Rep. Joe McDonald

Maddy summaryHF 2512 creates a property tax exemption for real estate owned and operated by congressionally chartered veterans service organizations in Minnesota. The bill amends Minnesota Statutes to exempt qualifying property under section 273.13, subdivision 25, paragraph (d), clause (3), from property taxes. The commissioner of veterans affairs must annually provide a list of eligible organizations to the commissioner of revenue by January 1. This exemption applies to assessment year 2025 and later. The bill directly affects these veterans service organizations by reducing their property tax burden on qualifying properties.

Maddy summaryHF 1361 appropriates $8 million from state bond proceeds to fund improvements at CHS Field in St. Paul. The city of St. Paul will receive the grant to cover predesign, construction, and equipment for upgrades meeting Major League Baseball standards, including a new locker room, enhanced visitor amenities, and environmental remediation of contaminated soil. The state will issue bonds up to $8 million to fund this appropriation, following Minnesota's bond sale procedures. This bill directly affects CHS Field's operations and the city's ability to modernize the stadium.

Maddy summaryHF 1247 requires Minnesota's Commissioner of Children, Youth, and Families to permanently amend child care licensing rules, allowing teacher's aides to supervise children in child care centers. This change makes permanent an exception that was temporarily permitted under a 2023 law. The commissioner must submit the proposed rule by June 1, 2025, using a specific rulemaking procedure. The bill directly affects child care centers and their staff by expanding the roles of teacher's aides in supervision without requiring a licensed teacher's presence.

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 2470 appropriates $15 million from state bond proceeds to fund a new water treatment facility in Howard Lake, Minnesota. The money will be granted to the city to design, construct, and equip the facility - which will provide clean, manganese-free drinking water - along with related upgrades like a new well, trunk water main repairs, and well/water tower improvements. The state will issue bonds up to $15 million to cover this funding, following Minnesota's bond authorization laws. This bill directly affects Howard Lake residents by addressing water quality and infrastructure needs.

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 791 designates Castoroides ohioensis, commonly known as the giant beaver, as Minnesota's official state fossil. The bill requires the commissioner of natural resources to approve a photograph of the giant beaver, which must be preserved and displayed in the Office of the Secretary of State. This is a procedural bill with no substantive policy changes or direct impact on citizens or regulations.

Maddy summaryHF 75 modifies Minnesota's renewable energy standard to clarify which hydroelectric facilities qualify as "eligible energy technology." The bill specifies that hydroelectric projects must either have a capacity under 100 megawatts or, if 100+ megawatts, have been operational since February 8, 2023. This directly affects electric utilities generating hydroelectric power seeking to comply with the state's renewable energy requirements. The change maintains existing eligibility rules without altering the 100-megawatt threshold or operational date criteria. (Amends Minn. Stat. § 216B.1691, subd. 1.)

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.