Sen. Carla Nelson

Maddy summaryMinnesota Senate File 646 reduces license fees for manufacturers and wholesalers of medical gas in Minnesota. The bill amends Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 151.065, changing the fee structure from $5,500 for the first facility plus $500 for each additional facility to a flat $260 fee per facility for both initial licensing and annual renewal. This directly affects businesses that produce or distribute medical gases, such as oxygen or nitrous oxide, requiring them to pay significantly less for their state licenses. The change simplifies the fee system while lowering costs for these businesses. The bill does not alter other license fees or create new regulatory requirements.

Maddy summarySF 769 modifies Minnesota's tax exemption for certain data centers by expanding eligibility for sales tax exemptions on enterprise IT equipment, software, and electricity use. The bill defines three qualifying categories: standard data centers (requiring $30 million in investment over 48 months), refurbished data centers ($50 million over 24 months), and large-scale data centers (with specific connectivity requirements). Facilities must meet size thresholds (25,000+ sq ft), security standards (like biometric access), and infrastructure criteria (uninterruptible power, fire systems) to qualify. This directly affects large data center operators investing in Minnesota facilities that meet these specific construction, investment, and operational requirements. The exemption applies to equipment purchases and electricity, with tax refunds handled per existing statutes.

Maddy summarySF 636 establishes the State Agency Value Initiative (SAVI) program, allowing Minnesota state agencies (including Minnesota State Colleges and Universities) to retain 50% of unspent operational funds from a biennium when cost savings result from innovation or efficiency. Agencies must use these retained savings only for mission-related projects, subject to peer review by employee-led panels and approval from the commissioner of management and budget. Projects require 30-day public posting and must undergo review by the Legislative Advisory Commission before funding. The program takes effect June 30, 2025, and amends existing law to prioritize retained savings over standard budget lapse rules.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes Minnesota law enforcement agencies to use drones (unmanned aerial vehicles) under specific, defined circumstances. It permits drone use during emergencies involving risk of death or injury, to search for missing persons (including children or vulnerable adults), to locate individuals fleeing arrest, and to find escaped inmates from correctional facilities. The authorization is strictly limited to these scenarios and does not allow general surveillance. This directly affects the public during emergencies and missing persons cases, as well as incarcerated individuals in escape situations.

Maddy summaryThis bill exempts income earned by certain nonresident employees from Minnesota income tax. It applies to workers who live in another state (returning monthly), work in Minnesota for 30 days or fewer annually, perform duties in multiple states, and whose home state offers similar tax relief or has no income tax. Employers must maintain time/attendance records to verify compliance, and penalties for failing to withhold tax are waived if employers follow specific record-keeping procedures. The exemption applies to income earned after December 31, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $850,000 from the arts and cultural heritage fund for the rehabilitation of the historic George Stoppel Farmstead in Olmsted County. The funds will be provided to the Olmsted County Historical Society to restore the listed National Register of Historic Places stone house and barn, and to build an accessible pathway. All work must comply with federal standards for historic properties set by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior. The bill directly affects the Olmsted County Historical Society and preserves a recognized historic site.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $5.6 million in state bonds from the transportation fund and $2.4 million from the trunk highway fund to improve intersections along U.S. Highway 14 in Byron. It funds environmental analysis, design, and construction of grade-separated interchanges (replacing at-grade crossings with overpasses or underpasses) at key intersections, including those with Olmsted County State-Aid Highways 3 and 5. The funds cover the city of Byron and Olmsted County's share for these infrastructure upgrades. The project directly affects local drivers, residents, and businesses in Byron by enhancing traffic flow and safety at these intersections.

Maddy summarySF 583 allows public transit operators (defined as providers of transit bus services) to perform third-party testing for school bus drivers. It amends Minnesota law to let school districts and school bus companies contract with transit operators to test drivers who provide school bus service, including transit operators' own drivers. Agreements between entities must be submitted to the commissioner for approval, and certified testers must be employed by the testing organization. This bill directly affects school districts, school bus companies, and transit operators by creating a formal process for shared driver testing. The changes take effect July 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySF 623 amends Minnesota Statutes to allow licensed veterans organizations to use gross profits from lawful gambling (like raffles or bingo) for repairing, maintaining, or improving their real property. Specifically, it adds a new provision (subdivision 25(16)) permitting these organizations to cover utility costs (water, fuel, electricity, sewer) and facility upkeep for buildings they own or lease as their primary headquarters. This directly affects Minnesota-based veterans groups holding gambling licenses under state law. The change expands their allowable uses of gambling revenue beyond previous restrictions, focusing solely on facility maintenance without altering tax obligations or other existing rules.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $2.5 million for fiscal year 2026 and $2.5 million for fiscal year 2027 from the general fund to support Minnesota’s existing "Greater Minnesota business development public infrastructure grant program" under statute 116J.431. The funds will be administered by the commissioner of employment and economic development to provide grants for public infrastructure projects. These grants directly assist businesses located outside Minnesota’s major metropolitan areas (referred to as "Greater Minnesota") that require infrastructure improvements to support growth or operations. The bill does not create new policy but allocates specific funding for an established program.