Rep. Mike Howard

Maddy summaryThis Minnesota bill creates a $100 million relief program to help small businesses that experienced significant revenue declines between July 2024 and February 2026, which the bill attributes to federal enforcement activity. The program provides grants to operators of indoor retail or food market spaces with at least 25 small tenant businesses, requiring that most funds be used to offer rent forgiveness to existing tenants. To qualify, businesses must be Minnesota-based, have fewer than 50 employees, operate from a physical location, and show at least a 20 percent drop in revenue or sales during the specified period. Grant applications will be processed through a lottery system, with funds usable for payroll, rent, utilities, inventory, and other operational expenses, and the state must report on the program's outcomes by December 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a one-time $10 million fund to reimburse Minnesota cities for costs related to federal immigration enforcement activities occurring between December 1, 2025, and May 31, 2026. The money will be distributed to cities based on a pro-ratio of their verified expenses for public safety, emergency management, public works, and legal services during that period. Cities must submit detailed cost reports to the state auditor for review and certification before receiving their share of the aid. If a city receives federal reimbursement for the same expenses, it must return the lesser of the federal amount or the state aid received to the state treasury.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands the Minnesota child credit and establishes a new fifth tax bracket for individual income tax. It directly affects Minnesota residents and non-residents by adjusting income tax rates and brackets for different filing statuses, including married couples, single filers, and heads of household. The key provision introduces a 10.15 percent tax rate on income exceeding $1 million for married couples, $600,000 for single filers, and $800,000 for heads of household, while also creating a mechanism for annual inflation adjustments to these income thresholds. These changes are set to take effect for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025.

Maddy summaryHF 3419 removes the ability of most Minnesota entities - including businesses, nonprofits, cooperatives, and foreign entities operating in Minnesota - to spend money on elections or ballot measures. The bill retracts this power for all entities except registered political committees that exist solely for political activity and claim no entity benefits (like limited liability). It also voids any organizational documents allowing political spending. This change does not affect regular business operations or charitable work, only political activity.

Maddy summaryHF 3351 repeals Minnesota's state preemption law that previously blocked local governments from regulating firearms. This bill removes barriers preventing cities and counties from creating their own firearm regulations, such as zoning rules for gun stores. It amends Minnesota Statutes to allow local governments to adopt "reasonable, nondiscriminatory, and nonarbitrary" ordinances regarding firearm sales locations. The bill also repeals specific sections (471.633, 471.634, 624.714, 624.717, and 624.7191) that enforced the preemption. Local governments will now have direct authority to regulate firearms within their jurisdictions.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates the Minnesota Business Recovery Loan Program to help businesses that have suffered financial losses due to increased immigration enforcement activities in the state. It appropriates $100 million in fiscal year 2026, with $18 million designated for zero-interest loans to businesses in greater Minnesota and $82 million for zero-interest loans to businesses in the seven-county metropolitan area through nonprofit lenders. To qualify, businesses must be located in Minnesota, owned by state residents, demonstrate a revenue loss of more than 30 percent between enactment and December 1, 2025, and show that losses resulted from staffing shortages, reduced customer access, or other immigration enforcement-related factors. The program provides loans ranging from $25,000 to $200,000 depending on business size and location, which must be used exclusively for business operations in Minnesota and cannot be used to repay prior debt or for real estate speculation.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Minnesota laws governing housing cooperatives to clarify how they are organized and operated, directly affecting residents and owners of these communities. Key changes include establishing express and implied warranties for purchasers, allowing buyers to cancel contracts under specific conditions, and requiring cooperatives to provide clear disclosures and notices to members. The legislation also defines critical terms like "assessment" and "common elements" to ensure transparency regarding financial charges and shared spaces. Additionally, the bill modifies tax rules to allow membership interests to qualify for homestead exemptions while ensuring cooperatives remain responsible for paying their share of real estate taxes.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a one-time emergency rental assistance fund for counties and Tribal governments in Minnesota to help low-income households facing financial hardship after August 31, 2025. The program would provide financial support for up to two months of prospective rent and utilities, as well as unpaid rent and utility bills and related fines, to households earning at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines who are at risk of eviction or homelessness. Counties and Tribal governments would receive funding based on population and geographic factors, with 95 percent of funds designated for direct assistance and 5 percent for fraud prevention and compliance monitoring. Local governments, cities, nonprofit organizations, or groups of jurisdictions could administer the assistance, and any unused funds must be returned to the state.

Maddy summaryHF 3409 prohibits Minnesota public schools from denying students access to free K-12 education based on the student's or their parent's immigration status or citizenship. It requires schools to stop collecting unnecessary immigration information, avoid threatening to share such details with law enforcement, and ensure no student or parent is excluded from school activities due to immigration status. The bill also creates a legal remedy, allowing students or parents who face such denial to file a civil lawsuit for redress.

Maddy summaryHF 3687 modifies Minnesota's medical assistance and MinnesotaCare coverage for chiropractic services. The bill removes the previous age restriction (limiting coverage to those under 21) and establishes new rules: chiropractic care for spinal pain, chronic conditions, and related services is covered for all ages, but limited to 24 visits per year without prior authorization. It also restricts x-ray coverage to specific spine examinations necessary for diagnosing subluxation. This affects all MinnesotaCare and medical assistance recipients seeking chiropractic care, changing coverage from age-limited to broadly applicable with visit and x-ray restrictions. The changes take effect January 1, 2027, or after federal approval.