Sen. Clare Oumou Verbeten

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $10 million from state bond proceeds to fund construction of the Mississippi River Learning Center in St. Paul. The funds will support the city of St. Paul to build marina buildings, trails, vehicle access, and site improvements at Crosby Farm Regional Park. The money comes from newly authorized state bonds, separate from prior 2023 funding for the same project. This is a capital investment project directly affecting St. Paul residents and visitors who will use the facility.

Maddy summaryThis bill, SF 3229, creates collective bargaining rights for transportation network company (TNC) drivers in Minnesota, such as Uber and Lyft drivers. It establishes a process for drivers to form or join labor organizations, which must be certified by the Bureau of Mediation Services as their "exclusive representative" to negotiate terms and conditions of work. The bill defines key terms like "active driver" (based on ride volume) and prohibits TNCs from controlling or dominating "company unions" (e.g., driver groups created by the company itself). It directly affects TNC drivers and requires TNCs to negotiate in good faith with certified representatives over issues like pay, scheduling, and grievance procedures. The bill does not mandate unionization but provides a legal framework for drivers to collectively bargain.

Maddy summarySF 3232 establishes a 18-month pilot program providing direct cash grants of at least $500 monthly to eligible low-income Minnesota residents. Eligible recipients must have household income ≤300% of federal poverty guidelines or receive public benefits, with stipends explicitly excluded from income calculations for other assistance programs (e.g., food support, housing aid). Grantees (local governments, Tribal entities, or nonprofits) design community-specific programs, collect data on economic and health outcomes, and must involve community members in planning. The program requires annual reporting and an independent evaluation, with a final efficacy report due to legislators by January 2028.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes annual financial aid for the cities of Falcon Heights and St. Paul to cover costs related to State Fairgrounds events. It provides $75,000 for Falcon Heights and $500,000 for St. Paul in 2026, with future payments automatically adjusted each year based on inflation using a specific federal government spending index. The aid compensates cities for public safety (police/fire/EMS), traffic management, sanitation, and neighborhood cleanup costs tied to fair events. Payments are made annually on July 20, with funds appropriated from the state general fund. The inflation adjustment mechanism ensures aid keeps pace with rising costs over time.

Maddy summarySF 3157 clarifies Minnesota's existing parental curriculum review rights under Minnesota Statutes §120B.20. It requires school districts to establish procedures allowing parents, guardians, or adult students (18+) to review instructional materials (including online content) for minors or adult students, and to arrange alternative instruction if they object to content. The bill specifies schools aren't required to cover costs for parent-provided alternatives and prohibits penalizing students for seeking alternatives. This directly affects families seeking to review or modify curriculum content for their children or themselves as adult students.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $6 million from the general fund for the Rondo Community Land Trust, a nonprofit organization, to acquire and redevelop land between Dale Street and Saint Albans Street in St. Paul. The funds cover site improvements, infrastructure, and landscaping for the redevelopment project. The appropriation is one-time and available until the project is completed. It directly affects the Rondo Community Land Trust and the specific properties it aims to redevelop in St. Paul's Rondo neighborhood.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $75,000 from the arts and cultural heritage fund for fiscal year 2026 to the Hmong American Mediation Center. The grant will fund culturally specific dialog and outreach programs provided by the center. It directly affects the Hmong American Mediation Center, a nonprofit organization serving Minnesota's Hmong community. The funding mechanism is a one-time appropriation for the center's existing services, not a new program. This is a straightforward funding allocation with no policy changes beyond the specified grant.

Maddy summarySF 2932 requires Minnesota's commissioner of higher education to create a standard financial aid offer form for colleges and universities receiving state grant aid. Starting in the 2027-2028 academic year, these institutions must use this uniform form to present all financial aid offers to students, including clear breakdowns of total costs (tuition, fees, housing, books, etc.), non-repayable grants/scholarships by source, and net price. The form must be consumer-friendly, list costs first, separate grants from loans, and include specific disclosures about aid conditions. This affects all Minnesota higher education institutions receiving state funding and aims to improve transparency for students navigating financial aid offers.

Maddy summarySF 1503 prohibits health care providers from charging facility fees - extra charges for administrative costs like building or billing expenses - on nonemergency services at off-campus clinics owned by hospitals (provider-based clinics) and for specific services like outpatient evaluations. Hospitals must report on any facility fees they charged, including patient counts and amounts collected, starting in 2027, and publish this data online. The health commissioner can expand the ban to cover additional services deemed safe to provide outside hospitals. This law directly affects patients receiving nonemergency care at these clinics and hospitals that previously collected such fees.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $250,000 from the general fund for fiscal year 2026 to create a Community Engagement Response Team (CERT) in Rochester. The funds will be granted to a nonprofit organization to support a team made up of community leaders and volunteers. The CERT must focus on improving public safety by acting as a liaison between law enforcement and the Black community, mediating community issues, curating opportunities, and providing advocacy specifically for Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities in Rochester. The bill directly affects the Rochester community by establishing this new local resource.