Tragedies shape priorities as Minnesota Legislature gets underway
Minnesota lawmakers outline priorities
Lawmakers say major evens such as deadly shootings, massive fraud allegations and federal immigration enforcement are shaping their policies for this legislative session. FOX 9’s Soyoung Kim explains where Minnesota’s politics could be headed in 2026.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - The 2026 Minnesota legislative session began Tuesday at the State Capitol.
Also, over at the Saint Paul RiverCentre Tuesday evening, The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual Session Priorities: Minnesota’s Economic Imperative.
Governor Tim Walz spoke to a crowd of business and policy leaders. Plus, legislative leaders highlighted their session priorities.
Dynamics at play
The backstory:
There are a lot of dynamics at play as this session gets underway. A lot has happened in the state, from deadly shootings to massive fraud allegations, and the federal immigration crackdown.
Lawmakers say these major events are shaping some of their priorities.
Lawmakers attacked:
In what authorities call a politically-motivated attack, two state lawmakers and their spouses were shot in June. The late state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark Hortman were killed. Minnesota Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette were injured.
School shooting:
A deadly shooting at Annunciation Church in Minneapolis took the lives of two children and left many others injured in August.
Immigration crackdown:
More than two months since Operation Metro Surge began, the federal government has initiated a complete drawdown. Tensions mounted after three federal agent-involved shootings sparked outrage. Federal officers have fatally shot two people in Minneapolis – Renee Good on Jan. 7 and Alex Pretti on Jan. 24. Their deaths inspired protests in the Twin Cities and beyond.
What they're saying:
Governor Tim Walz kicked off the chamber’s event acknowledging the tough times Minnesotans have gone through since the last session.
"Process does matter in a democracy. That it’s not might makes right. It’s trying to come together," said Walz.
"Minnesota has had our challenges. And I think the order of the day is what now. What do we do."
Session priorities:
The 2026 Session Priorities event is an annual program organized by the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce.
Before the formal dinner and program began, there was a meet and greet with some of the candidates in the governor’s race.
Another dynamic at play this year is the fact that it is an election year. Several state lawmakers are in the governor’s race. Plus, all 201 seats in the Legislature will be on the ballot in November.
What they're saying:
Caucus leaders also shared some of their session priorities, and discussed their approach on topics including fraud and taxes.
"Looking at this room of business leaders and elected officials, affordability is top of mind for Minnesotans. One of the ways we can make things a little bit easier on families and on people is conforming to things such as no tax on tips, no tax on overtime," said Speaker of the House Lisa Demuth (R-Cold Spring).
"I am really worried about the impact of H.R. 1 on healthcare, some of the efforts on the part of this Congress and this president on tariffs and agriculture and markets, on food support and education. We are going to have a real challenge in front of us," said Senate Majority Leader Senator Erin Murphy (DFL-St. Paul).
What's next:
In a closely divided legislature once again, Minnesota lawmakers will have to work across the aisle to get their priorities passed over the next three months.