Legislative Update - The 2026 Legislative Session

Dear Neighbors, 

Thank you to everyone who came out for our pre-session Town Hall. We had some valuable conversations about the challenges facing Duluth and Minnesota, and I know my legislative colleagues will be joining me in bringing your stories back to the State Capitol to guide our work. 

The 2026 Legislative Session is underway, and we’ve wasted no time in addressing the tough issues facing Minnesota.

We still took the time to reflect on what we’ve lost. For the first time in 20 years, the legislative session began without Melissa Hortman, who was killed last June in an act of political violence that also claimed the life of her husband Mark and their dog Gilbert.

Despite several special elections last year, the Minnesota House remains in a 67-67 tie, and this even split has already drawn a clear line on where legislators stand on the crucial issues facing us. 

Committees have already heard important bills that would require federal agents to have a warrant to enter a Minnesota school, deliver sorely-needed housing support to our neighbors, and address gun violence by restricting access to high-capacity magazines and assault rifles. In every instance, Republicans blocked these bills from advancing.

I especially want to touch on that last point. As a member of the House Public Safety Committee, I listened to the testimony of students and parents from Annunciation Catholic School, where a shooter injured 26 children and killed 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel and 10-year-old Harper Moyski last August.

If you were to walk around the Capitol grounds right now, you would see dozens of school desks sitting in the melting snow. These desks represent the over 200 Minnesota school children killed by gun violence since 2021. Fletcher and Harper’s desks are also on display inside the Capitol. 

The committee also heard from Harper’s mother, Jackie Flavin. As you can probably imagine, it was incredibly moving testimony, and I recommend you listen.

We can and must do better for our kids. Minnesotans know what responsible gun ownership looks like, and that doesn’t need to include owning assault rifles and high-capacity magazines. I was proud to vote for the commonsense gun violence prevention bills that were brought before our committee, and I will continue to do so.

Fighting Fraud

Last week, my colleagues and I in the House DFL unveiled our package of legislation aimed at combating fraud. Fraud at any level, at any amount in government is unacceptable. State dollars should be used to lift up our most vulnerable, and when those dollars are misused or stolen, it’s an affront to all Minnesotans. 

Governor Walz announced his own, similar package of fraud-fighting measures, all of which were unveiled as the Trump administration decided to freeze Medicaid funding to our state.

President Trump’s funding freeze is the latest in his unprecedented campaign of retribution against our state. It does nothing to fight fraud, and instead only puts the Minnesotans who rely on Medicaid at risk - namely children and the elderly.

Minnesotans already pay more in federal taxes than we get back in services, and these actions only make that worse while having real-world consequences for our neighbors in every corner of the state.

The only way we’re going to pass anything this session, including measures to fight fraud, are by working together. This shouldn’t be a partisan issue. I hope Minnesota Republicans reject this move by the president and instead join us in focusing on actual solutions. 

Stay Connected

Now that I'm back at the State Capitol, it’s important that I keep hearing from you!

My work is at its best when it's rooted in our community’s needs, so regardless of whether you were able to join us at the pre-session Town Hall, always feel free to reach out with any questions, comments, or ideas you have to help make Duluth and Minnesota a better place. 

You can reach me at rep.pete.johnson@house.mn.gov or (651) 296-4246. You’ll either hear back from me, or our new Legislative Assistant, Paige. You can also follow along on my official Facebook page. 

I look forward to hearing from you. 

Sincerely,  

Pete Johnson  

State Representative