State Sen. Jim Abeler, R-Anoka, predicted a busy session on health care topics, ranging from the fate of the University of Minnesota hospital to insurance coverage for undocumented immigrants. But he hoped there would be discussion on the use of re-insurance to prevent health insurance premiums from rising too much, and scrutiny over the administrative waste in health care.

“We’re paying the middleman,” he said, “and I think Democrats and Republicans would agree that we don’t want to pay so much to middlemen.”