Rep. Dave Baker

Maddy summaryHF 26, titled the "Never Again Act," shifts emergency declaration authority from the governor to the Minnesota legislature. It repeals the governor's power to declare emergencies and establish a new process requiring legislative approval for emergency declarations and extensions. The bill also prohibits the governor from issuing emergency orders with the "full force and effect of law" and explicitly protects citizens' rights, including free speech, religious freedom, assembly, travel, gun rights, and the ability to operate businesses. These changes amend multiple sections of Minnesota Statutes to clarify that only the legislature may enact emergency measures with legal force during crises.

Maddy summaryHF 23 amends Minnesota Statutes section 181.932 to strengthen whistleblower protections for public employees. It expands the list of protected disclosures to include reporting gross mismanagement or waste of public funds (subsection 7), clarifies protections for health care quality concerns (subsection 4), and adds specific scenarios like reporting truthful scientific studies (subsection 5) or classified service communications about state services (subsection 6). These changes directly affect state and local government employees who report violations of law, safety risks, or financial misconduct. The bill modifies existing anti-retaliation language to explicitly cover these new disclosure types while maintaining that protected disclosures cannot override other legal data protections.

Maddy summaryHF 2311 prohibits Minnesota's Commissioner of Human Services from adopting rules or policies that limit existing day services for people receiving disability waiver services or restrict their access to special minimum wage options. The bill directly affects individuals enrolled in disability waiver programs who rely on these specific services and wage arrangements. It amends Minnesota Statutes to ensure the commissioner cannot reduce day services availability or restrict special minimum wage opportunities under federal (14(c)) or state (section 177.28) programs. This policy change maintains current service access without altering existing wage structures for waiver recipients.

Maddy summaryHF 25 establishes a state grant program administered by Minnesota's Department of Health to fund nonprofit women's pregnancy centers and maternity homes. The program provides financial support for services like housing, medical care, parenting education, and mental health resources to help pregnant women and new mothers - particularly those facing homelessness or crisis - carry pregnancies to term and care for their children. Eligible organizations must be nonprofits offering free or low-cost services without promoting abortion, providing abortion care, or referring women to abortion providers. Grant funds cannot be used for abortion-related activities, and strict privacy rules require written consent before sharing personal information about clients. The bill appropriates state funds for this program while reducing other health-related appropriations.

Maddy summaryHF 24 amends Minnesota Statutes section 145.423 to require that infants born alive during an abortion be immediately recognized as human persons under the law and receive medical care. The bill mandates that medical personnel take "all reasonable measures consistent with good medical practice" to preserve the life and health of such infants, including compiling appropriate medical records. It directly affects healthcare providers performing abortions in Minnesota by establishing specific medical care obligations for infants born alive. The proposed changes would have taken effect the day after enactment, though the bill was not passed.

Maddy summaryHF 1768 amends Minnesota Statutes section 181.988 to allow non-compete agreements to be enforced for employees earning $120,000+ annually if their work involves research, development, or confidential information (like trade secrets), or for any employee earning $500,000+ regardless of job duties. It preserves existing rules permitting non-competes in business sales or dissolutions, and adds that employees winning enforcement cases can recover reasonable attorney fees. The bill affects only high-earning workers in specific roles, not most employees. This changes the legal standard for enforceable non-competes under Minnesota law.

Maddy summaryHF 2251 modifies membership requirements for Minnesota's Job Skills Partnership Board, requiring four appointed members to represent the governor's Workforce Development Board (with two from labor and two from business) and adding a nonprofit workforce development representative. It also updates reporting rules for state economic development programs, mandating detailed annual reports that include program costs, participant demographics (race, age, gender, income), subgrantee funding, and program success metrics. These changes apply to state agencies managing workforce development and economic programs, aiming to improve transparency and accountability in how state funds are used.

Maddy summaryHF 1469 allocates $850,000 for fiscal year 2026 and another $850,000 for fiscal year 2027 from the workforce development fund to provide job skills training for individuals recently released from prison after a felony conviction (within 12 months of release). The funds are directed to Better Futures Minnesota, which must deliver the training and report annually on program outcomes. Required reports must include data on participant numbers, employment status, homelessness, recidivism, child support compliance, and specific job skills training provided. The bill directly affects formerly incarcerated Minnesotans with felony convictions and the state agency managing workforce development funds.

Maddy summaryHF 2229 appropriates $1.5 million for fiscal year 2026 and $1.5 million for fiscal year 2027 from the state general fund to support residency programs at CentraCare's Rice Memorial Hospital and St. Cloud Hospital. The funds cover costs like administration, curriculum development, resident recruitment, training, and stipends for both new and existing medical residency programs. This bill directly affects medical training programs at these two specific hospitals, helping them establish and maintain physician residency tracks. The funding is targeted solely for operational and program development expenses at these facilities.

Maddy summaryHF 2200 appropriates $2.2 million from state bond proceeds to fund water infrastructure improvements in the Middle Fork Crow River Watershed, specifically to address hydrogen sulfide contamination in the city of New London's water supply. The funds will be granted to the Middle Fork Crow River Watershed District to design, construct, and equip water infrastructure and public utilities. The bill authorizes the state to issue up to $2.2 million in bonds to cover this appropriation, following standard bond procedures under Minnesota law. This funding directly affects New London's water system and the surrounding watershed area by targeting a specific water quality issue.