Sen. Jen McEwen

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a low-interest financing program through the Minnesota Climate Innovative Finance Authority to help school districts upgrade building ventilation systems and install geothermal energy systems. It directly affects eligible Minnesota school districts (including independent, special, and cooperative districts) by providing funds to cover upfront costs for these energy improvements. The program prioritizes schools in high-poverty communities (using Title I funding as a marker), balances projects between metro and non-metro areas, and requires consumer protection standards for financial transparency. Funding includes $X from the general fund and $X from the renewable development account for fiscal year 2026, with unused funds canceling by June 2027.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases penalties for Minnesota employers who misrepresent information to the unemployment system. It amends statutes to set penalties at the greater of $500 or 100% of the financial harm caused - such as overpaid benefits, unpaid benefits, or unpaid employer contributions - instead of fixed amounts. Employers who collude with applicants to fraudulently obtain benefits face similar scaled penalties. Additional penalties of up to $10,000 may apply per employee misclassified as an independent contractor instead of an employee. The bill directly affects employers who commit fraud or fail to properly classify workers under Minnesota's unemployment and labor rules.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $1.7 million from the state general fund for a one-time grant to the Duluth Children's Museum, a nonprofit organization. The funds are specifically for designing, constructing, furnishing, and equipping capital improvements to expand the museum building in Duluth. The grant is available until the project is completed or abandoned, with no ongoing funding implications.

Maddy summarySF 1561 establishes two new grant programs to improve children's mental health services in Minnesota. It creates a "youth care professional grant" to fund trauma-informed training for direct care staff working in children's residential facilities, certified programs, and day treatment settings. The bill also creates "high-fidelity wraparound grants" to support community-based providers and counties in delivering comprehensive, child-driven mental health services for children with serious challenges. Both programs require specific training curricula, documentation of service costs, and the creation of a registry for trained staff, with funding administered through the Department of Human Services.

Maddy summarySF 2188 appropriates $105 million from the general fund to the Minnesota Department of Education for school unemployment aid under Minnesota Statutes §124D.995, specifically for the 2026 fiscal year. This is a one-time funding allocation, not a new program, and must comply with existing requirements in §124D.995. The bill directly affects school districts and employees eligible for unemployment aid through the state's established program. It does not create new eligibility criteria or alter current benefit structures.

Maddy summarySF 1593 establishes a $50 million grant program to help Minnesota arts and cultural facilities meet accessibility requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The program provides capital grants through intermediary organizations (like community development groups or tribal governments) to eligible nonprofit facilities - such as theaters, galleries, or cultural centers - that meet specific criteria, including deriving at least 33% of revenue from live events, employing no more than 60 full-time equivalent staff, and being located in Minnesota. Grants can fund ADA compliance renovations or capital projects, with priority given to ADA-related work and geographic diversity across the state, and the maximum grant per facility is $2 million. The commissioner of employment and economic development must report on program use and outcomes to the legislature by 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Minnesota's system for compensating counties for state-owned lands. It creates a new payment category for "other lakeshore land" - defined as state-owned natural resources land abutting lakes identified by the Department of Natural Resources. Counties will receive either $5.133 per acre or 0.75% of the land's appraised value (whichever is greater) for these parcels, added to existing payment formulas under Minnesota Statutes §477A.12, subdivision 1(10). The change takes effect for payments made in 2026 and later. It directly affects counties administering state-owned lakeshore properties.

Maddy summaryThis bill limits how much Minnesota utility customers pay for executive compensation. It prohibits utility commissions from allowing ratepayers to cover pay for a utility's top 10 executives exceeding the governor's annual salary. The rule applies to utilities serving at least 300,000 retail customers in Minnesota. Compensation covered by the cap includes salary and incentives, but excludes standard expense reimbursements and benefits offered uniformly to all employees. The bill does not restrict pay funded by investors or other non-ratepayer sources.

Maddy summarySF 1176 appropriates $791,000 for 2026 and $1,628,000 for 2027 to fund P-TECH implementation grants through Minnesota's Department of Education. These grants support career-focused education programs (P-TECH) that combine high school and college coursework with industry partnerships, directly affecting school districts and their business collaborators. The bill specifies $500,000 annually for a public-private partnership involving Rochester Independent School District No. 535, with unused 2026 funds rolling over to 2027. Starting in 2028, the annual base appropriation is set at $2.625 million, maintaining the $500,000 minimum for the Rochester partnership.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $750,000 from the arts and cultural heritage fund for fiscal year 2026 to fund a lake sturgeon project at the Great Lakes Aquarium. The funds will support rearing and stocking lake sturgeon in the St. Louis River, along with public education about the species' historical, cultural, and biological significance. The project requires collaboration between the aquarium, the commissioner of natural resources, the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It directly affects these organizations and the St. Louis River ecosystem through specific conservation and educational activities.