Rep. Peggy Bennett

Maddy summaryHF 195 exempts property owned and operated by congressionally chartered veterans service organizations from Minnesota property taxes. The bill removes the standard property tax classification rate for this specific property and establishes a direct tax exemption. It requires the commissioner of veterans affairs to annually provide a list of qualifying organizations to the commissioner of revenue by January 1. The exemption takes effect for property assessments beginning in 2026.

Maddy summaryHF 2388 replaces Minnesota's three-tier local optional aid system (with rates of $100, $300, and $424 per adjusted pupil unit) with a single, higher basic supplemental revenue amount for school districts. It affects all public school districts and charter schools by changing how supplemental education funding is calculated and distributed. The bill increases the basic supplemental aid level while adjusting local levy formulas based on property values, using new thresholds for fiscal years 2026 and beyond. This simplifies the previous structure but maintains the requirement for districts to fund supplemental revenue through local property taxes.

Maddy summaryHF 1538 provides state funding from the workforce development fund for teacher apprenticeship programs in Minnesota for fiscal years 2026 and 2027. It requires school districts to develop programs meeting five specific standards: school district involvement, mentorship, approved training, wage increases tied to skill levels, and a pathway to a Tier 3 teaching license. School districts, higher education institutions, and charter schools can partner to create these programs and use the funds to reimburse costs. The bill also mandates a report to legislative committees on how the funds were used and recommendations for improving the program as a pathway to teacher licensure, effective July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHF 4 proposes a constitutional amendment requiring Minnesota to return budget surplus funds to taxpayers. If approved, it would create a "Minnesota tax relief account" funded by revenue exceeding 105% of projected spending, using those funds to refund or reduce property and income taxes. Taxpayers would receive direct refunds or tax reductions, but only up to the amount they owe in taxes, with the account funded annually from the state's general fund surplus. The amendment must be voted on by voters in the 2026 general election.

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 summaryMinnesota's legislature has passed a resolution requesting Congress to call a constitutional convention under Article V of the U.S. Constitution. The resolution asks for proposed amendments to impose budget rules on federal spending, reduce federal government authority over states, and limit terms for federal officials and members of Congress. This is a procedural step - Minnesota is formally petitioning Congress, not creating new laws. The resolution serves as Minnesota's ongoing application for such a convention, pending similar actions by two-thirds of states.

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 169 replaces Minnesota's previous tiered tax on gambling with a flat 8.5% tax on all lawful gambling receipts (minus prizes paid). This bill directly affects gambling organizations operating in Minnesota, including casinos, racetracks, and bingo halls. The key change eliminates the old "combined net receipts tax" system - which taxed profits at progressive rates based on revenue levels - and substitutes a simpler flat-rate calculation. The new tax takes effect July 1, 2025, and applies to all gambling except paper pull-tabs, tipboards, electronic bingo, and specific exempt games.

Maddy summaryHF 1491 clarifies requirements for schools and districts applying for state education grants. It mandates that grant applicants must include a statement explaining how their program goals align with Minnesota's "world's best workforce" education framework and federal accountability systems under the Every Student Succeeds Act. This amendment to Minnesota Statutes section 127A.20, effective July 1, 2025, ensures grant applications explicitly connect proposed goals to established state and federal education standards. The bill does not create new funding but refines the application process for existing evidence-based education grants.