Sen. Torrey Westrom

Maddy summaryThis bill allows older hunters in southern Minnesota to use motorized boats for waterfowl hunting in specific wildlife management areas. It permits individuals aged 65 and older to operate these boats during the hunting season if they follow existing safety rules and stay within the designated region south of U.S. Highway 10. The legislation also requires the state's natural resources commissioner to inform the federal government about this new permission and ask for matching rules in federal hunting zones.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes to designate the Quality Learning Center in Hennepin County as a historic place within Minnesota state law. It achieves this by amending an existing statute to add a new section that specifically names and recognizes the facility. The change is administrative in nature, as it updates the legal record to reflect the building's status without altering its operations or ownership.

Maddy summaryThis bill clarifies labeling requirements for soil amendments, plant amendments, and beneficial substances sold in Minnesota. It requires product labels to clearly list active ingredients, net weight, manufacturer information, usage directions, and guaranteed analysis, while exempting inert ingredients from mandatory disclosure. The legislation also mandates that registration applications include a certificate of composition detailing the amounts and formulas of inert ingredients and beneficial substances. These changes directly affect manufacturers, distributors, and retailers of agricultural products by standardizing how product information is presented to consumers.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a temporary sales tax holiday in Minnesota for the entire month of July 2026 to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States. It exempts the purchase of most tangible personal property from state sales tax, but excludes alcohol, taxable cannabis products, and motor vehicles. The exemption applies to retail sales occurring between July 1 and July 31, 2026, and the law becomes effective once it is enacted.

Maddy summaryThis bill would limit legal liability for corporations and other entities that donate services, livestock, facilities, or equipment to nonprofit organizations hosting livestock events. Under the proposed changes, these donors would not be held responsible for injuries or deaths that occur to participants due to the inherent risks of livestock activities. The immunity would apply to causes of action arising on or after August 1, 2025, and would affect nonprofit groups organizing events such as rodeos, horse shows, and livestock competitions. The legislation amends existing Minnesota statutes to clarify the scope of liability protection for corporate supporters of these events.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies the legal definition of "prepared food" in Minnesota to clarify which food items are subject to sales tax. It directly affects food sellers and consumers by establishing specific criteria for what counts as prepared food, including items sold with utensils or heated by the seller. The new definition excludes certain categories like bakery items, unheated meat and seafood sold by weight, raw animal foods requiring consumer cooking, and food only sliced or repackaged by the seller. The changes will take effect for sales and purchases made after June 30, 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Minnesota law to exempt elk from a prohibition on importing live deer and related animals from areas where chronic wasting disease has been detected. It requires that all other live cervids, such as deer and moose, come from herds with the highest disease certification status or test negative for the disease before entry. The legislation also maintains existing rules allowing zoo transfers between accredited facilities and permits for orphaned animals or reindeer under specific conditions.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new criminal offense for intentionally damaging farm machinery by placing hard objects like iron or steel in growing crops without the owner's consent. It directly affects farmers and agricultural landowners by making such actions a gross misdemeanor, which carries potential jail time and mandatory restitution payments to cover repair costs. The legislation also updates existing trespass laws to clarify definitions of construction sites and mining areas, specifying sign requirements for warning against unauthorized entry. These changes aim to provide clearer legal protections for agricultural operations and property boundaries while maintaining consistent penalties for various trespass-related offenses.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $9 million from the general fund to the commissioner of commerce for a grant to the Midwest Renewable Energy Tracking System. The funds will support technology enabling a tracking system for tradable ammonia, hydrogen, and renewable energy certificates. Entities receiving the grant must report on spending annually from 2026-2030 and report on green ammonia certificate issuance from 2030-2035. The bill directly affects the tracking system operator, state commissioners, and entities using the certificate system. It creates a financial mechanism for monitoring renewable energy certification activity without altering consumer or business regulations.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies a local sales tax authorization for the city of Sauk Centre, Minnesota, by increasing the maximum amount of bonds the city can issue from $10 million to $20 million to fund specific projects. The legislation allows the city to collect sales tax revenue for up to 20 years or until the $20 million funding goal is reached, whichever comes first, with any remaining funds going to the city's general fund. The bill requires voter approval through a separate election before the tax modifications and bond issuance can take effect. It also removes certain state debt limitations that would normally apply to the city's borrowing and tax levies for this specific project.