As in any legislative session, Republicans and Democrats will have significant differences on many issues and smaller differences on others. Two cases in point are a bill to make Minnesota a sanctuary state for undocumented immigrants and proposals to legalize sports betting in the state.

The sanctuary state bill is strongly opposed by most, if not all, Republicans, while many Democrats either support it or are willing to consider it.

“It will be up to the committees to decide whether to hear that legislation or not,” said new DFL Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy. “But what Senator (Omar) Fateh is really asking is what kind of state are we in Minnesota. Should we be welcoming people to the state of Minnesota from wherever they come and I think that’s a fair question for us.”

However, some DFL lawmakers from greater Minnesota have already said they would not support a bill that would essentially prohibit Minnesota law enforcement and state and local agencies from enforcing federal immigration law.

Republicans say it would make Minnesota a magnet for undocumented immigrants who could overwhelm social service agencies and schools. Republican Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson says immigration law needs to be dealt with in Congress and then enforced by all governments.

“This clearly needs to be something that happens at the federal level. We should be encouraging, helping, bringing those ideas forward instead of putting our residents in jeopardy,” Johnson said. “Our budgets, our school districts, our communities.”

In a segment recorded for “At Issue with Tom Hauser,” the Senate leaders say common ground is more likely to be found in sports betting. However that, too, is a complicated issue.

“We can pass it if we get the right players moving again,” Johnson said. “The tribes and the tracks and the local charities and state tax revenue issue. If we get that lined up it could pass. Otherwise, the path is pretty difficult.”

He’s referring to DFL proposals that put Native American tribes in charge of sports betting and not allowing sports betting at the state’s two horse tracks. A compromise proposal would share some sports betting revenue with the tracks.

“Senator (Matt) Klein has been leading this issue in the Minnesota Senate for the last couple of years and he’s continued to do a tremendous amount of work with a variety of stakeholders, including our tribal nations,” Murphy said. “I think there are Democrats who support it. There are Republicans who support it and there’s some opposition.”

You can see the interview with the two Senate leaders on Sunday at 10 a.m. on “At Issue.”