Republican co-authors on these bills. State Senator Erin Maye Quade says so far they've have been silent.
"The average Minnesota 10th grader actually has done more to stand up to this federal occupation than any state Republican lawmaker, and that is shameful," she said.
One of those Republicans running for governor is House Speaker Lisa Demuth, and she also spoke about her party's focus during the session, a major talking point for the GOP in the campaign.
"We're here to stop the fraud. We want to make Minnesota affordable, safe, and competitive," says Demuth. "We're looking to reduce the mandates and raise standards in education and ensure that Minnesota tax dollars help the Minnesotans that they're meant to help.
Another issue likely on the table is gun safety in reaction to the Annunciation Church shooting, according to WCCO political analyst Blois Olson.
"I think you're gonna wanna watch either a public safety bill or some sort of catch-all bill that fixes some of the things that are out there that people do want fixed, whether it's regulatory or otherwise," Olson said on the WCCO Morning News.
This is a non-budget year, and Olson says lawmakers will also be working on a supplemental budget and a bonding bill - as well as a tax bill. Olson says that bonding bill may be what unites lawmakers this session.
"We're in a little bit of a minor recession, so bonding will help drive jobs which labor unions and construction workers will advocate for, and in smaller communities where these bonding projects may be, that stimulates the economy even more," Olson adds. "The last piece that I think makes bonding somewhat inevitable this year is that you have a lot of retirements, and you have a lame duck governor. And that means that they want to get something done."
Session begins with remembrance for Melissa Hortman
The legislative session begins at noon on Tuesday, and it is expected to be a somber start.
Former DFL House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark were laid to rest in June after allegedly being assasinated by Vance Boelter inside their home in Brookyln Center.
Her memory is still very much alive for lawmakers who will mark the start of the session with a remembrance.
The Senate and House will come to order and then adjourn to reunite together in the House for the service. At that point, a joint resolution will be read followed by remarks from Governor Tim Walz, Speaker Demuth, and Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy.
That will be followed by a reception where there will be music and therapy dogs in the rotunda to mark the occassion.
Capitol gets increased security measures
There is also new security for gaining access to Minnesota's capitol, the first time in the building's history visitors will be screened at the four public entrances.
But lawmakers and constitutional officers will not have to go through the screening, according to Minnesota State Patrol Colonel Christina Bogojevich who talked about the process at a recent news conference.
"By directing everyone into those four entrances, we will be able to view everyone that is entering the Capitol," Bogojevich says.
It's not a ban on weapons people can still carry if they have a permit.
"In the past, we wouldn't know if someone was carrying an illegal or a prohibited item," she adds. "If they hid it under a jacket, we wouldn't know that unless it was used."
Public safety officials say they will monitor the screening process and make adjustments if needed.
Immigration enforcement and fraud are top-of-mind issues but lawmakers also need a bonding bill and tax bill
