Rep. Kaohly Her

Maddy summaryThis bill (HF 139) increases annual cost-of-living adjustments for retirees in Minnesota's Public Employees Police and Fire Retirement Plan and State Patrol Retirement Plan. It raises the standard adjustment from 1% to up to 1.5% annually (based on federal Social Security COLA), and shortens the required waiting period from 36 months to 12 months for full benefits. Retirees receiving benefits for less than 12 months will now get a pro-rated increase based on months served. The changes take effect for adjustments starting January 1, 2026, and apply automatically unless retirees opt out in writing.

Maddy summaryHF 108 appropriates $2.5 million from the general fund for fiscal year 2026 and another $2.5 million for fiscal year 2027 to provide grants to Ujamaa Place. The funds are designated to support workforce development services specifically targeting African American men, including job training, employment preparation, internships, education, and vocational housing. The bill also allocates resources for Ujamaa Place's organizational capacity building. This legislation directly affects Ujamaa Place as the recipient organization and the African American men in Minnesota who will receive these targeted workforce services.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows local jurisdictions in Minnesota to choose ranked choice voting for their local elections, where voters rank candidates in order of preference rather than selecting just one. It establishes specific rules for how these elections would be conducted, including procedures for counting votes and handling ballots where a candidate is eliminated based on the rankings. The legislation also permits local areas to use electronic voting machines that can automatically reallocate votes to remaining candidates after an initial winner is determined. However, the bill did not pass during the 2024 legislative session and therefore will not become law.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes adding a new section to the Minnesota Constitution to guarantee equal rights and prohibit discrimination for all people. It specifically protects individuals from discrimination based on race, color, national origin, ancestry, disability, and sex, with the definition of sex explicitly including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation. If voters approve the amendment at the 2026 general election, the change will become effective on January 1, 2027. The text also establishes that any state action denying these rights must be the least restrictive way to achieve a very important government goal.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes adding a new section to the Minnesota Constitution to guarantee equality under the law. The amendment would prohibit the state, its cities, counties, and other political subdivisions from denying or abridging rights based on race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, ancestry, or national origin. If approved by voters at the 2024 general election, the change would take effect on January 1, 2025. The measure is titled the "Equal Rights Amendment" and requires a simple yes or no vote from the public.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates funds from Minnesota's outdoor heritage fund to support land conservation and wildlife habitat restoration projects for the 2024 and 2025 fiscal years. The money is designated for specific initiatives, including acquiring land and conservation easements for the Northern Tallgrass Prairie National Wildlife Refuge, expanding wildlife management areas through partnerships with organizations like Pheasants Forever, and enhancing prairie chicken habitats in the Red River Valley. These one-time appropriations prioritize the purchase of lands eligible for the state's native prairie bank or those adjacent to existing protected prairie areas. The legislation modifies prior appropriation laws to authorize these specific spending allocations to the commissioner of natural resources.

Maddy summaryThis bill accelerates the normal retirement age for most teachers in the Teachers Retirement Association from 66 to 65, effective July 1, 2024, and reduces employee contribution rates for the St. Paul Teachers Retirement Fund Association for two years. It also extends the suspension of earnings limits for retired teachers returning to work, allows certain state college employees to join the teachers' pension plan, and implements changes to the volunteer firefighter retirement system based on state auditor recommendations. Additionally, the legislation modifies several other public pension plans by adjusting benefit formulas, contribution rates, and eligibility rules for various groups including correctional officers, firefighters, and workers on specific visas.