Sen. Eric Pratt

Maddy summaryThis bill, known as the SAVE Minnesota Act, requires voters in Minnesota to present a photo identification card to register to vote and to cast a ballot at the polls. To obtain this new voter identification card, applicants must provide proof of citizenship, and the state will issue a specific card for this purpose. The legislation also establishes a new trust fund to support child abuse prevention efforts and waives fees for obtaining vital records needed to apply for the voter ID card. Additionally, the bill creates a system for provisional ballots and modifies existing rules regarding absentee voting for certain program participants.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes the issuance of up to $1,788,000 in state bonds to fund upgrades at the SCALE regional public safety training facility in Jordan. The funds will be used to replace aging burn structures with a new, compliant fire training tower and to modernize the technical systems for both Class A and Class B burn structures. The money will be provided as a grant to the Scott County Association for Leadership and Efficiency Joint Powers Board, which manages the facility. The legislation takes effect immediately upon final passage.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a temporary sales tax holiday in Minnesota for the entire month of July 2026 to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States. It exempts the purchase of most tangible personal property from state sales tax, but excludes alcohol, taxable cannabis products, and motor vehicles. The exemption applies to retail sales occurring between July 1 and July 31, 2026, and the law becomes effective once it is enacted.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Minnesota's Paid Leave Law to expand the definition of "seasonal employee" from 150 days to 180 days within a 52-week period, specifically for workers in the hospitality industry. Under the new rules, employers must apply to the state department to classify employees as seasonal and must notify the department within five business days if an employee no longer meets the criteria. Workers classified as seasonal employees under these conditions would be ineligible for paid leave benefits during weeks they are employed as seasonal workers, though they would become eligible again if their employment extends beyond the 180-day threshold. The legislation applies to employers whose average receipts during any six months of the preceding year were not more than 33 percent of their average receipts for the other six months of that year.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates training requirements for child care providers in Minnesota to include interactive instruction on abusive head trauma prevention. It directly affects directors, staff, substitutes, and volunteers working with children under school age, requiring them to complete at least 30 minutes of hands-on training annually. The training must cover shaking risks, prevention methods, and communication with parents about reducing abuse risks, and cannot consist only of reading or watching materials. The changes also allow this training to count toward existing annual in-service requirements and become effective on January 1, 2027.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Minnesota's child care training requirements to mandate that directors, staff, substitutes, and unsupervised volunteers receive annual training on abusive head trauma prevention. The training must be at least 30 minutes long and cover risk factors related to shaking infants and young children, ways to reduce such risks, and communication with parents. Additionally, child care license holders must display a commissioner-approved poster with abusive head trauma prevention information in visible areas for staff and visitors. The changes apply to all child care centers caring for children under school age and will take effect on January 1, 2027.

Maddy summaryThis bill exempts elected officials in Minnesota from the state's Paid Leave Law, meaning they would not be required to participate in or contribute to the paid leave program. The legislation directly affects state and local government officials, including members of the legislature and judiciary, by removing them from the definition of covered employees under the law. Key provisions amend existing statutes to explicitly exclude elected officials, legislative members, and judicial members from paid leave coverage while allowing certain entities to opt into the program if they choose. The bill also clarifies that seasonal employees remain excluded from coverage, maintaining the current structure for that category of workers.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows teachers in Minnesota to direct their union dues to the local, state, or national organization of their choice rather than automatically to the union that represents their workplace. It requires unions and employers to clearly notify teachers of this option and ensure payroll deduction forms explicitly state how teachers can allocate their dues. The legislation also mandates that public employers process these requests within 30 days and protects teachers from being forced to join a union or pay dues to one they do not choose.

Maddy summaryThis bill asks Congress to call a constitutional convention specifically to limit how many terms members of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate can serve. Minnesota is submitting this request under Article V of the Constitution, which allows state legislatures to apply for such a convention when two-thirds of states agree on the same topic. The resolution states that Minnesota's application will be combined with similar applications from other states but not with requests for different constitutional changes. If enough states submit matching applications, Congress would be required to convene a limited convention focused solely on term limits for federal legislators. The Minnesota Secretary of State is instructed to send copies of this resolution to federal officials and other state legislatures to coordinate the process.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Minnesota's legal definition of advance deposit wagering to include horse races conducted outside the state, expanding the scope of betting activities covered under current regulations. It establishes how source market fees collected from online betting providers must be distributed between racetracks, with 28 percent going to standardbred tracks and 72 percent to Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse tracks. The legislation also requires that at least 50 percent of these fees for out-of-state races be used for breeder awards and purses, while in-state race fees must be allocated primarily to purse accounts. Additionally, the bill specifies that racetracks with revoked or non-renewed licenses will not receive source market fees, which would instead be redirected to other licensed tracks.