MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota lawmakers just got back to the Capitol, and now they’re leaving to study up on state issues.

Demographers, economists and business executives are scheduled to address legislators at One Minnesota, an annual conference at the University of Minnesota that focuses on the top issues of the time.

This year, Greater Minnesota and the state’s changing demographics will get a big share of the one-day conference. That’s in line with the new GOP House majority’s stated goal of giving more attention to rural issues this session.

Lawmakers will also hear from a handful of business representatives on transportation issues. Minnesota faces a multi-billion dollar backlog of road, bridge and transit projects over the next decade.

Freshman House Republicans say they’ll walk a line between compromise with Democrats and loyalty to conservative principles at the state Legislature this year.

The group of 21 representatives includes 19 new members and two returning after time away. They took their oaths of office Tuesday as the 2015 legislative session began. They’re almost a third of the new 72-62 Republican majority in the House.