Sen. Torrey Westrom

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $1.5 million from state bond proceeds to Douglas County for preliminary engineering and final design work on an interchange between Interstate 94 and County State-Aid Highway 17. The funds will cover planning and design costs for the interchange project in Douglas County. The state will issue up to $1.5 million in bonds to provide this funding, as authorized under Minnesota Statutes. The bill directly affects Douglas County (as the recipient of funds) and the state (as the funder through bond issuance).

Maddy summarySF 3071 modifies Minnesota's rules for when family members can provide home care nursing services without being paid as professional staff. It adds a new hardship criterion allowing family caregivers (parents, spouses, legal guardians) to qualify if labor conditions, language needs, or intermittent care requirements make them necessary to meet a recipient's medical needs. This change expands the existing criteria, which previously only covered job changes (resigning, reducing hours, or unpaid leave). The bill does not alter the existing limits on hours caregivers can provide (max 40-60 hours weekly) or other requirements like background checks. It directly affects family caregivers and home care recipients in Minnesota's state plan home care or waiver programs.

Maddy summaryThis bill restricts participation on female-designated sports teams in Minnesota K-12 schools to students identified as female at birth, overriding existing policies. It requires students who may be questioned about their sex to provide a physician's statement confirming their sex based on reproductive anatomy, natural testosterone levels, and chromosomes. The law applies to all elementary and secondary school athletic teams designated for women or girls and takes effect July 1, 2025. It directly affects school athletic programs and students seeking to participate on female sports teams.

Maddy summaryThis bill raises the annual sales threshold for municipal liquor stores to require audited financial statements submitted to the state auditor, from $350,000 to $500,000. It directly affects cities operating municipal liquor stores with total annual sales exceeding $500,000, reducing the number of stores subject to this reporting requirement. The key provision modifies Minnesota Statutes § 471.6985, requiring these stores to submit audited statements (attested by a CPA or state auditor) within 180 days after the fiscal year end, with possible deadline extensions. This change simplifies reporting obligations for smaller municipal liquor stores while maintaining oversight for larger operations.

Maddy summarySF 89 repeals Minnesota Statutes section 121A.041, which prohibited public schools (including charter schools) from using American Indian mascots, nicknames, logos, or team names. This repeal would eliminate the requirement for schools to remove existing mascots or seek exemptions from the prohibition, effective for the 2025-2026 school year and later. The current law had mandated school districts to report progress on removing such mascots and submit plans for compliance by specific deadlines. The bill directly affects all Minnesota public school districts that previously operated under the mascot prohibition.

Maddy summaryMinnesota Senate File 553 amends fencing requirements for farmed deer and similar cervidae (like elk or moose) to enhance containment. It mandates all perimeter fences be at least 96 inches (8 feet) tall, constructed with high-tensile material, and feature two redundant gates to prevent escapes or contact with wild cervidae. Owners must repair fence deficiencies within 14 days, pay reinspection fees for violations, and face facility registration revocation if multiple escapes occur or deficiencies persist. The bill directly affects commercial cervidae farms and is enforced by the Board of Animal Health.

Maddy summarySF 925 appropriates $250,000 from the environment and natural resources trust fund for fiscal year 2026 to update Minnesota's aggregate resource inventory. The funds will support the commissioner of natural resources in revising the 2000 "Aggregate Resources Inventory of the Seven-County Metropolitan Area" to include projected future needs and estimated exhaustion timelines for sand, gravel, and crushed stone resources. This update specifically requires revising Information Circular 46 and fulfilling duties under Minnesota Statutes section 84.94. The bill directly affects state agencies managing natural resources and the geological survey, focusing on concrete data collection for resource planning.

Maddy summaryThis bill transfers specific regulatory duties related to farmed deer and elk (cervidae) from the Commissioner of Natural Resources to the Board of Animal Health. It directly affects cervidae facility owners, who will now deal primarily with the Board for fence inspections, annual checks, and chronic wasting disease testing requirements. Key changes include shifting responsibility for enforcing fence standards (96-inch height, redundant gates), conducting annual facility inspections, and managing CWD testing and depopulation after disease detection. The Board will now handle all reporting, inspections, and enforcement actions previously shared with or handled by the Natural Resources Commissioner.

Maddy summarySF 97 amends Minnesota law to change how public schools can seek exemptions from rules prohibiting American Indian mascots. It requires schools to seek exemption approval only from American Indian tribes located in the same county as the school (or from the Tribal Nations Education Committee), rather than all 11 federally recognized tribes in Minnesota. If no tribe in the county objects by a specified deadline, the school is exempt. This directly affects public schools using American Indian mascots who must now follow a simplified tribal consultation process under the amended statute (Minnesota Statutes 121A.041, subd. 3).

Maddy summarySF 1193 modifies Minnesota's wolf depredation compensation program for livestock owners and updates the elk-related crop/fence damage program. It sets a $100 minimum claim value and $20,000 maximum per livestock claim for wolf-related losses, requires site inspections with photographs by approved agents (like county sheriff's officers or USDA agents), and mandates written findings based on physical evidence. The bill also updates the process for elk damage claims by defining "approved agents" and requiring specific evidence (like elk tracks or sightings) to verify damage. Additionally, it repeals outdated sections of the law and requires the commissioner to periodically update wolf depredation prevention practices for livestock farms.