Rep. Nolan West

Maddy summaryHF 1735 allows licensed liquor wholesalers in Minnesota to purchase and sell lower-potency hemp edibles, effective April 1, 2025. Wholesalers must register with the state office and follow strict rules for packaging, labeling, transportation, and record-keeping. They can buy from specific hemp manufacturers and sell to hemp retailers, cannabis microbusinesses with retail licenses, and other authorized sellers. The bill does not affect cannabis sales but expands product types liquor wholesalers may handle under existing licensing. This creates a new regulatory pathway for hemp edibles within the state’s current liquor and hemp framework.

Maddy summaryHF 1475 abolishes Minnesota's Metropolitan Council and transfers its core responsibilities to other state entities. Specifically, it moves the Council's duties to the commissioners of Administration and Natural Resources, shifts transportation and transit functions to the Department of Transportation, and creates a new metropolitan area sanitary sewer district. The bill also repeals land use planning provisions previously managed by the Council and ends its oversight of the Metropolitan Airports Commission. These changes reorganize regional governance for key services like transportation, environmental management, and sewer infrastructure across the metropolitan area.

Maddy summaryHF 1568 appropriates $762,000 from Minnesota's general fund for fiscal year 2026 to fund street improvements on Hornsby Street Northeast in Columbus, specifically from Trunk Highway 97 to Eureka Avenue. The funds cover predesign, design, construction, stormwater upgrades, and related work for the city's infrastructure project. This bill directly affects the city of Columbus and residents in that area by providing dedicated funding for local road improvements. It is a straightforward funding allocation with no new policy changes, solely authorizing the expenditure of specified funds.

Maddy summaryHF 1251 appropriates $16.5 million from state bonds to fund construction improvements at the intersection of Trunk Highway 65 and Bunker Lake Boulevard Northeast in Ham Lake, Minnesota. The funding covers engineering, design, land acquisition, and construction of the interchange and associated roads within the state highway system. It requires no local funding contribution and authorizes the state to issue bonds up to $16.5 million to cover these costs. The bill directly affects transportation infrastructure in Ham Lake and Anoka County.

Maddy summaryThis bill provides $762,000 in state funding for street improvements on Hornsby Street Northeast in Columbus, Minnesota. It authorizes the state to issue bonds to cover this cost, with funds going directly to the city of Columbus for the project. The improvements include street reconstruction, stormwater systems, and adjacent road upgrades from Trunk Highway 97 to Eureka Avenue. The funding comes from the state transportation fund, specifically for infrastructure work benefiting local residents and traffic flow in that corridor.

Maddy summaryHF 1026 proposes a constitutional amendment to Minnesota's Constitution that would prohibit state legislators from receiving pay on days when their chamber (Senate or House) fails to organize on the legally required convening date. The amendment specifies that legislators must not be compensated for any day the house is not "duly organized" as required by law. If approved by voters in the 2026 general election, this change would directly affect Minnesota legislators' compensation during unorganized sessions. The bill requires voter approval at the 2026 election and does not change current pay schedules for properly convened sessions.

Maddy summaryHF 946 allows approved third-party programs (such as driving schools) to conduct the behind-the-wheel road test for class D driver's licenses (standard driver's licenses) in Minnesota. It establishes requirements for these programs and testers, mandates regular audits of third-party programs, and permits applicants to appeal decisions made by the Commissioner of Public Safety. The bill also updates website rules to show real-time appointment availability, display next available dates/times by location, and allow address-based searches without requiring personal information. This directly affects driver's license applicants and third-party testing programs seeking to administer road tests.

Maddy summaryHF 1177 would remove political party designations from ballots for Minnesota state legislative elections. The bill amends election statutes to require that candidates for state senator and state representative be listed without party labels on both primary and general election ballots. This change applies to all candidates for these offices, meaning voters would see candidate names without party affiliations. The bill takes effect for elections held on or after August 1, 2026. It does not alter voting procedures or party registration requirements.

Maddy summaryHF 1254 modifies Minnesota's cannabis regulations by allowing manufacturers to produce certain products for sale outside the state. It designates tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV) as a nonintoxicating cannabinoid and sets specific potency limits: lower-potency hemp edibles must contain no more than 5 milligrams of THC per serving. The bill lowers social equity ownership requirements for cannabis businesses from previous thresholds to 51 percent and establishes manufacturing limits for certain products. These changes directly affect cannabis manufacturers, social equity businesses, and distributors operating under Minnesota's cannabis licensing framework.

Maddy summaryHF 1279 creates a new property tax distribution for specific small municipalities in Anoka County. It provides funds from the state general levy to qualifying "low-aid" municipalities - those with populations under 5,000, not receiving other state aid programs, and meeting specific tax capacity criteria. The distribution amount is calculated as a municipality's net tax capacity tax rate multiplied by its net fiscal disparities contribution, capped at the tax imposed within the municipality. These funds must be paid by county treasurers by December 1st each year, effective for property taxes payable in 2026 and beyond.