Sen. Steve Drazkowski

Maddy summarySF 953 phases out Minnesota's estate tax over a ten-year period, beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2034. The bill gradually reduces tax rates by 1.6 percentage points annually until all rates and bracket amounts reach zero. It directly affects estates of decedents dying after June 30, 2025, by eliminating the state estate tax through these scheduled reductions. The changes apply to Minnesota's tax code as amended in Section 291.03 of the statutes.

Maddy summarySF 886, introduced in the Minnesota Senate on February 3, 2025, amends Minnesota Statutes section 645.451 by adding specific definitions for terms like "female," "male," "girl," "boy," "father," "mother," "gender," and "sex." The bill defines "female" as an individual with a natural reproductive system producing eggs and "male" as an individual with a natural reproductive system producing sperm, excluding those with developmental or genetic anomalies. It explicitly states that "gender" is not synonymous with gender identity, and clarifies that "sex" refers to biological sex, not gender identity, in legal contexts. This bill directly affects how these terms are interpreted in Minnesota law, particularly in statutes, administrative rules, and guidelines.

Maddy summarySF 753 requires Minnesota public school districts to obtain written consent from a parent or guardian before providing sexual education to minor students. This bill directly affects school districts, parents/guardians of minors, and minor students in public schools. The key provision mandates that written consent must be secured for sexual education curriculum, which was not previously required by law. School districts must now implement a process to collect this consent, while existing parental review processes for other curriculum remain unchanged. The bill does not alter requirements for alternative instruction or other instructional materials.

Maddy summarySF 763 eliminates the Public Safety Advisory Council established under Minnesota law. The bill repeals Minnesota Statutes section 626.8435, which created the council and outlined its 15-member structure, duties, and reporting requirements. This change removes the council's role in reviewing policing policies and making recommendations to the Peace Officer Standards and Training Board, though it updates related reporting provisions in section 626.8457 to no longer reference the council. The bill directly affects the council's existence and related reporting obligations for law enforcement agencies.

Maddy summarySF 644 makes election judges' major political party affiliations public data in Minnesota. The bill amends state law to require appointing authorities to maintain and publish a list showing each election judge's party affiliation (or if they don't affiliate with a major party), which will be accessible to the public. This replaces a previous restriction that limited access to this information only among election judges for verifying party balance requirements. The change directly affects election judges by making their party affiliation part of public records, while repealing the prior rule that restricted its disclosure. The bill does not alter voting procedures or election outcomes.

Maddy summarySF 797 prohibits public school libraries from containing pornographic material and bans sexually explicit content in libraries of public elementary schools. The bill amends Minnesota Statutes by adding a new section requiring school libraries to remove such materials. It directly affects all public school libraries statewide, with stricter rules applying specifically to elementary school libraries. The law focuses on defined material categories rather than broader book restrictions.

Maddy summarySF 751 increases penalties for businesses violating Minnesota's antitrust laws. It raises civil penalties for violations from $50,000 to $150,000 per offense and for failing to comply with court orders from $100,000 to $300,000. Criminal penalties for willful violations also increase from $50,000 to $150,000, with potential prison time up to seven years. The bill directly affects businesses that engage in anti-competitive behavior, such as price-fixing or market division, by imposing higher financial and criminal consequences.

Maddy summaryThis bill gives Minnesota residential property owners a legal process to request sheriff assistance in removing people occupying their property without permission. It directly affects property owners who need to evict unauthorized occupants (not tenants, family members, or those with valid lease agreements). The key mechanism requires owners to submit a verified written complaint to the sheriff confirming specific conditions, such as having asked the person to leave and verifying the property wasn't open to the public. The sheriff must then serve a notice to vacate and remove occupants, with owners liable for false claims under penalty of perjury.

Maddy summaryMinnesota Senate Bill 744 prohibits licensed health care providers from performing or assisting with surgical procedures that alter sexual characteristics or prescribing puberty-blocking hormones or hormone antagonist therapies for minors diagnosed with gender dysphoria. The bill directly affects minors seeking gender-affirming medical care and their healthcare providers in Minnesota. It includes a temporary exception allowing existing prescriptions for minors already receiving puberty-blocking treatments before the law takes effect. The legislation aims to ban specific medical interventions for minors with gender dysphoria, effective upon final enactment.

Maddy summarySF 754 (Penalty enhancement for assaulting a police officer) amends Minnesota law to increase penalties for assaulting peace officers. It makes it a felony (up to 3 years in prison or $6,000 fine) if an assault causes demonstrable bodily harm or involves throwing bodily fluids or feces at an officer. This directly affects individuals who commit these specific acts against police during lawful duties. The bill takes effect August 1, 2025, applying to crimes committed after that date.