Sen. Mary Kunesh-Podein

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a $20 million grant and forgivable loan program to help Minnesota dental assisting and hygiene education programs expand student capacity. It directly affects accredited higher education programs in these fields, allowing them to apply for funding to improve facilities, create scholarships, boost faculty salaries, or purchase equipment. The Minnesota Department of Health will award funds based on applications, prioritizing programs that maximize student enrollment growth. The appropriation is a one-time fiscal year 2026 allocation, available until June 30, 2028. Programs applying for accreditation but not yet approved are also eligible.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $2.5 million annually from the arts and cultural heritage fund for the Minnesota Humanities Center for fiscal years 2026 and 2027. The funding supports statewide humanities programs, outreach partnerships, and specific initiatives including Minnesota culture, veterans' programming, educator professional development, and programming reflecting Black, Indigenous, and people of color communities. It directly affects the Minnesota Humanities Center and the organizations/individuals it serves through these funded activities. The bill is a straightforward funding measure with no new policy requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a $10 million grant program to fund infrastructure for manufactured housing cooperatives in Minnesota. Counties and cities can receive grants covering up to 50% of capital costs for infrastructure like sewers, water systems, and streets needed to support these housing developments, with a maximum of $60,000 per housing lot. Applicants must provide nonstate matching funds (cash or in-kind, including land value) and demonstrate the project will increase workforce housing and attract public/private investment. The program requires projects to proceed within five years, or grants must be repaid. The funds come from state bonds and are administered by the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency.

Maddy summarySF 1663 appropriates $1.65 million from state bonds to fund a new pedestrian and bicycle trail segment in Arden Hills, Minnesota. The project will construct a trail along Old Highway 10 North from Lake Valentine Road to Lakeshore Place, connecting to an existing regional trail, and includes a required boardwalk over wetlands. The funds cover land acquisition, construction, and the wetland boardwalk to comply with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service requirements. The state will issue bonds to finance the project under Minnesota law, with the money provided to the city of Arden Hills. This bill directly affects Arden Hills residents and regional trail users by creating new non-motorized transportation infrastructure.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires farmers and businesses receiving Minnesota's bioincentive payments to provide additional transparency details to the state commissioner. Specifically, recipients must submit information including their business structure, parent company details, all financial assistance received for the project, job creation/retention goals, equity hiring progress, wage goals, executive compensation, environmental compliance evidence, payment usage, and recent financial audits. These requirements apply to all producers receiving payments under Minnesota's agricultural incentive programs (sections 41A.16-41A.20). The bill aims to increase accountability by mandating standardized reporting on how these funds are used and their economic impact. The commissioner must then include this data in annual reports to relevant legislative committees.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $1 million from the general fund for fiscal year 2026 to the Birth Justice Collaborative to plan and develop an African-American-focused "Homeplace" model in Hennepin County. The model aims to improve access to culturally centered pregnancy and postpartum care, targeting better maternal and child health outcomes for Black mothers. The grant requires the Collaborative to report on implementation progress and outcomes by December 15, 2026, including recommendations for future expansion. The funding is available until June 30, 2028.

Maddy summarySF 1735 requires Minnesota public school districts to separately track spending on paid media advertisements (like TV, radio, online ads) and public event sponsorships starting in fiscal year 2026. It also mandates that any advertisement mentioning school costs (such as tuition, technology, or transportation) must state those costs are funded by taxpayer dollars. Charter schools are subject to the same requirements as school districts. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, and modifies financial reporting standards to implement these accounting rules. This directly affects school districts and charter schools managing their advertising and event sponsorship budgets.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $250,000 for fiscal year 2026 and $250,000 for fiscal year 2027 from the workforce development fund to Duluth Public Schools. The funds support the Duluth Promise initiative, which provides career planning, pathway training, and wraparound services for students in Duluth and St. Louis County. Key provisions include creating early college credit opportunities, connecting students with employers in high-demand fields like healthcare and manufacturing, and covering program costs such as instructor salaries and supportive services. The initiative aims to reduce employment barriers and address local workforce shortages.

Maddy summarySF 1736 modifies Minnesota's Clean Water Council by changing its membership structure and duties. The governor must appoint 17 voting members representing diverse interests - including agriculture, business, environmental groups, local governments, tribal organizations, and water-focused nonprofits - with requirements for geographic balance and water quality expertise (members cannot be lobbyists or legislators). The council will advise state agencies on prioritizing water quality projects and make recommendations on funding from the clean water fund. Nonvoting members from state agencies and the legislature will also serve on the council.

Maddy summarySF 1547 appropriates $240,000 from the general fund for each of fiscal years 2026 and 2027 to the Office of the Foster Youth Ombudsperson. This funding is specifically for hiring additional full-time staff to conduct outreach to foster youth in Minnesota. The bill directly affects foster youth by enabling the Ombudsperson's office to expand its capacity to connect with and support them. It does not create new policies but provides the necessary resources for existing outreach services. This is a straightforward funding measure with no other provisions or mechanisms.