CIRCLE PINES — The Circle Pines City Council received an update from Senator Heather Gustafson (DFL) regarding the upcoming 2026 Legislative Session. Sen. Gustafson spoke about local issues that will be discussed at the upcoming session.
The next legislative session will begin on Feb. 17, 2026. Gustafson said it will be a shorter session since it is not a budget year.
“It’s a policy year, bonding year. We won’t know what our bonding looks like until the forecast comes out,” she added. The forecast comes out towards the end of November or the beginning of December.
During the last legislative session, Gustafson said she worked on protecting tax dollars. About a year and a half ago, Gustafson began working on a bill to establish the Office of Inspector General.
The Office of Inspector General would be an independent, oversight authority that would work independently to make sure that all public dollars, whether they be awarded to public or private entities, would be going toward the programs that they are intended to.
“What makes it different than what is already in place is that it is not an internal, or increment, change. It is not affiliated with any of the other programs that are already there,” Gustafson explained.
“The Office of Legislative Auditor looks at more systems and are more of a bird’s-eye view. They look at state agencies, programs, higher level. What the Office of Inspector General would do is focus more on vendors and recipients,” she added.
The bill passed in the Senate 60-7. Next, Gustafson said they will be working with the House of Representatives to make sure it gets “across the finish line in the House” before it is sent to the governor’s desk.
Another item Gustafson touched on was county funding. She explained that her caucus was trying to shift about half the funds from the metro-wide sales tax toward the Metropolitan Council and away from the counties. Sen. John Hoffman (District 34) and Gustafson fought against the bill and won.
Gustafson, who was a former teacher at Centennial High School, also talked about protecting programs within the education system and pension reform for tier 2 teachers. Tier 2 teachers are specified as teachers hired after July 1989. Gustafson, a tier 2 teacher, said it changes their pension drastically.
“It has been seen for quite some time as being an unfair balance in those pension dollars. So, we were able to do pension reform for teachers, but that also included a lot of pension reform for firefighters, paramedics and state patrol,” Gustafson said.
Gustafson recognizes Mayor Dave Bartholomay
Gustafson also presented a Minnesota Senate Resolution recognizing Bartholomay for his decades of service in Circle Pines. Bartholomay has served as the city’s mayor for 20 years. Before becoming mayor, he served as a member of the City Council for four years.
“Mayor Dave has served this community for 24 years—with dignity, good humor and a deep belief in what good government looks like when it’s rooted in collaboration,” Gustafson said. “Throughout his tenure, he has guided Circle Pines through growth, change and challenge, always centering the people who live here.”
Gustafson added that Bartholomay’s spirit of partnership has strengthened not only the city, but work at the state level as well.
“Your leadership has shaped this community in ways that will last long after your time in office,” she said. “While you’re not done yet, your upcoming retirement marks the end of an era, and it is well-earned … I want to thank you for your extraordinary service and for the example you’ve set for all of us.”