Legislative Update - January’s New Laws

Hello Friends,

Shoveling is never fun, but it’s the time of year when I really appreciate a good blanket of snow. As we prepare for the various upcoming holidays and the new year, it’s a great time to reflect on 2024 and look ahead to 2025. For me, I couldn’t be more excited and honored to be preparing for the return of the legislative session in January, and I want to thank Shakopee for putting their trust in me to serve our community again in the Minnesota House.

As someone that’s worked in divided government before, I remain confident in our ability to meaningfully deliver for Minnesota next year. There’s a lot of common ground when we come together, regardless of political party, and actually do the work our neighbors sent us here to do. That’s how I’ve always worked on solutions, and I don’t plan on changing that next year.

For the 2025-2026 legislative biennium, I’m looking forward to returning to the House’s Public Safety and Transportation committees, which I served on these last two years, in addition to the House’s Energy committee.

Making our state safer, our transportation systems more reliable, and our energy more affordable and sustainable are all areas where I think good work can be done amongst Republicans and Democrats, and I can’t wait to get started!

New Laws on January 1st

Even as we prepare for a new legislative biennium, the impact of our work from the last two years is still taking shape, whether it’s banning “junk” fees, protecting renters, prohibiting the sale of deadly “binary triggers” on firearms, or implementing fair prices for concert tickets, there’s a whole host of commonsense measures that’ll now be the law of the land in 2025.

Fox 9 covered the upcoming new laws in a story you can watch here, and a comprehensive list of everything taking effect on January 1 can be found here.

Early Reminders - Filing for the Child Tax Credit and Renter’s Credit 

Tax season is right around the corner, and I want to provide an early reminder on some of the changes and updates we made to help benefit Minnesotans - first and foremost is the Child Tax Credit.

To check your eligibility and learn more information about Minnesota’s Child Tax Credit, please check out the Minnesota Department of Revenue's website. These are good documents to have ready to go when you file your taxes, and remember: if you are eligible for the child tax credit, you must file for it; it is not automatic. Don’t hesitate to reach out to my office if you need help or have questions.

We also made some changes to the Renter’s Credit. Starting in 2025, renters eligible for a property tax refund will now claim their Renter’s Credit on their Minnesota Individual Income Tax return. 

The Renter’s Credit will be part of their income tax refund amount, be applied to the amount owed on their income tax return or be applied to other debts referred to the Minnesota Department of Revenue. This new, streamlined way of receiving the Renter’s Credit was another accomplishment of ours from the last two years. 

Having the Renter’s Credit on the state income tax form will simplify filing for the around 300,000 renters who claim a property tax refund each. Renters will no longer have to file a separate return and wait until August or September to get their refund. You can learn more about the Renter’s Credit on the Department of Revenue website. 

 

Stay Connected

The 2025 Legislative Session begins on January 14. Now is the best time to reach out with any ideas, comments, and concerns you have about our work in the Minnesota House. My work is at its best when it’s rooted in your needs, so please feel free to contact my office!

I hope you and your loved ones have a happy holiday season. Thank you again for the privilege of representing our community, and I look forward to what we can accomplish in 2025!

Happy New Year!


Brad Tabke, State Representative | Rep.Brad.Tabke@house.mn.gov

Jared Margolis, Legislative Assistant | Jared.Margolis@house.mn.gov