Sen. Jen McEwen

Maddy summarySF 1714 requires Minnesota public contracting agencies to provide detailed, timely payment notifications to all contractors and subcontractors on public improvement projects. Agencies must send written notices within three business days of any payment (including progress, retainage, or final payments), including the payment amount, date, recipient details, scope of work, and reasons for any withholding. These notifications must be provided to every tier of contractors and subcontractors at no cost, ensuring transparency about how and when payments are made. The bill directly affects state/local government agencies managing public contracts and the contractors/subcontractors working on those projects. It aims to improve payment clarity without changing payment amounts or timelines.

Maddy summarySF 3720 modifies how Minnesota municipalities can handle building code enforcement for certain projects. It updates qualification standards from "inspectors" to "qualified personnel," requiring municipalities to have enough trained staff (including code enforcement staff) to provide plan review, inspection, and enforcement for public buildings and state-licensed facilities. The bill also specifies a list of "reserved projects" (like roof replacements, exterior maintenance, or accessibility upgrades) where municipalities can manage code enforcement without state oversight. Municipalities must formally request agreements, and the state commissioner must provide written criteria and explanations for approvals or denials, with appeal options available.

Maddy summarySF 2373 is a budget bill that allocates $54.6 million for Minnesota's Department of Labor and Industry, Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals, and Bureau of Mediation Services for fiscal years 2026-2027. It includes specific funding for wage theft prevention ($2.046 million annually), prevailing wage enforcement ($1.696 million), and protections for nursing mothers and pregnant workers ($134,000 annually). The bill also allocates $169,000 for meat and poultry processing workplace safety and $1.899 million for enforcing earned sick time laws. These funds directly support state agencies in enforcing labor standards and worker protections across Minnesota. The bill amends multiple labor statutes to implement these funding priorities.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires large employers in major Minnesota cities to offer tax-free commuter benefits to full-time workers who live near public transit. Specifically, companies with 50 or more employees within one mile of a regular transit route must provide a pretax benefit allowing workers to pay for transit passes through payroll deductions. The law also permits employers to offer additional subsidies for walking, biking, or carpooling and mandates that transit authorities create a map to help identify which businesses are covered. Employers can negotiate to waive this requirement through a collective bargaining agreement, and the rules do not interfere with existing union contracts.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a temporary working group to evaluate and recommend improvements for mobility hubs, which are locations where people can easily switch between different types of transportation. The group will consist of representatives from the Metropolitan Council, state and local governments, universities, and advocacy organizations, with members appointed by July 31, 2026. Its main tasks include identifying barriers to creating these hubs, estimating costs, and developing a prioritized list of potential sites along high-traffic bus routes. The working group must hold its first meeting by September 15, 2026, and submit a final report with its findings and recommendations to legislative committees by February 13, 2027, before the group expires in June 2027.

Maddy summaryThis bill reclassifies incarcerated individuals in Minnesota correctional facilities as employees under state labor laws, thereby extending protections such as minimum wage, overtime pay, and whistleblower rights to them. By explicitly including these individuals in the definitions of "employee" within the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Public Employee Labor Relations Act, and the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the legislation ensures they are covered by existing labor standards. The measure also mandates a report to track the implementation of these changes, aiming to formalize the labor relationship between the state and its incarcerated workforce.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new advertising services tax in Minnesota, directly affecting businesses that provide advertising services to clients. The key provision expands the state's sales tax definition to include advertising services as a taxable transaction, treating them similarly to other taxable services like laundry, lawn care, and security services. Businesses offering advertising services will now need to collect and remit sales tax on their fees, while the bill clarifies that services performed by employees for employers remain non-taxable. The legislation amends existing Minnesota tax statutes to formally categorize advertising services within the taxable services list without specifying a tax rate.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires companies seeking approval to build petroleum pipelines in Minnesota to submit more detailed demand forecasts when applying for a certificate of need from the Public Utilities Commission. The legislation specifically mandates that applicants provide separate annual forecasts for motor fuel and other refined petroleum products covering a 15-year period for both Minnesota and neighboring states. These forecasts must account for multiple factors including population growth, vehicle efficiency, electric vehicle adoption rates, and changes in crude oil prices and transportation infrastructure. Companies must also explain their underlying assumptions and how potential changes in those assumptions could affect their projected demand.

Maddy summarySF 3868 prohibits the placement or operation of virtual currency kiosks (physical machines for buying/selling cryptocurrency) within Minnesota. It directly affects businesses that operate such kiosks by banning their activity statewide. The bill creates a new legal provision (Minnesota Statutes § 53B.691) explicitly stating this prohibition and repeals all existing statutes (53B.69-53B.75) that previously defined virtual currency kiosk operations and related terms. This represents a complete ban on physical cryptocurrency kiosks in Minnesota, replacing the prior regulatory framework.

Maddy summarySF 3857 appropriates $103.288 million from Minnesota's Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund for climate resilience and environmental projects. It directly funds specific programs including $3.312 million for AmeriCorps members working with local agencies on environmental projects, $468,000 to develop model land-use ordinances for sustainable communities, $612,000 to create climate-resilient community spaces, $1.22 million for regional climate plans in northeast Minnesota, and $2.603 million to protect community forests from emerald ash borer. These funds support local governments, Tribal Nations, nonprofits, and environmental organizations across Minnesota to address climate impacts and enhance natural resource management. The bill focuses on concrete funding allocations for existing programs rather than new policy changes.