ST. PAUL – The 2026 Minnesota Legislative session begins Tuesday and area legislators are expecting fraud and a looming deficit to be the top issues.

“I think the top issue we have to deal with is all the fraud and abuse in Minnesota,” Sen. Gary Dahms, R-Redwood Falls said.

Rep. Chris Swedzinski, R-Ghent said concerns about fraud in the state “seem to be widespread.”

Representative Paul Torkelson, R-Hanska, also cited fraud as a top issue, but believed the state’s overall financial situation was a concern.

“We’re in a financial bind,” Torkelson said. “We have a financial forecast in early March that will probably show a significant deficit for the next biennium. We have a surplus now, but it is small compared to the deficit we have coming.”

Torkelson said spending this year would only happen if it did not increase the deficit.

“In talking with key Democrats, they are saying the same thing,” he said. “The Bonding Bill, which is popular, if passed, we need to find the money.”

Finding the money could mean clawing back funds from other sources or funding new sources to fund the bill.

Torkelson said if money is found for a bonding bill, he would push to fund an infrastructure project in the district. New Ulm’s new lift station would be a top priority. He said it is something that has been under discussion for a long time.

Dahms and Swedzinski said passing a bonding bill is also a task facing state lawmakers this spring. Dahms said he had not seen a bonding bill proposal from Gov. Tim Walz’s office yet, but that would also likely come early on in the session.

Dahms said he thought items that would be part of a bonding bill this year would likely include “necessary” projects like maintenance to state-owned buildings and higher education facilities, as well as water and sewer infrastructure projects for Minnesota cities.

Swedzinski said he hoped sales tax relief would be part of the conversation for bonding bill projects, as well. Sales taxes can add to the cost of needed infrastructure projects that receive bonding dollars, he said

In addition to curtailing fraud, other priority issues for legislators included finding ways to help struggling nursing homes and hospitals, Dahms said.

Swedzinski said that for him, some big issues for the upcoming session included examining possible reforms in the energy sector to help ratepayers save money, whether that included metering reforms or exploring nuclear energy. Swedzinski said “putting some common sense” into Minnesota’s Paid Family and Medical Leave law was also on legislators’ minds.

Swedzinski said one bill he was also trying to get passed would allow people to fish with two lines. He’s already gotten feedback from members of the public so far. “There’s been a lot of interest from people,” he said.

Torkelson said he did have a spending proposal related to software in counties used to administer SNAP and Medicare funds. He said the software counties were currently using was antiquated and in need of an update. Part of the problem is the software was not comparable with other software. This forces some social workers to spend more time behind a computer than working with clients.

“If you’re a social worker, that’s not what you signed up for,” Torkelson said.

Progress on the software upgrades was made last session with funding for the Social Service Information System (SSIS). Torkelson wants to keep the upgrades on track going into the next session.

“This software update also has the potential to have an impact on fraud,” Torkelson said. “The way things are set up now, the software cannot cross-check information and find out who is double-dipping, but if the new software can communicate with other systems, it could help prevent fraud.”

The first day of the new session will be dedicated to memorializing former speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives Melissa Hortman, who was assassinated in June of last year.

After the session begins, some short business will be conducted before adjourning. The House will be joined by the Senate in recognizing Hortman and her service, followed by a reception honoring her.

“This will take up the bulk of the first day, which is appropriate,” Torkelson said. “It is unusual circumstances and many of us in legislator have felt the pain of losing a colleague.”

The murder of Hortman will have other lasting impacts on the session. Security at the Capitol in St. Paul has been increased. Torkelson said there are four different stages of security, each with scanners. People with a permit to carry a firearm will still be able to enter the Capitol, but they will need to show their permit.

Torkelson said with the recent turmoil following Hortman’s murder as well as the shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, he suspects there will be an effort to push gun control legislation, but doubted it would pass.

“The support is not there,” Torkelson said. He believed any law pushed during this session would be declared unconstitutional with the Second Amendment in place. Torkelson said with the tie between the GOP and DFL in the House, nothing would get out of committee without bipartisan support. He said this was likely true for all legislation this session.