Rep. Cheryl Youakim

Maddy summaryThis bill increases penalties for impersonating a police officer in Minnesota. It upgrades the base offense to a felony (up to 2 years in jail or $4,000 fine) and creates a new crime for impersonating while carrying a firearm (up to 10 years in jail or $20,000 fine). The bill also requires anyone pretending to be a law enforcement officer to identify themselves when asked and imposes harsher penalties if they commit other crimes while impersonating an officer (e.g., a misdemeanor becomes a gross misdemeanor). It directly affects individuals who falsely pose as police officers, including those using fake uniforms, vehicle markings, or equipment to mimic law enforcement.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies deadlines for professional development training related to Minnesota's Read Act. It requires school districts to provide evidence-based training to specific educators by July 1, 2026 (including K-3 classroom teachers and reading intervention staff) and by July 1, 2027 (for grades 4-12 reading teachers). The bill also allows districts to reduce elementary students' instructional hours by 5.5 hours during the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school years if teachers receive required training on days when other students are learning. This change applies to all public and charter schools meeting the training agreement requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill adjusts funding forecasts for Minnesota's public school programs from prekindergarten through grade 12, updating the amounts the state expects to spend in 2026 and 2027. It directly affects school districts and the state education finance system by changing the projected allocations for general education aid, abatement aid, career and technical aid, and other specific funding categories. The bill amends existing state laws to reflect revised dollar amounts for each program, replacing previous estimates with new figures based on current financial projections. These changes ensure the state's education budget forecasts align with updated revenue and expenditure expectations for the upcoming fiscal years.

Maddy summaryHF 2433 is a comprehensive education finance bill that amends multiple statutes governing K-12 education funding in Minnesota. It directly affects public school districts, nonpublic schools, and students by modifying transportation provisions, including how districts provide and fund transportation for both public and nonpublic school students. Key mechanisms include requiring school boards to provide equal transportation within districts, allowing written agreements between public districts and nonpublic schools for shared transportation services, and establishing rules for retaining transportation aid. The bill also adjusts funding formulas and requires reporting on nonpublic transportation expenditures. It applies to all Minnesota school districts serving kindergarten through grade 12.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes a constitutional amendment to modify how Minnesota's permanent school fund is invested, managed, and distributed to school districts. The key change would require the fund to be managed as a perpetual resource that preserves its purchasing power over time while providing annual distributions to support schools without raising individual taxes. The amendment establishes a board of investment led by the governor, state auditor, secretary of state, and attorney general, and prohibits the use of state funds to underwrite municipal securities. If approved by voters in 2026, the new policy would take effect on July 1, 2027, with specific rules for calculating distributable amounts and handling investment gains and losses.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a price ceiling for specific prescription drugs in Minnesota that are subject to federal Medicare drug price negotiations. It requires drug manufacturers to stop accepting payments higher than the federal "maximum fair price" for these medications, while also ensuring pharmacies receive at least that amount or the national average cost, whichever is higher. To enforce these rules, the law prohibits manufacturers from removing drugs from the market to evade price limits unless they provide advance notice, and it mandates that health plans and pharmacy benefit managers share detailed financial data with the state's Prescription Drug Affordability Board. The provisions will take effect on January 1, 2027, impacting drug manufacturers, health insurance plans, pharmacy benefit managers, and pharmacies operating in the state.

Maddy summaryHF 744 modifies professional development requirements under Minnesota's Read Act by setting new deadlines for educators to complete evidence-based literacy training. It requires K-3 classroom teachers, reading intervention staff, special education teachers, and others to complete training by July 1, 2026, with additional training for grades 4-12 teachers by July 1, 2027. School districts can reduce elementary school instructional hours by 5.5 hours per year if they schedule this training during regular school days, provided teachers complete the required training. The bill directly affects Minnesota public school districts, their teachers, and instructional staff implementing the state's literacy initiative.

Maddy summaryThis bill introduces new regulations in Minnesota to restrict the ownership and sale of semiautomatic military-style assault weapons and large-capacity magazines, while also banning the sale of binary trigger systems. It expands criminal penalties for possessing dangerous weapons in schools and for negligently storing firearms, and it specifically criminalizes the manufacture and sale of untraceable "ghost guns." Additionally, the legislation strengthens the state's extreme risk protection order system, requires law enforcement to report firearm discharges more comprehensively, and allocates funding to support public awareness campaigns and mental health services.

Maddy summaryThis bill clarifies how Minnesota school districts and charter schools receive state library aid based on student enrollment. It specifies that regular school districts get aid equal to the greater of $16.11 per student or $40,000, while charter schools receive the greater of $16.11 per student or $20,000. The change retroactively applies to fiscal year 2024 and future years, ensuring consistent funding calculations. This directly affects all public school districts and charter schools eligible for state library aid under Minnesota Statutes.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases funding for student support personnel in Minnesota schools by raising the per-pupil allowance amounts and establishing minimum funding floors for districts and charter schools. It directly affects independent school districts, special districts, charter schools, and cooperative units by adjusting how much money they receive for staff like counselors, nurses, and social workers. The law sets specific dollar amounts for the per-student allowance in 2025, 2026, 2027, and beyond, while also requiring districts to reserve funds in their balances and limiting cooperative aid to actual expenditures. Additionally, the bill appropriates state money to cover these increased funding levels for fiscal years 2026 and 2027.