Rep. John Burkel

Maddy summaryThis House resolution initiates the formal impeachment process against Keith Ellison, Minnesota's Attorney General, alleging corrupt conduct and crimes while in office. The bill directs the House to adopt six articles of impeachment that accuse Ellison of abusing his office to defend unlawful protest activity, undermining religious liberty protections, failing to enforce laws impartially, engaging in conflicts of interest, and soliciting political support in exchange for favorable treatment. If adopted, the resolution immediately bars Ellison from exercising his duties as Attorney General until the Senate conducts a trial and votes on his acquittal or conviction. The House Speaker must serve notice of the charges to Ellison, and the enrolled resolution must be transmitted to the Governor, Secretary of State, and Senate leadership to begin the constitutional impeachment proceedings.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Minnesota's tax reduction authority for businesses located in designated border city enterprise zones. It allows local governments to approve various tax incentives, including sales tax exemptions for construction materials, income tax credits for hiring employees, property tax credits for new facilities, and reimbursement for land acquisition costs to prevent business relocation. The legislation also updates restrictions by removing certain exclusions for specific business types while maintaining prohibitions on tax benefits for recreational facilities, public utilities, financial institutions, and franchised retail food or beverage businesses. Additionally, the bill authorizes a $2 million allocation for additional tax reductions to border city zones and clarifies which cities can designate development zones and their size limits.

Maddy summaryHF 168 creates an advance homestead credit for qualifying seniors in Minnesota, allowing them to receive 50% of their prior year's homestead tax refund upfront. Seniors who already qualified for the standard homestead credit can apply for this advance, which is applied directly to their first-half property tax payment each year. The state reimburses counties and school districts for the tax reductions by October 31 (for non-school districts) or through the Department of Education (for school districts). This policy, effective for 2027 property taxes, aims to ease annual tax burdens for eligible seniors by providing earlier access to their refund amount.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new legal path for producers of perishable foods, such as produce and livestock, to sue individuals who knowingly make false claims about the safety of their products. It specifically targets statements that allege the food is unsafe to eat or that farming methods like fertilizer use or animal feeding practices make the food dangerous. If a court determines these false statements were made with the intent to harm the producer's reputation and caused actual damage, the producer can be awarded financial compensation. The law also sets a one-year time limit for filing such lawsuits and defines key terms like "agricultural practices" and "perishable food product" to clarify its scope.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a one-time property tax refund program for Minnesota property owners who paid eligible taxes in 2026, affecting residential, agricultural, and commercial property classifications. The program allocates $4 billion from the state general fund to provide refunds based on a percentage calculated by the Department of Revenue, with applications accepted between July 15 and September 15, 2026. Any unclaimed refund amounts will automatically be converted into property tax credits for 2027 on the properties where no refund was requested. The legislation defines specific property categories eligible for the refund and sets clear deadlines for application processing and payment distribution.

Maddy summaryHF 3564 extends deadlines for specific parks and trails grants awarded under Minnesota's parks and trails fund. It extends funding availability for five projects: the Mesabi Trail (St. Louis/Lake Counties), Oxbow Park (Olmsted County), Kraemer Lake/Wildwood County Park (Stearns County), Plum Creek Park (Redwood County), and Robinson Quarry Park (Sandstone) through June 30, 2027 or 2028. The bill also modifies the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission's structure, including changing how its chair is elected from annual to biennial and updating reporting requirements. These changes ensure existing grant projects can continue using allocated funds beyond their original deadlines.

Maddy summaryHF 5 modifies Minnesota's tax structure by repealing the retail delivery fee and establishing an "unlimited Social Security subtraction," allowing taxpayers to subtract all their Social Security benefits from state taxable income. It redirects transportation funding by creating a "transportation advancement account" and requires specific distribution percentages: 36% to metropolitan counties, 28% to county highway funds, 23% to larger cities, 34% to small cities, 15% to town roads, and 1% to food delivery support. The bill also mandates tax analysis and reporting requirements for transportation funding impacts and modifies several tax statutes, including those governing Social Security benefit subtractions. These changes directly affect Minnesota taxpayers, local governments, and transportation agencies, effective July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHF 530 proposes adding a constitutional amendment requiring a three-fifths vote in both legislative chambers to approve any law conveying state land exceeding 640 acres for less than its market value. This would directly affect state land transactions, requiring broader legislative consensus for such sales. The bill mandates that if adopted, the amendment must be submitted to voters in the 2026 general election with a specific "yes/no" question. The key provision changes the standard for approving below-market-value land conveyances from a simple majority to a supermajority vote. The amendment would apply only to land sales exceeding 640 acres, not smaller transactions.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Minnesota's fencing rules for farmed deer and elk to better prevent them from escaping or interacting with wild animals. It mandates that all perimeter fences be at least 96 inches tall and made of high-tensile material, while requiring two redundant gates at every entry point. Owners must immediately fix any fence defects that allow animals to enter or exit, with other repairs due within 14 days, and facilities found with violations face additional reinspection fees. The legislation also gives animal health officials the power to revoke a farm's registration and order the removal or destruction of animals if the facility has multiple escape incidents or fails to correct identified safety issues.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes adding a constitutional amendment to Minnesota that would prohibit the state from requiring local governments to implement programs or services without providing full funding to cover the costs. The amendment would make any state law or rule unenforceable against local governments if it imposes financial obligations without appropriate legislative appropriations, except for specific exceptions like criminal laws, emergency measures, federal mandates, voter-approved local actions, and requirements costing less than one percent of a local budget. If voters approve the measure at the 2026 general election, the change would take effect on January 1, 2027, allowing local governments to seek legal relief if the state imposes unfunded mandates.