Sen. Steve Cwodzinski

Maddy summaryThis bill imposes a two-year pause on approving new charter schools in Minnesota, effective July 1, 2025, through July 1, 2027. It directly affects school authorizers and organizations seeking to establish new charter schools or expand existing ones by prohibiting the commissioner from approving new charters or additions to grades/sites during this period. Existing charter school plans approved before July 1, 2025, may continue as planned. The bill amends Minnesota Statutes to create this temporary moratorium on new charter school authorizations.

Maddy summaryMinnesota Senate Bill SF 1138 allocates $500,000 for fiscal year 2026 and $500,000 for fiscal year 2027 from the general fund to the commissioner of health. This funding supports the nonprofit "Change the Outcome" to provide opioid prevention and education programs directly affecting Minnesota middle and high schools, communities, and individuals struggling with substance use. Key provisions include data-driven school and community workshops on opioid dangers, prevention strategies, overdose recognition, emerging drug trends (like fentanyl and xylazine), and access to treatment resources. The bill focuses on concrete funding for evidence-based education rather than changing existing laws.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Minnesota's requirements for individualized education programs (IEPs) by directing the commissioner of education to amend rules to require only measurable annual goals in IEPs, removing the prior requirement for benchmarks or short-term objectives. It directly affects school districts and IEP teams developing plans for students with disabilities. The key change simplifies documentation while maintaining focus on measurable annual outcomes, as specified in Section 2 of the bill. The amendment applies to Minnesota Rules, part 3525.2810, subpart 1, item A.

Maddy summarySF 2118 allocates $800,000 annually for 2026 and 2027 to fund economic and financial literacy education in Minnesota public schools. The bill provides grants to the Minnesota Council on Economic Education to support professional development for K-12 teachers implementing financial education standards, develop curriculum resources, and run student programs. It specifically targets teachers in grades 9-12 delivering personal finance instruction and requires annual reports detailing training participation, program content, and research on program effectiveness. The funding directly affects Minnesota teachers and students by expanding access to financial literacy education resources and teacher training.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits the construction of new public or charter schools within one-quarter mile of certain former landfills or dump sites. It directly affects school districts planning new facilities by banning construction on land near sites listed by the Pollution Control Agency as potentially contaminated or identified in a 2001 study. Key provisions define "closed landfill" and "dump site" and specify that the prohibition covers school buildings, playgrounds, and athletic fields. The law takes effect July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires members of Minnesota's education policy and finance committees to observe teachers or administrators in K-12 schools for at least 12 hours over two years. It mandates that legislators report specific details (dates, educator names, school locations, and grade levels observed) to legislative leadership and the Legislative Reference Library, which must publish these reports online. The requirement applies only to committee members focused on K-12 education policy or funding. The rule takes effect July 1, 2025, and does not change education funding or curriculum.

Maddy summarySF 1355 encourages Minnesota school districts and charter schools to provide age-appropriate instruction on healthy aging and dementia to students in grades 6-12. The bill requires the state education commissioner, by July 1, 2026 (and every even-numbered year after), to provide schools with resources covering brain health strategies, Alzheimer's disease information, and elder care for cognitive impairment. These resources must align with local health standards and be integrated into existing school programs. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, and does not mandate specific curriculum changes but promotes voluntary inclusion of this education.

Maddy summarySF 1781 creates a new section (120A.37) in Minnesota law that lists where specific student attendance rules are actually codified in other parts of the statutes. It does not change existing attendance policies but clarifies references to statutes governing age requirements, district residency, truancy, excused absences, and student reporting. This procedural bill directly affects school districts, parents, and students by making it easier to locate the relevant laws without rewording or modifying the current rules. The bill simply organizes existing references, such as pointing to sections on truancy (260A.02) or excused absences (120A.22, subd. 12), without creating new requirements.

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 summaryMinnesota Senate Bill SF 1033 is a resolution passed by the Minnesota Legislature requesting Congress to address the Supreme Court's *Citizens United v. FEC* decision. It asks Congress to clarify that constitutional rights belong solely to natural persons (people), not corporations or other artificial entities, and that spending money to influence elections is not protected speech under the First Amendment. The resolution specifically proposes a constitutional amendment requiring that government regulate campaign spending to ensure equal access for all citizens, prohibit unlimited spending by entities, and mandate public disclosure of political contributions. This is a non-binding request to Congress, not a law that changes current regulations.