Sen. Heather Gustafson

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $500,000 for fiscal year 2026 and $500,000 for fiscal year 2027 from the general fund to provide a grant to Lutheran Social Services' CORE program. The funds support home-delivered meals for Minnesota veterans outside Hennepin and Ramsey Counties, along with technical assistance, outreach, and volunteer recruitment for member programs. Unspent funds from 2026 carry over to 2027. The CORE program must submit annual reports by September 1st detailing fund usage and the number of veterans served.

Maddy summarySF 1882 modifies an existing 2023 appropriation of $68.75 million for highway improvements along Anoka County's Trunk Highway 65. The bill specifically reallocates funds to cover planning, land acquisition, design, and construction for intersection upgrades at 99th Avenue Northeast, 105th Avenue Northeast, Anoka County State-Aid Highway 12, 109th Avenue Northeast, 117th Avenue Northeast, and Anoka County State-Aid Highway 116. This change adjusts the scope of previously authorized projects without creating new funding or policy. The bill amends Laws 2023, chapter 68, section 2, subdivision 4, as previously updated by 2024 legislation.

Maddy summarySF 1951 establishes a new full-service deputy registrar office in the City of Circle Pines, located at 9201 Lexington Avenue North. The bill requires the commissioner of public safety to appoint a deputy registrar for this office, granting it full authority to handle vehicle registration, motor vehicle tax collection, and driver's license services - overriding standard location rules based on distance to existing offices or transaction volume. This office will operate under existing statutes (Minnesota Statutes sections 168.33 and 171.061) and rules. The bill directly affects Circle Pines residents by creating a local location for these essential motor vehicle services.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Minnesota Statutes to ensure surviving spouses of veterans who died from military service can continue receiving state education benefits even if they remarry. It specifically updates the definition of "eligible spouse" in Section 197.791 to clarify that remarriage does not disqualify a surviving spouse from accessing these benefits. The policy directly affects surviving spouses who meet residency requirements and are enrolled in eligible Minnesota educational institutions. This change aligns with federal education benefits eligibility under Title 38, ensuring consistent access to state support regardless of marital status after the veteran's death.

Maddy summarySF 44 modifies Minnesota's sales tax rules to establish a "vendor allowance," allowing retailers with $10,000 or more in annual sales tax liability to keep a portion of collected tax as compensation for collection costs. The allowance equals a percentage of eligible taxes collected (with a minimum $10 per reporting period), calculated under new section 297A.816. It affects most retailers (excluding construction material vendors under specific conditions), requiring them to report and remit the remaining tax via electronic payment by specified deadlines. The bill takes effect for sales after June 30, 2025, and updates tax code sections 289A.20 and 297A.77.

Maddy summarySF 510 establishes a three-year pilot program (2026-2029) to increase access to advanced coursework in six Minnesota school districts or charter schools. It requires participating schools to automatically enroll eligible students in advanced courses (like AP, college-level dual credit, or honors classes) based on meeting state test standards or earning top grades, while allowing parents to opt their child out. The bill appropriates funds to cover AP exam fees for all automatically enrolled students, support teacher training, provide instructional materials, and offer tutoring, with specific requirements to recruit teachers of color and report data on student participation and outcomes. Schools must notify parents in multiple languages about the enrollment policy and track participation data by student group.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all individuals purchasing a firearm (except specific exclusions like dealers, law enforcement, or antique sales) to provide proof of recent firearm safety training before completing a sale. The training must cover safe handling, storage, legal use, and include a shooting exercise, verified by a certificate from an approved instructor. Sellers must document the transaction with copies of the buyer's ID, training certificate, and firearm details, retaining these records for ten years. Failure to produce these records during a police investigation is a misdemeanor offense. The bill directly affects all firearm purchasers in Minnesota who are not exempt under the specified exclusions.

Maddy summarySF 1831 allocates $1 million annually for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 to fund county agricultural inspectors across Minnesota. It directly affects counties that employ inspectors meeting specific requirements, such as completing state training, compiling weed inspection reports, and coordinating with the Agriculture Commissioner. To receive funds, counties must submit annual applications, and the Agriculture Commissioner will distribute available money equally among eligible counties. The bill ensures funding supports inspectors' core duties like weed control coordination and annual reporting, with up to 3% of each year's funds allowed for administrative costs. This is a funding mechanism, not a policy change, focused on maintaining county-level agricultural inspection capacity.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes the state to issue up to $16.5 million in bonds to fund improvements at the intersection of Trunk Highway 65 and Bunker Lake Boulevard Northeast in Ham Lake. The funds will cover engineering, environmental work, design, land acquisition, and construction of the interchange and associated roads. The project directly affects Ham Lake residents and drivers using this major intersection, with no requirement for local matching funds. The bond proceeds will be deposited into the state's trunk highway fund to finance the project.

Maddy summarySF 1815 authorizes Minnesota local jurisdictions (like cities and counties) to adopt ranked choice voting for local elections, such as mayoral or city council races. The bill establishes procedures for communities to implement the system, defines key terms like "active candidate" and "batch elimination," and allows electronic voting systems with reallocation features. It specifies that ranked choice voting requires voters to rank candidates by preference, with ballots transferring support to higher-ranked candidates if lower-ranked ones are eliminated. The bill applies only to local offices, not state or federal elections, and amends election statutes to incorporate these changes. Local governments would need to pass their own ordinances to adopt the system.