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Minnesota GOP previews 2026 legislative session
House Speaker Lisa Demuth and other Minnesota Republicans spoke with reporters on Monday to lay out the 2026 legislative session, which starts Tuesday at the State Capitol. Their top priorities are combating fraud, making Minnesota more affordable, education and lowering health care costs.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - The Minnesota Legislature will open its 2026 session at the State Capitol on Tuesday.
Monday afternoon, state Republicans laid out their priorities and goals for the upcoming session.
Combatting fraud
What we know:
House speaker Lisa Demuth said among the GOP’s top priorities is combatting fraud in the state. Between Feeding our Future, Housing stabilization, Medicaid and Somali-run day care centers, the state has potentially lost billions of dollars in fraud.
GOP leaders plan to launch the Fraud Isn’t Free Act, which creates consequences for agencies and commissioners who allow fraud to occur unchecked. They’re also initiating a bill to create statutory guidelines for programs at a high risk for fraud.
GOP leaders say they can do better to combat fraud, alleging it’s one of the primary reasons Tim Walz is not seeking a third term in the governor’s race.
"The departments that enabled the fraud cannot be trusted to fix the problem themselves," GOP lawmaker Harry Niska said on Monday.
Improving education
Why you should care:
Republican lawmakers say another priority is to make Minnesota more competitive, affordable and safe when it comes to education.
"Fewer than half of our students in the state of Minnesota can read at grade level. That’s unacceptable. Our graduation rates are abysmal," Demuth said.
GOP leaders say one of their main priorities is a school safety bill. Minnesota is six months removed from the mass shooting at Annunciation Church and School, which killed two students and left several others wounded.
Health care and taxes
Dig deeper:
Minnesota Republicans say they also plan to introduce bills to lower health care costs, and establish a commission that would explain the rise in property taxes.
They also have a goal to conform with federal policy to cut taxes on tips and overtime for workers to keep more of their money.
Two years ago, Minnesota had a nearly $18 billion surplus after balancing the budget. Now, projections show the state is facing up to a $2 billion deficit in the upcoming biennium, or two-year budget cycle.