Rep. Peggy Scott

Maddy summaryHF 480 requires Minnesota county attorneys to document specific details (including dismissal reasons, victim input, and offense dates) when dismissing felony charges. It mandates that county attorneys forward this anonymized data to the Sentencing Guidelines Commission and post it on public websites. The Commission must then include a summary and analysis of these dismissal reports in its annual legislative report. The law applies to felony dismissals occurring on or after August 1, 2025.

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 477 modifies how Minnesota allocates funds from the workforce development fund. It requires 25% of these funds for fiscal year 2026 and 50% for fiscal year 2027 to be directed toward performance-based grants under Minnesota Statutes §116J.8747. These grants are awarded to pass-through entities (like local workforce boards) that meet specific performance metrics. The bill directly affects organizations receiving workforce development grants and the state's budget allocation for these programs.

Maddy summaryHF 756 doubles Minnesota's dependent exemption for individual income tax, increasing the deduction from $4,250 to $10,400 per qualifying dependent. This directly affects Minnesota taxpayers who claim dependents (such as children or other qualifying relatives) on their state tax returns, reducing their taxable income. The bill amends Minnesota Statutes section 290.0121 to set the new exemption amount, effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 2024. Future inflation adjustments to this amount will continue to follow existing statutory procedures.

Maddy summaryHF 638 prohibits Minnesota cities, counties, townships, and school districts from adopting or enforcing ranked-choice voting (RCV) for local elections. The bill defines RCV as any system where voters rank candidates by preference, and states that any local rules conflicting with this prohibition are void. It directly affects all local governments seeking to implement RCV for local offices, preventing them from using this voting method. The law takes effect after enactment and applies to future elections. This is a policy change restricting local election method choices, not a procedural or commemorative measure.

Maddy summaryHF 752 allows Minnesota local governments (cities and counties) to prohibit the sale of cannabis products or operation of cannabis businesses within their jurisdictions, including restrictions within 1,000 feet of schools or 500 feet of daycares/residential facilities. It requires local governments to reimburse cannabis businesses for application fees if they fail to certify compliance with local zoning within 30 days of receiving an application. The bill also permits temporary "interim ordinances" during planning processes and sets a minimum of one cannabis business per 12,500 residents in counties with existing licenses. This directly affects cannabis businesses seeking licenses and local governments managing land use policies under Minnesota’s state-legal cannabis framework.

Maddy summaryHF 767 increases penalties for arson committed against political organizations or motivated by political reasons. It amends Minnesota Statutes 609.561, 609.563, 609.5631, and 609.5632 to add specific circumstances that elevate penalties. For example, arson targeting a building housing a political organization (under §609.561) carries a maximum 25-year prison sentence, while lesser offenses with political motivation face enhanced fines and jail terms. The law applies to crimes committed on or after August 1, 2025, and directly affects individuals who commit arson against political organizations or for political statements.

Maddy summaryHF 369 delays Minnesota's renewable energy standards for electric utilities under specific conditions and prohibits demolishing fossil-fuel power plants if utilities miss emission reduction goals. The bill gives the utility commission authority to delay implementation if it determines this serves the public interest, considering factors like customer costs, environmental impact, grid reliability, and permitting delays. Utilities failing to meet a 2025 emission goal (set under section 216C.05) automatically face a three-year delay in meeting renewable standards. Additionally, political subdivisions cannot issue demolition permits for fossil-fuel plants if utilities miss this goal, as determined by the commissioner. The bill directly affects Minnesota's electric utilities and local governments issuing permits.

Maddy summaryHF 751 requires Minnesota schools to notify a student's parent or guardian within 24 hours if the student was the target of violence or harassment by another student or school staff, if the student engaged in such conduct, or if school staff used reasonable force against the student. This applies to all public school districts and charter schools, directly affecting parents and students involved in incidents covered under the bill's definition of "prohibited conduct" (violence, harassment, or similar behavior). Schools must follow this timeline while complying with state and federal data privacy laws. The requirement takes effect July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHF 754 establishes a new director of grants management and oversight position within Minnesota's Department of Administration. This director must have auditing and legal compliance experience and will set statewide standards for how state agencies manage grants, review grant practices, and ensure transparency. The bill requires all state agencies administering grants to follow these standards, report on grant activities, and cooperate with the director. It directly affects state agencies that distribute grants (like those for education, health, or community programs) and ensures consistent oversight of how public funds are awarded and monitored. The bill does not create new funding but mandates centralized governance for existing grant programs.