Sen. Bobby Joe Champion

Maddy summaryThis bill (SF 3899) renames the state office building at 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in St. Paul as the "Melissa Hortman State Office Building." It directly affects the building's official designation and all state documents referencing it. The bill requires the revisor of statutes to update "State Office Building" to "Melissa Hortman State Office Building" throughout Minnesota Statutes and Minnesota Rules.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates Minnesota's Trunk Highway 610 as "Hortman Memorial Highway" in honor of someone named Hortman. It requires the state transportation commissioner to install signs displaying this new name on all route markers, alongside or instead of the highway number. The bill does not change transportation policies or funding - it solely commemorates an individual through highway signage. This is a ceremonial designation with no substantive policy impact.

Maddy summarySF 3959 amends Minnesota's Safe at Home program to strengthen protections for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking. It directly affects eligible participants by requiring clearer application details (including court-ordered guardianship documentation for minors/incapacitated persons) and mandating that all entities accept the program's designated address as the participant's official address - without demanding their real location for services. Key provisions include adding "emancipated minor" to eligibility definitions, clarifying mail delivery rules, and establishing criminal penalties for violating address confidentiality. The bill ensures participants can safely access services like mail and voting without risking exposure to abusers.

Maddy summaryThis bill allocates $800,000 from existing state funds to create a memorial statue of Melissa Hortman on the State Office Building site. The money will be used to design and cast a statue that honors Hortman's contributions to Minnesota, and the funds may also cover additional landscaping for a memorial garden. The Capitol Area Architectural and Planning Board must select the artist through a competitive process and work with Hortman's family throughout the project, with the statue design required to include likenesses of her deceased family members. Any remaining funds after the statue is cast can be used for further landscaping elements, and the money is available until June 30, 2029.

Maddy summaryThis Minnesota bill creates a relief program to help small businesses that suffered significant financial losses between July 2025 and February 2026 due to federal enforcement actions. The program provides up to $100 million in grants to operators of indoor retail or food market spaces that host at least 25 small tenant businesses with a cultural focus. Eligible businesses must be Minnesota-based, have fewer than 50 employees, and show at least a 20 percent decline in revenue or sales during the specified period. Grant funds can be used for payroll, rent, utilities, inventory, security upgrades, and working capital, with at least 50 percent of operator grants required to be passed directly to tenants as rent forgiveness. The bill requires grants to be distributed through a lottery system by late 2026 and mandates a report by December 2026 detailing how the funds were used and their economic impact.

Maddy summarySF 3664 repeals unfunded programs within Minnesota's Department of Employment and Economic Development, specifically removing sections of law (like 116J.437, 116J.438, and 116J.617) that created initiatives without dedicated funding. It amends related statutes to remove outdated grant priority criteria and clean water fund provisions, ensuring consistency after the repeals. The bill directly affects the state agency and any programs or funding mechanisms tied to the repealed sections. This is a procedural adjustment to eliminate non-operational legal provisions, not a new policy.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $4 million from the state's general fund in fiscal year 2027 to provide a grant to Northgate Development LLC for workforce training programs. The funding is intended to help individuals facing barriers to employment acquire skills for jobs in renewable energy and related construction sectors, such as solar, wind, geothermal systems, energy efficiency, battery storage, and electric vehicle charging infrastructure. The grant may cover costs for building and operating a training center in Minneapolis, developing curricula, purchasing equipment, providing support and job placement services, and evaluating program results. Additionally, the bill requires that the training programs actively recruit residents from underserved communities to participate in the workforce development initiatives.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $1,470,000 from the state's general fund to the Department of Education for the 2027 fiscal year. The money is designated for a grant to Build Wealth Minnesota, which will implement the Youth Stabilization Program to teach financial literacy to students from kindergarten through grade 12. The grant funds must be used to provide curriculum materials, support school districts in integrating the program into their courses, and offer instructional guidance to educators. Additionally, the recipient organization is required to submit a report by October 1, 2028, detailing the number of schools and students reached, as well as examples of the curriculum used.

Maddy summaryThis bill allocates $500,000 from the workforce development fund to provide a one-time grant to The Cookie Cart, a nonprofit bakery in Minnesota. The funding is intended to support an earn and learn program for youth aged 14 to 18, combining classroom instruction with on-the-job training in life, leadership, and employment skills. The money will be managed by the commissioner of employment and economic development and is designated for fiscal year 2027.

Maddy summaryThis Senate resolution honors the Threads Dance Project on its 15th anniversary and recognizes the leadership of its artistic director, Karen Long Charles. The measure formally acknowledges the organization's contributions to Minnesota's cultural landscape and its commitment to fostering community connection through dance. Additionally, it directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare an official copy of the resolution and send it to the dance company. This legislative action is purely ceremonial and does not alter any laws or allocate state funding.