Rep. Wayne Johnson

Maddy summaryHF 1599 appropriates $3 million from the general fund for preliminary design work on a grade-separated interchange at the intersection of Trunk Highway 36 and Trunk Highway 120 in North St. Paul and Oakdale. The funding is specifically for planning and design phases, not construction, and is available until the project is completed or abandoned. This bill directly affects local residents and traffic in those communities by funding the initial planning for a safer, more efficient road connection. The appropriation is one-time and limited to fiscal year 2025.

Maddy summaryHF 1359 increases funding for solid waste management by changing how fees collected from waste management are allocated. Starting in 2026, 7% of these fees will go to a resource management account (rising to 20% in 2027 and 30% after 2028), instead of the general fund. The funds must be distributed to counties for waste management programs under state law. This directly affects counties receiving these allocations and changes the percentage of fees dedicated to environmental resource management over time. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025.

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 1473 modifies a $26 million state appropriation for Hennepin County to build a new anaerobic digestion recycling facility in Brooklyn Park. The bill requires Hennepin County to submit a plan for closing the existing Hennepin Energy Recovery Center before funds can be used, and specifies that the project includes demolishing the County Sheriff's facility on the site. This funding covers predesign, construction, and equipment for the new recycling recovery facility. The bill directly affects Hennepin County and residents of Brooklyn Park through the facility's development and the transition from the old recovery center.

Maddy summaryHF 540 requires Minnesota's Commissioner of Administration to submit a report by February 15, 2026, detailing all state-owned or leased office space and identifying substantially vacant properties. The report must assess the feasibility of converting vacant space into housing, estimate conversion costs, and analyze potential revenue from renting or selling repurposed properties. This report will be provided to specific legislative committees overseeing the Department of Administration's budget. The bill does not change existing laws but mandates a study to evaluate underutilized state assets. (HF 540, Section 1)

Maddy summaryHF 543 appropriates state funds for county attorney offices to cover costs of attending anti-human trafficking training. The bill allocates money from the general fund for fiscal year 2026 to reimburse all participating Minnesota county attorney offices equally for training expenses. This provides direct financial support to county prosecutors who handle human trafficking cases, ensuring consistent access to specialized training resources.

Maddy summaryHF 606 appropriates $2 million from the general fund for the FATHER Project, administered by Goodwill Easter Seals Minnesota and its partners. The funding will continue the program in Rochester, Park Rapids, St. Cloud, St. Paul, Minneapolis, and surrounding areas to help fathers overcome economic and emotional barriers to supporting their children. This bill directly provides financial support to the nonprofit organization managing the initiative, which serves fathers in those specific communities. The key mechanism is a one-time grant allocation for program continuation, not a new policy. (3 sentences)

Maddy summaryThis bill repeals a provision in Minnesota law that previously barred charging individuals with attempting sexual extortion. It allows prosecutors to file attempt charges for sexual extortion attempts, which were previously unchargeable under Minnesota Statutes 609.3458, subdivision 3. The change applies to crimes committed on or after August 1, 2025, directly affecting individuals who make threats to coerce sexual acts without completing the act. This policy shift enables legal accountability for preparatory acts in sexual extortion cases.

Maddy summaryHF 2 requires state agency employees to immediately report suspected fraud to law enforcement and legislative committee leaders when they have reason to believe fraud exists in agency programs. It mandates that all state agencies post current organizational charts online with contact details for leadership and division heads. The bill strengthens grant management by requiring agencies to conduct unannounced monitoring visits before final payments for grants over $50,000 (and annually for grants over $250,000), perform financial reconciliations prior to disbursement, and withhold funds from grantees failing to submit required progress reports. Violating these grant management requirements constitutes a misdemeanor under the bill.

Maddy summaryHF 1343 establishes the Minnesota Nice HomeShare pilot program to help seniors aged 55+ in Lake, St. Louis, and Washington counties reduce housing costs by matching them with renters seeking affordable housing in spare rooms. The program, funded with $150,000 in fiscal year 2026, requires participating agencies to facilitate matches via phone or video, handle payments, conduct background checks, and verify renters’ employment or school enrollment. It directly affects seniors with available space and low-income renters in the three specified counties. The pilot program will operate through partnerships with agencies like the Arrowhead Area Agency on Aging and AARP Minnesota.