Governor of Minnesota

While caucuses continued to focus on their priorities of fraud and immigration with bills in committees, bills on other topics were able to break through to garner attention this week. After hearing from Minnesota residents about their city officials entering into nondisclosure agreements over large-scale data center projects, the House Elections Finance and Government Operations Committee gave the greenlight to a bill banning municipalities from entering such agreements.

Sure, your property taxes may have gone up last year. But did they go up enough to earn you a special refund? Minnesota tax law has something called “targeting,” which directs property tax relief to homeowners who have experienced a property tax increase of 12% or more, year over year, if the increase is over $100. Homeowners could get 60% of the increase back, up to a maximum refund of $1,000. Rep. John Huot (DFL-Rosemount) would like to see that refund get bigger and be more widely available.

Minnesota’s workforce remains relatively stable, but lawmakers heard Thursday that several emerging trends may shape the state’s long-term competitiveness. In a series of informational briefings before the House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy Committee, speakers offered a snapshot of current conditions and outlined potential areas lawmakers may want to monitor in the years ahead.

More citizen engagement in government affairs is a good thing, right? Rep. Jimmy Gordon (R-Isanti) thinks so. He sponsors HF3295 that would authorize a public body to live broadcast meetings subject to the Open Meeting Law using social media.

So what’s a “pass-through entity tax,” and why did it cause such a kerfuffle in Wednesday’s meeting of the House Taxes Committee? Well, by declaring themselves a “pass-through entity,” a small business pays no income tax on its own, instead having all profits and losses flow to the personal income tax returns of the owners or shareholders, where they’re taxed once at individual rates. But, to make that happen, your state must have a pass-through entity tax. Minnesota’s expired at the end of 2025.

Legislators are one step closer to uncovering what’s under the black lines of a heavily redacted third-party audit of the state’s Medicaid system. However, the public would remain in the dark. Passed 107-27 by the House on Thursday and sent to the Senate, HF3378 would require the release of the full Optum report to legislators. “We want to be partners in not only fraud prevention but loss prevention,” said Rep. Joe Schomacker (R-Luverne), the bill sponsor.

Minnesota law requires most employers to wait to ask about an applicant’s criminal record until after they’ve been selected for an interview or a conditional job offer has been extended. This “ban the box” law means in most cases employers may not ask on an application form whether or not a person has ever been arrested or convicted of a crime. Employers who violate this law may be subject to a fine.

Participation in deer hunting in Minnesota is experiencing a long-term decline due to an aging demographic and fewer young people entering the sport. The Department of Natural Resources has several active programs and strategic initiatives specifically designed to combat this decline. There’s been legislation, too. A 2023 law modified hunting statutes to temporarily allow any deer, bear, or turkey hunters with an archery license to use a crossbow.

When a family relocates for a new job, the financial math can be complicated — especially when college-aged children are involved. At the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, in-state tuition runs $18,482, compared with $41,368 for out-of-state students, according to U.S. News & World Report. For some households, that gap can influence whether they move. That lower number could entice families to settle in the state, said Rep.

The late Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman was an avid advocate for “green energy.” She regarded her work promoting the increased use of renewable resources to be among her most important accomplishments during her 21 years in the House. So it’s appropriate that so many of her colleagues wore varying shades of green as they honored her legacy Thursday, from dresses to jackets to ties, buttons and ribbons.