Legislative Update - The 2026 Legislative Session

Dear Neighbors, 

The 2026 Legislative Session began this week, and it feels heavy to be back at the State Capitol for several reasons.

To start, it’s the first time the legislature is officially meeting since Melissa Hortman was killed last June in a political assassination that also claimed the life of her husband Mark and their dog Gilbert. 

We spent most of our first day back commemorating Melissa. There’s only one current member of the Minnesota House that even knows what it’s like to conduct a legislative session without her, to give you an idea on the sort of lasting impact she has on this place. We’ll all have to learn to do this work without her, and I know I’ll do so by following her example. Minnesota is a better place because of the work she did, and I’ll strive to live up to that standard.

Standing Up to ICE

The other issue that’s top of mind for many of my colleagues is ICE’s ongoing rampage throughout our state. The Trump administration would have us believe that they are winding down Operation Metro Surge, but the fear and chaos is still very much present in our communities.

This session, my DFL colleagues and I are trying to add as much urgency as possible around the desperately-needed solutions relating to the federal government’s occupation of Minnesota, whether that’s addressing the damage or preparing for the future.

One notable bill that was heard this week would ban ICE from Minnesota’s schools without a judicial warrant. We heard testimony on this legislation in the Education Policy Committee, where I serve, and I think most Minnesotans would agree that requiring a judicial warrant to enter a school - something that was commonplace before the 2nd Trump administration - is an incredibly low bar to reach. Sadly, that wasn’t the case for my Republican colleagues on the committee, who all voted to block this bill.

This is not the end of this conversation, just the start. With the tie in the Minnesota House, all we need is ONE Republican to join us in passing commonsense legislation like this, and appealing to their conscience will be key to our work this year. 

Legislative Priorities

Outside of issues pertaining to ICE, I also presented my legislation prohibiting the use of AI in health insurance pre-authorization decisions. AI should never override medical care decisions made by medical professionals. For-profit health insurance companies have been caught issuing denials with a documented 90% error rate knowing the vast majority of people don’t or can’t appeal the decision. Patients have had their medicines and treatments delayed or denied that their primary doctor deemed necessary and sometimes life saving. Patients have been discharged from hospitals before they should be, premature infants denied oxygen, insulin pump refills denied and in some of the worst cases people have died. 

While I fundamentally believe health insurance should not be a for-profit industry and will work toward a single-payer universal healthcare solution, this is a small but important step we can take to prioritize patients’ well-being over profits.

You can watch some of my committee remarks here. 

While these are all heavy issues, it’s important to remember that we do this tough work for things that we love, and near and dear to my heart is Minnesota's Boundary Waters. As the Trump administration continues its attack on the crown jewel of Minnesota, I joined colleagues, advocates, and Sen. Tina Smith this week to make it clear - the Boundary Waters are not for sale!

Coffee Hours

Lastly, as we get back into the swing of things with the legislative session, my plan is to bring back regular coffee hours in our community to discuss our work and hear directly from you!

The first one of the year will be on Friday, February 27 from 8-9am in Eden Prairie. Due to our current times, we’re taking RSVP’s and will send the location out very early Friday morning. RSVP and hold the date and time and we’ll send you the location.

Please RSVP Here

And please remember, you can email me at rep.alex.falconer@house.mn.gov and you can also contact me at 651-296-3964 with any questions, comments, or ideas you have on how to make our community and state better. I look forward to hearing from you!

Thank you for the incredible opportunity to represent you in the Minnesota House.

Sincerely,

Alex Falconer

State Representative

House District 49A

P.S. fun fact about me - I love a Haiku. Here’s one I wrote on the fly honoring Minnesotans’ bravery the past few months:

Minnesota Strong

We’ve shown the country that, yes -

We love thy neighbor