Sen. John Hoffman

Maddy summarySF 3735 increases penalties for impersonating a peace officer in Minnesota. It raises the base offense from a misdemeanor to a felony (up to 2 years in prison or $4,000 fine), with higher penalties for specific acts like entering restricted buildings, directing others, or operating a vehicle marked to look like police. The bill also adds enhanced penalties for possessing a firearm while impersonating an officer (up to 10 years) or committing another crime while impersonating (e.g., a misdemeanor becomes a gross misdemeanor). It requires anyone impersonating an officer to identify their agency, name, and ID number upon request. This bill directly affects individuals falsely posing as law enforcement officers.

Maddy summarySF 4021 repeals a provision requiring a $250 million automatic reduction in special education aid appropriations for Minnesota's 2027-2028 biennium and each subsequent biennium, unless the legislature enacts a new education budget. This repeal prevents the state from applying this planned cut without new legislative action, ensuring full special education funding remains available. The bill directly affects Minnesota school districts and students receiving special education services by eliminating a scheduled funding reduction. It does not change current funding levels but removes a future reduction that was part of existing law.

Maddy summaryThis bill would consolidate public transit operations in the Twin Cities metropolitan area by designating the Metropolitan Council as the exclusive operator of transit services, preventing local governments from directly running transit systems after July 1, 2027. It requires the Council to create an implementation plan for unifying transit services and negotiate agreements with private operators to ensure continued service for at least one year during the transition. The legislation also establishes a Transit Consolidation Task Force to oversee the process and sets specific deadlines for when current private operator contracts must expire, with exceptions for existing agreements made before the law takes effect.

Maddy summaryThis resolution condemns Hinduphobia and anti-Hindu bigotry while reaffirming Minnesota's commitment to religious freedom and inclusion. It directly addresses the Hindu-American community, which has over four million members in the United States and contributes significantly to Minnesota's economy and culture. The bill calls on state agencies, educational institutions, and law enforcement to enhance their understanding of Hinduphobia and include the Hindu community in diversity initiatives and anti-bias training programs. It also directs state employees to enforce existing anti-discrimination laws and asks the Secretary of State to distribute copies of the resolution to relevant officials. This legislative action does not create new laws but serves as a formal statement of the Legislature's position on religious intolerance.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows Minnesota counties to create local rules permitting residents to keep up to 24 chickens on their property. It amends state feedlot zoning laws to explicitly authorize counties to approve this number of chickens per lot through their own ordinances. The legislation does not mandate that counties allow chickens but gives them the authority to permit them if they choose to include such provisions in their local regulations. This change affects rural and suburban areas where feedlot zoning ordinances apply, giving local governments more flexibility in managing small-scale poultry keeping.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies due process procedures for home and community-based residential services in Minnesota, primarily affecting individuals and entities that receive or provide services funded by medical assistance. It establishes new rules for imposing sanctions, including mandatory five-year program suspensions for those convicted of health service-related crimes and the authority to recover investigative costs from those who knowingly submit false reimbursement claims. The legislation also clarifies that billing errors resulting from unintentional overcharges cannot be used to justify cost recovery, while maintaining requirements for prior notice and hearings before most sanctions are applied, except in cases involving criminal convictions or credible fraud allegations where immediate payment suspension may occur.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes new levy limits for cities and counties in Minnesota, taking effect for property taxes payable in 2027 and beyond. It changes how the base for property tax limits is calculated, using the final certified levy from the previous year instead of historical data, and adjusts the limit based on changes in the implicit price deflator rather than household growth or new construction values. The bill also modifies the process for approving additional levies above the limit, allowing local governments to pass such levies through a unanimous vote of their governing body with public notice, replacing the previous requirement for a voter referendum. Local governments must post the resolution and hearing notice on their website and in a local newspaper for two weeks before the public hearing.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands Minnesota's doxxing law to protect not only law enforcement officials but also their family and household members from having personal information shared publicly. It defines protected information to include phone numbers, email addresses, home addresses, directions to homes, and photographs of individuals or their residences. The law requires that sharing this information creates an imminent and serious threat to safety, and it increases penalties by making violations felonies punishable by up to two years in prison or a $4,000 fine when victims suffer great bodily harm or death. The bill also establishes that repeat offenders will face felony charges rather than misdemeanor penalties. These changes will take effect on August 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill limits Minnesota state and local government participation in federal civil immigration enforcement efforts, directing public resources toward local public safety priorities instead. It prohibits state agencies from using resources to investigate, detain, or arrest individuals for civil immigration violations and restricts where certain immigration-related arrests can occur. The legislation requires hospitals to create policies for interactions with law enforcement agents and ensures education cannot be denied based on immigration status. Additionally, it creates a civil cause of action for constitutional rights violations related to immigration enforcement and includes funding provisions to support these changes.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new Legislative Working Group on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in Minnesota to examine gaps in state and county disability services. The 18-member group includes legislators from relevant committees and representatives from two different counties, with meetings open to the public and held at least monthly. The working group will review demographic data and gather input from self-advocates, families, guardians, and counties to assess service availability and delivery. Legislative members receive per-diem compensation according to their chamber rules, while other members are eligible for compensation under state statute. The group must begin its first meeting by August 15, 2026, and will produce a report on its findings.