Rep. John Burkel

Maddy summaryHF 1448 allows surviving spouses to use their deceased spouse's unused federal estate tax exemption when calculating Minnesota estate taxes. The bill requires personal representatives of a decedent's estate to elect this "portability" option on Minnesota estate tax returns (or file a return if not otherwise required), making the election irrevocable. It directly affects married couples where one spouse dies before using their full federal estate tax exemption, potentially reducing estate taxes for the surviving spouse. The key change is streamlining access to this federal exemption for Minnesota estates of decedents dying after December 31, 2024.

Maddy summaryHF 1437 modifies Minnesota's stillbirth tax credit, providing eligible parents a $2,000 credit against state income tax for each stillbirth. It directly affects individuals who experienced a stillbirth and filed Minnesota income taxes, including residents and nonresident military spouses. The bill defines "stillbirth" per Minnesota's fetal death reporting rules and specifies that the credit applies only to the year the stillbirth occurred. This change applies retroactively to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2015, with refund claims for affected years allowed until January 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHF 649 requires Minnesota's wildlife commissioner to establish an annual open season for wolf hunting after wolves are removed from federal endangered species protections. The bill mandates that the commissioner consult with the agriculture commissioner and USDA before setting season rules, considering data on wolf conflicts with livestock and pets. Season rules must align with Minnesota's existing wolf management plan and include public comment opportunities. This directly affects state wildlife management decisions, hunters, and livestock owners by creating a required annual process for wolf population control.

Maddy summaryHF 2 requires state agency employees to immediately report suspected fraud to law enforcement and legislative committee leaders when they have reason to believe fraud exists in agency programs. It mandates that all state agencies post current organizational charts online with contact details for leadership and division heads. The bill strengthens grant management by requiring agencies to conduct unannounced monitoring visits before final payments for grants over $50,000 (and annually for grants over $250,000), perform financial reconciliations prior to disbursement, and withhold funds from grantees failing to submit required progress reports. Violating these grant management requirements constitutes a misdemeanor under the bill.

Maddy summaryHF 1428 requires that if Minnesota's grain indemnity account balance exceeds $15 million on June 30 and no claims have been paid in the previous 24 months, the excess amount must automatically transfer to the agricultural emergency account. This bill directly affects the state's management of agricultural funds, redirecting unused surplus from the grain indemnity account (which compensates farmers for crop losses) to the emergency account. The agricultural emergency account provides immediate financial support to farmers during crises like droughts or market crashes. The change ensures surplus funds are proactively allocated to emergency assistance without requiring new legislative action.

Maddy summaryHF 768 prohibits Minnesota's Department of Human Rights from maintaining any database or collection of incidents involving protected speech. The bill amends Minnesota Statutes 363A.06 to explicitly state the department cannot collect or store data about protected speech - defined as speech protected under the U.S. or Minnesota Constitutions (including free speech, press, assembly, and association). This restriction applies directly to the Department of Human Rights' operations, preventing it from creating or using such databases for any purpose. The bill does not affect other data collection or reporting duties, such as the department's required biennial report on civil rights trends.

Maddy summaryHF 14 proposed a temporary moratorium on most light rail transit project development spending by the Metropolitan Council in seven Minnesota counties (Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, and Washington). The bill prohibited funds for planning, design, environmental analysis, land acquisition, and construction of new light rail projects, but exempted the Southwest Light Rail (Green Line Extension) and prior contractor payments. The moratorium would have expired once the Green Line Extension began revenue operations. The bill was introduced, amended, and ultimately not passed by the legislature.

Maddy summaryHF 1331 requires the commissioner of natural resources to conduct an annual statewide survey to estimate Minnesota's wolf population. The survey must cover the entire state - not just historic wolf habitats - and be completed each year. This amendment to Minnesota Statutes section 97B.646 (wolf management) adds this requirement to the existing framework, which already includes a wolf management plan and quarterly mortality reporting. The bill directly affects state wildlife management practices under the Department of Natural Resources.

Maddy summaryHF 48 prohibits social media platforms with over 1 million global users from using algorithms that target children under 18 in Minnesota with personalized content based on engagement metrics (like time spent or clicks). It requires these platforms to obtain verifiable parental consent before minors under 18 can create new accounts. The law exempts parental control tools, educational content from schools/universities, and government content. Violations could result in $1,000 penalties per incident (capped at $100,000 annually), and the bill takes effect January 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHF 271 appropriates funding from the general fund for compensation payments to Minnesota farmers and ranchers who suffer livestock losses or property damage from wolves or elk. Specifically, it allocates money for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 to cover livestock destroyed by wolves (under Minn. Stat. § 3.737) and crop or fence damage caused by elk (under Minn. Stat. § 3.7371). The bill includes a provision allowing up to $5,000 annually to reimburse university extension agents for determining fair market values of damaged livestock. If claims exceed expected levels, funds can be shifted between the wolf and elk programs to ensure payments remain available.