Sen. Jen McEwen

Maddy summarySF 1892 would allow Minnesota cities and counties to adopt ranked choice voting (RCV) for local elections, such as city council or school board races. Under this bill, voters would rank candidates in order of preference (e.g., 1st, 2nd, 3rd), and if no candidate receives a majority of first-choice votes, lower-ranked preferences would transfer to remaining candidates in rounds until one achieves a majority. The bill establishes procedures for local jurisdictions to implement RCV, including rules for electronic voting systems that reallocate votes and definitions for key terms like "batch elimination" and "highest continuing ranking." It does not apply to state-level elections or require any jurisdiction to adopt RCV - local governments would choose whether to use it.

Maddy summarySF 1901 appropriates $1.525 million annually for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 from the arts and cultural heritage fund to support children's museums across Minnesota. The bill allocates specific annual amounts to 12 designated museums (including The Works in Bloomington and the Duluth Children's Museum) for interactive exhibits and outreach programs focused on arts and cultural heritage. Eligible museums must meet IRS criteria for children's museums. This funding directly supports these institutions' educational programming for children and families statewide.

Maddy summarySF 1939 amends Minnesota Statutes section 340A.26, subdivision 2, to change the production limit for wineries seeking a brewer taproom license from 250,000 gallons of wine annually to 250,000 barrels annually. This change directly affects wineries that currently exceed 250,000 gallons but would now qualify under the new, significantly higher threshold (since one barrel equals 31.5 gallons, making 250,000 barrels equivalent to about 7.875 million gallons). The key mechanism is updating the statutory limit from gallons to barrels, effectively removing a barrier for larger wineries. This policy change allows municipalities to issue brewer taproom licenses to wineries producing more wine than previously permitted under the current 250,000-gallon cap.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $1,058,200 from the general fund for capital improvements at the Great Lakes Aquarium in Duluth. The funds, provided to the Lake Superior Center Authority, will cover predesign, construction, and renovation of the facility's mechanical, electrical, water treatment, utility systems, life-safety features, and exterior building envelope, parking, and grounds. The one-time appropriation is available until the project is completed or abandoned. It directly affects the Great Lakes Aquarium's physical infrastructure and operations in Duluth.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates a specific amount from the state general fund for a one-time grant to Second Harvest Northland Food Bank in Duluth. The funds will support constructing and renovating a facility expansion and purchasing new refrigeration equipment. The grant is contingent on the state verifying that matching nonstate funds (local or private) have been secured for the project. The funding is available until the project is completed or abandoned, directly benefiting Duluth's food bank operations and the community it serves.

Maddy summaryThis bill restores annual increases (augmentation) to deferred retirement annuities for Minnesota public employees who left state or local government employment before January 1, 2019. It amends retirement statutes to ensure these members' annuities are increased at specific rates (e.g., 2-5%) from their termination date until December 31, 2018 - ending the previous rule that stopped augmentation after 2018 for all members. The key change applies only to those who terminated service before 2019, reversing a prior cutoff that left their benefits unchanged after 2018. The policy directly affects former state and local government employees who were eligible for deferred retirement benefits but left before 2019. The bill does not create new benefits but reinstates the calculation method for existing deferred annuities.

Maddy summaryThis bill imposes additional taxes on Minnesota corporations where the CEO's pay is 50 times or more than the median worker's pay, with tax rates increasing as the pay gap widens (0.2% for 50:1-100:1 ratios up to 1.5% for 500:1+). Corporations subject to this tax would also be ineligible to receive state grants or subsidies. The tax applies to corporations meeting the ratio thresholds as reported under federal pay disclosure rules, effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025. It directly affects large corporations with significant CEO-worker pay disparities that report such data under federal requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Minnesota law to increase the annual wine production limit for wineries seeking a brewer taproom license. Currently, wineries producing more than 250,000 gallons of wine annually are barred from obtaining such licenses; the bill raises this threshold to 750,000 gallons. This change directly affects larger wineries that previously exceeded the 250,000-gallon limit but now qualify for brewer taproom licenses. The key provision modifies Minnesota Statutes section 340A.26, subdivision 2, to allow these wineries to operate taprooms serving both wine and beer.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases Minnesota's minimum wage to $15.00 per hour starting August 1, 2025, with incremental rises to $20.00 per hour by August 1, 2029. It establishes an automatic annual adjustment for the minimum wage beginning January 1, 2030, tied to national inflation data (capped at 5% annually). The bill also maintains a lower starting wage for employees under 20 years old during their first 90 days of employment. These changes apply to all employers in Minnesota subject to state minimum wage requirements.

Maddy summarySF 1802 prohibits the use, sale, and manufacture of lead sinkers and jigs that weigh one ounce or less or measure 2.5 inches or less in length in Minnesota. It directly affects anglers who use such small lead tackle and businesses that sell or make it, but excludes fishing flies, lures, weighted line, and jig heads. The law will take effect on July 1, 2027, targeting small lead tackle commonly lost or discarded in waterways. This bill creates a clear size/weight threshold for the prohibition without referencing environmental goals.