Sen. Mary Kunesh-Podein

Maddy summaryThis bill amends multiple education statutes to update K-12 academic standards and credit requirements. It requires the state commissioner to seek input from seven stakeholder groups - including teachers, parents, tribal representatives, and students - when developing statewide academic standards for subjects like math, science, and social studies. The bill creates new credit equivalencies, allowing agricultural education credits to count toward social studies or science requirements, CTE credits to fulfill math or arts requirements, and ethnic studies courses to satisfy multiple subject credits if meeting state standards. It also removes certification barriers for agricultural and health educators to meet these credit flexibility rules. The changes directly affect Minnesota public schools, students, and educators in implementing graduation requirements and curriculum.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $10 million in bond proceeds to acquire private lands within existing Minnesota state parks and recreation areas. The funds will be used to purchase property from willing sellers for creating new parks or expanding current ones, as defined in Minnesota law. The state will sell up to $10 million in bonds under established procedures to fund these land acquisitions. It directly affects landowners within designated park boundaries and the state's natural resources management system.

Maddy summaryThis bill renames Minnesota's existing library construction grant program to the "Mary C. Murphy Library Construction Grants Program" (effective upon enactment). It does not change any program rules, funding amounts, eligibility requirements, or application processes. The renamed program continues to provide grants for library accessibility improvements, renovations, or new construction, requiring local matching funds and prohibiting the use of grant money for new building accessibility compliance. All other provisions of the program - including the $450,000 cap for accessibility projects and $1,000,000 cap for renovation/construction grants - remain unchanged.

Maddy summarySF 2865 appropriates $23,000 from four dedicated legacy funds ($7,000 from outdoor heritage, $7,000 from clean water, $5,000 from arts and cultural heritage, and $4,000 from parks and trails) to the Legislative Coordinating Commission for maintaining Minnesota's required legacy funding website under Minnesota Statutes § 3.303, subd. 10. This bill directly affects the Legislative Coordinating Commission, which administers the website, and ensures public access to information about how legacy funds are allocated. The funds are specifically designated from existing legacy trust funds, with no new tax or spending authority created. This is a procedural appropriations bill focused solely on website maintenance costs.

Maddy summarySF 3265 repeals a sales and use tax exemption for data centers in Minnesota. It removes the provision that previously allowed data center operators to avoid paying sales tax on enterprise information technology equipment and computer software used in qualified data centers. This change means data center businesses will now pay the standard sales tax on these items starting July 1, 2025. The bill directly affects data center operators who previously qualified for this exemption under Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 297A.68, subdivision 42.

Maddy summarySF 472 exempts the Office of Ombudsperson for American Indian Families and federally recognized tribes (or their representatives) from paying court fees for specific family-related legal actions. The bill amends Minnesota Statutes to add these entities to existing exemptions covering child support enforcement, medical assistance enforcement, parentage establishment, civil commitment, conservatorship/guardianship appointments, and certain family court proceedings. This change removes a financial barrier for tribal and tribal-affiliated entities when navigating court systems for these matters. The policy directly affects tribal organizations and the Office of Ombudsperson in their legal interactions with Minnesota courts. It does not alter substantive law but ensures these entities are not charged fees for specified court services.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $1.5 million from the general fund for Minnesota's "Lawns to Legumes" program in fiscal year 2026. The funding, available until June 30, 2029, supports the Board of Water and Soil Resources in replacing traditional lawns with legume-rich plantings that improve soil health and support pollinators. The program will partner with local governments, Metro Blooms, and other organizations to implement this initiative. It directly affects landowners participating in the program and local entities managing public or private green spaces.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the Minnesota Sustainable Foraging Task Force to develop science-based recommendations for foraging regulations on state lands. The task force, requiring diverse membership including Indigenous knowledge holders, scientists, foraging advocates, and conservation representatives, must review existing rules and gather data on foraging impacts by December 1, 2026. It will propose specific guidelines balancing ecological sustainability with public access, create educational materials, and explore permit models including volunteer options. The bill directly affects Minnesotans who forage on state lands and aims to inform future regulations through data-driven, culturally inclusive recommendations.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands the legal definition of "governmental agency" in Minnesota's emergency communications law to include any entity that has authority to provide emergency services, not just those currently operating them. It directly affects tribal agencies, local governments, and special districts that offer or could offer firefighting, police, ambulance, medical, or other emergency services. The key change amends Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 403.02, subdivision 14, by adding "or has authority to provide" before listing the services. This clarification ensures the law covers agencies with the legal authority to deliver emergency services, even if they aren't actively providing them at the moment.

Maddy summaryThis bill (SF 3257) requires Minnesota state agencies to mandate training for staff whose work involves tribal matters, clarifying existing consultation obligations. It specifies that agencies must direct certain employees (including commissioners and staff working on tribal-impacted issues) to complete state-developed training created with tribal nations, the Department of Transportation, and the University of Minnesota Sovereignty Institute. The training aims to foster collaborative government-to-government relationships and support meaningful consultation with Minnesota Tribal governments. Agencies must also maintain Tribal consultation policies, designate Tribal liaisons, and consult with affected tribes annually on relevant matters. This applies to all state agencies, with the training serving as a foundational requirement for staff engagement.