Rep. Peggy Bennett

Maddy summaryHF 450 appropriates $37 million in state bond funds to upgrade Albert Lea's wastewater treatment facility. The city of Albert Lea will receive a grant from the Public Facilities Authority to cover design, construction, equipment, demolition, and infrastructure improvements at the facility. The state will issue bonds to cover the full cost of these upgrades, which include system repairs, building renovations, and equipment replacement. This funding directly affects Albert Lea residents by modernizing their wastewater infrastructure.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $2 million from state bond proceeds to fund clean water infrastructure in Manchester, Minnesota. It directly affects the city of Manchester by providing funds for designing and constructing a new clean water distribution system, water treatment plant, well, and related water infrastructure improvements. The state will issue up to $2 million in bonds to cover these costs, following standard bond procedures under Minnesota law. The funding is specifically for Manchester's water system upgrades, not for other communities or general state use.

Maddy summaryHF 183 repeals a tax on retail delivery services and changes how transportation tax revenue is distributed. It creates a "Transportation Advancement Account" to allocate funds from sales taxes, directing 36% to metropolitan counties, 28% to county highway funds, and smaller shares to city and town road programs. The bill modifies several tax statutes (including sections 297A.94 and 270C.15) to implement these changes, effective July 1, 2025. This directly affects how Minnesota distributes transportation funding from sales tax revenues.

Maddy summaryHF 193 requires Minnesota's Commissioner of Veterans Affairs to provide grave markers for veterans' graves upon request from county veterans service officers or congressionally chartered veterans organizations. The bill amends Minnesota Statutes section 197.23 to change the commissioner's authority from "may" to "shall," making marker provision mandatory within available funds. It appropriates unspecified funds for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 to cover this program, which directly affects veterans' families and local veterans service offices in Minnesota. The markers must permanently mark graves of veterans buried within the state, as defined by statute.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires voters in Minnesota to present a government-issued photo identification card to register to vote and to cast a ballot in person. To support this requirement, the legislation creates a new state voter identification card and mandates that counties waive fees for certified vital records, such as birth certificates, when those documents are needed to obtain the ID. The bill also establishes a process for provisional ballots for voters who cannot produce the required ID on election day and directs the state to report on the number of records issued and the funds appropriated for this program.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Minnesota Secretary of State to put two questions on the 2024 general election ballot asking voters to approve or reject new designs for the state flag and the state seal. These designs were previously selected by the State Emblems Redesign Commission, and the bill mandates that the changes take effect on May 11, 2025, only if voters vote "yes" on both questions. If the proposals are rejected by the public, the existing flag and seal designs will remain in place. Additionally, the bill updates state laws to clarify how agencies should handle the transition between the old and new emblems and directs unused seal-making tools to the Minnesota Historical Society.