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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) - A bill that’s backed by a coalition of GOP lawmakers set to be proposed at the start of the upcoming legislative session would make "residential protesting" outside someone's residence punishable under Minnesota law.
Minnesota residential protesting law
What we know:
Sponsored by Rep. Walter Hudson, along with Reps. Paul Novotny, Harry Niska, Lisa Demuth and more than two dozen others, HF 2809 would provide that under Minnesota law, anyone who is protesting on or in front of a residence can be charged with "residential protesting."
The bill does carve out some exceptions, including not prohibiting "the peaceful protesting of the place of holding a meeting or assembly" in common areas, and if the residence is also the person’s place of business that’s being protested.
Dig deeper:
If ultimately approved, a person charged with residential protesting could receive a misdemeanor, with legal remedies escalating up to a gross misdemeanor and restraining orders.
The bill is set to first be discussed in the House Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee on Wednesday, Feb. 18.
A full copy of its first draft set to be proposed can be found below:
Protests in Minnesota
Why you should care:
Since Dec. 1, 2025, Minnesota has become a hotbed for protests opposing the increase of federal immigration officials as part of Operation Metro Surge.
Several wide-ranging protests marched through downtown Minneapolis in the wake of the shooting deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal officers.
A protest at a church in St. Paul has also garnered worldwide attention over the arrests of journalists, including former CNN anchor Don Lemon, who were present.
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ICE Out march in downtown Minneapolis
A large crowd of people marched to Target Center in Minneapolis on Friday as part of an ICE Out of Minnesota rally.
GOP priorities in 2026
Big picture view:
The Minnesota Legislature will open its 2026 session at the State Capitol on Tuesday, with GOP lawmakers saying they have a renewed focus on fraud, education and taxes this session.
Rep. Hudson was one of several lawmakers who faced a Congressional hearing in January over concerns of rampant fraud in the state's Medicaid programs that have come under heavy scrutiny in recent months.
GOP leaders say they 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.