Dear Friends and Neighbors,

I hope your holidays were restful and enjoyable.  Now the New Year is upon us and the next legislative session is right around the corner so I thought I would update you on a few things, new laws going into effect on January 1 and a preview of what's to come. 

A slate of new Minnesota laws is set to go into effect on Jan. 1.  Here are some of the most talked about ones.

The "Taylor Swift bill"

Large ticket sellers for major events and concerts will have to disclose fees up front. 

Buyers also will be entitled to proof of purchase and refund policy details within 24 hours. Deceptive and speculative ticket pricing are banned and online ticket marketplaces are required to disclose if they are resellers.

Bulk resellers must register with Minnesota’s Department of Commerce and disclose how they obtained tickets.

The pretext for this bill was public outrage at problems encountered by buyers of Tickets to see Taylor Swift at US Bank Stadium in the Summer of 2023.

"Junk fee" ban

Businesses cannot list a price for a good or service and include additional fees at the time of payment that are added to the price of every good or service sold. For example, the “health and wellness fees” some businesses added after COVID.

Taxes are excluded from the requirement. And if the fee is “reasonably avoidable,” such as late fees or credit card surcharges, it is not part of the disclosure requirement.  Other exemptions include certain fees charged by a dealer related to the purchase of a motor vehicle, utility bills, and real estate fees. 

Binary trigger ban

Triggers that allow semiautomatic firearms to fire twice when released will no longer be legal in Minnesota in 2025. The ban on what are known as binary triggers was passed as part of a 2024 public safety bill.

"PFAs" ban

At the beginning of 2025, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, collectively known as PFAS, will be banned from products including carpets or rugs, cleaning products, cookware, cosmetics, dental floss, fabric treatments, juvenile products, menstruation products, textile furnishings, ski wax and upholstered furniture. While many manufacturers are moving away from using these chemicals already, there are some industries where there are no good substitutes. 

Salary ranges in job postings

Job listings will need to include starting salary ranges or fixed pay rates and a general description of all benefits or compensation. The requirement applies to any person or organization that employs 30 or more people. Salary ranges can not be open-ended.

Abortion insurance coverage

Health insurance plans will have to cover abortions and related services in Minnesota. Eligible organizations are permitted to “not cover some or all benefits for abortions and abortion-related services due to religious objections due to US Supreme Court rulings. 

Transgender surgery insurance coverage

Health insurance plans will have to cover “medically necessary gender-affirming care" as part of regular physical and mental health care coverage. Religious organizations are exempt.

Wigs covered by insurance

Health insurance providers will be required to cover wigs for people who lose their hair while undergoing treatment for cancer or other conditions.

Automatic expungement

Minnesota will begin automatically removing some nonviolent criminal offenses from criminals’ records after a sentence has been served and if they have not committed any other crimes. Individuals will no longer have to file a petition for expungement. DWI convictions are not eligible, and only misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor level crimes are eligible, not felonies.

Election changes

• Starting in 2025, a candidate must present a driver’s license, state identification or other proof of residence when filing to run with the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office. Most state and local offices have a residency requirement, or require a candidate to “maintain a residence” this new law is a reaction to stories of candidates who registered and later were found not to live in their district.

• Colleges that provide on-campus housing for at least 100 students will be required to designate a “reasonably accessible” extra polling place for students within half a mile of campus if requested by the institution or student government organization. The secretary of state will cover the cost of the new polling place.

Tenant rights

It will now be more complicated to be a landlord in Minnesota.  Renters are permitted by state law to form cooperatives aimed at improving “housing conditions, amenities, or community life” and prevent landlords from retaliating against tenants who raise issues.  Community organizers who are not tenants can come into a building and organize tenants.

DHS to be split

The Minnesota Department of Human Services is being split into three new agencies, the newest of which will be established in 2025: the Department of Direct Care and Treatment. The agency is focused on state mental hospitals, substance abuse treatment, and other disability programs.

DHS will still exist as well as a new Department of Children, Youth and Families.

Prescription drug price copays capped for some health insurance plans

The new law caps copays for diabetes, asthma, anti-allergic reaction medications, and some supplies for health plans regulated by the state. It limits insulin, asthma inhalers, and EpiPens to $25 a month and medical supplies to $50 a month.

This month, I wrote a column for the local papers you may have seen (archive copy here).  In it, I discuss the outcome of the DFL trifecta's spending increases.  The November economic forecast has already prepared legislators for a deficit in the state budget in the next couple of years and unlike the federal government, the state government MUST balance its budget every biennium. 

Governor Walz promised Minnesotans that he would give back surpluses when he ran for governor, but that promise fell by the wayside. Democrats prefer to spend surpluses and tell you that they are doing it all for you.  If you didn't get a check, it was because it was going to the "less fortunate."  But in the past few years, we've gotten ample evidence that that isn't true either! Instead, fraudsters have taken hundreds of millions from hardworking taxpayers.  Criminal enterprises have made a home in Minnesota because stealing from the State of Minnesota is so easy.  Even the Democrat-appointed US Attorney, Andy Lugar, stated as much. 

It's a mess, and no doubt, the Governor will find that the solution to this involves more government, more bureaucracy, and more spending.  Democrats still hold a one-seat majority in the Senate and a slender and maybe temporary majority in the House this session, so here's hoping we can identify areas of spending that we can cut to put our fiscal house back in order and require accountability from every area of our state government.

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is now accepting applications for the Preparing for Extreme Weather Grant Program, also referred to as the Prepare Grant.  This grant is designed to help Minnesota livestock and specialty crop producers buy and install supplies or equipment that will help make their operations more resilient to extreme weather, such as drought, flooding, hail, and severe storms.

Examples include, but are not limited to, water tanks, rain barrels, irrigation equipment, wells (new improvements, fixes, replacement pumps), windbreaks, hail netting, and cover crops.

Grant awards can range from $500 to $10,000 and require a 50% match; applicants may apply for up to 50% of their project’s total cost with a minimum expense of $1,000 and a maximum expense of $20,000.  Payments are issued on a reimbursement basis and not in advance. All purchases for eligible items must be made after grant contract agreements are fully executed.

MDA expects to award approximately $500,000 in this round using a competitive review process, and award approximately 50 to 75 grants.

Applications are due by 4 pm Central Time on Wednesday, February 12, 2025.  MDA expects to notify all applicants about funding decisions no later than March 26, 2025.

More information, including the link to apply, is here: https://www.mda.state.mn.us/preparing-extreme-weather-prepare-grant

I only send these out about once a month when the legislature in not in sessions (yes, we still have a part time legislature in Minnesota!) but please do contact me at any time to share any issues, concerns, or feedback you have to assist me in best representing you.  The best way to reach me is by email at [email protected] or by phone at 651-296-5612. My legislative assistant is Margaret Martin, and her number is 651-296-4264. She will be happy to assist you, in or out of session. 

Sincerely,

Steve Drazkowski

Minnesota Senate, District 20, Wabasha, Goodhue, Winona, Olmsted, and Dakota Counties.

2411 Minnesota Senate Building

95 University Avenue W.
Minnesota Senate Bldg.
St. Paul, MN 55155

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