Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Minnesota's "Read Act" to require literacy instruction based on "science of reading" research, emphasizing evidence-based methods like phonics and decoding while explicitly excluding the three-cueing system. It establishes a new Office of Achievement and Innovation within the Department of Education to support literacy implementation and creates a statewide school performance reporting system. The bill also allows school boards to opt out of complying with certain recently enacted state education laws or rules and authorizes fund transfers for education programs through fiscal year 2029. These changes directly affect all Minnesota public school districts, educators, and students by reshaping literacy instruction requirements and school accountability systems.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThis bill modifies how gas and electric utilities in Minnesota must report certain expenses when requesting rate increases, requiring them to provide detailed itemized lists of travel, entertainment, and employee-related costs. It specifically mandates that utilities separate and disclose expenses for categories like lodging, food, entertainment, board member compensation, top executive salaries, and lobbying activities, including vendor names and business purposes for each item. The legislation also removes an expiration date that previously limited how long utilities could recover certain infrastructure costs, allowing them to continue seeking reimbursement for these expenses indefinitely. These changes apply to public utilities filing rate cases with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission and affect how regulators evaluate the reasonableness of utility operating expenses.
Maddy summaryHF 3674 repeals Minnesota Statutes section 8.33, which required the Attorney General to represent certain utility customers before the Public Utilities Commission and in federal proceedings. This procedural bill eliminates the state's obligation for the Attorney General to advocate on behalf of residential and small business utility consumers in these specific regulatory contexts. The repeal does not change substantive utility regulations or create new requirements. It is a straightforward statutory correction to remove an existing duty.
Maddy summaryHF 1 establishes a centralized Office of Inspector General (OIG) for Minnesota state government, replacing existing agency-specific inspector general offices. The OIG will oversee state spending, require agencies to halt payments when fraud is suspected, and mandate a fraud reporting hotline for employees and contractors. It directly affects all state agencies and recipients of state funds (such as contractors and organizations administering state programs) by requiring them to report suspected fraud and prohibiting retaliation against whistleblowers. The bill also specifies the OIG must coordinate with the legislative auditor and amends statutes related to fraud detection, waste prevention, and oversight.
Maddy summaryHF 3382 authorizes the city of Marshall to issue a special liquor license to Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU) for on-sale wine and malt liquor at two campus locations: the Schwan Regional Event Center and Recreation/Athletic Facility. This license allows sales to event attendees on all days, subject to standard state hours and days restrictions under Minnesota law. The license applies only to space within SMSU's campus boundaries and does not override other state liquor laws. The bill requires Marshall City Council approval and compliance with state procedures before taking effect.
Maddy summaryHF 2339 increases Minnesota's income threshold for the child tax credit, allowing more families to qualify for the full benefit before credits begin phasing out. The bill raises the phaseout threshold from $35,000 to $45,490 for married couples filing jointly and from $29,500 to $38,340 for other filers. This change directly affects Minnesota taxpayers with children who file individual income tax returns, as it prevents the credit from decreasing at lower income levels. The bill also requires future annual inflation adjustments to these thresholds starting in 2026.
Maddy summaryHF 978 exempts grain bins and tractor tires from Minnesota's sales and use tax, directly benefiting farmers and agricultural businesses that purchase these items. The bill adds "grain bins" (defined as fixed structures storing grain to prevent spoilage) and "tractor tires" to the list of tax-exempt farm equipment under Minnesota law. This change modifies existing tax statutes to remove these items from taxable purchases, effective after June 30, 2025. The policy provides a concrete tax relief for agricultural operations purchasing these specific storage and equipment items.
Maddy summaryHF 3154 appropriates $200,000 for fiscal year 2026 and $200,000 for fiscal year 2027 from the general fund to provide grants to the Rural Policy and Development Center. The funds are allocated through the commissioner of agriculture under Minnesota Statutes section 116J.421. This bill directly affects the Rural Policy and Development Center by providing dedicated funding for its operations and grant programs in Minnesota.
Maddy summaryHF 8 streamlines Minnesota's environmental permitting process to improve efficiency and transparency. It sets specific timeframes (90 days for simpler permits, 150 days for complex ones), requires the Pollution Control Agency to issue separate construction and operation permits for certain facilities, and mandates that petitioners for environmental assessments must live in affected or neighboring counties. The bill also eliminates preliminary environmental assessment steps for projects requiring full environmental impact statements and requires the agency to publish annual reports tracking permitting progress. These changes directly affect developers, landowners, and the Pollution Control Agency in processing environmental permits.
Maddy summaryHF 3140 extends the deadline for the city of Marshall to use tax increment financing (TIF) funds collected from three specific TIF districts (1-1, 1-7, and 2-1) within the city. The bill allows Marshall to spend, loan, or invest these funds through December 31, 2027, instead of the standard timeline. Any unused funds, including interest or investment earnings, must be returned to the TIF districts by that date. This bill directly affects Marshall's ability to manage its TIF resources for local development projects.