(The Center Square) – Minnesota candidates and political donors will have their home addresses redacted from public campaign finance and lobbying records, following the passage of a bipartisan bill signed into law by Gov. Tim Walz.
The legislation, H.F. 4239, passed with bipartisan support in both chambers, clearing the Senate in a 46-21 vote and the House 118-15. Going into effect immediately, it requires Minnesota redact home addresses from campaign finance disclosures and lobbying reports.
Supporters say this move will improve safety amid rising concerns over political violence, especially in the wake of the 2025 killing of former House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. The same gunman also allegedly targeted state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife at their residence, though they survived.
That attack led to calls for stronger privacy protections for candidates and donors alike.
“Americans and their elected officials are waking up to the fact that our privacy protections are outdated and unfit for the digital age,” said Heather Lauer, CEO of People United for Privacy Foundation. “As political violence rises, our laws must adapt to ensure that civic engagement is secure.”
Bill sponsor Rep. Mike Freiberg, DFL-Golden Valley, raised similar concerns during committee hearings earlier this year.
“Public availability of home addresses of many legislators put our safety at risk in the heightened political environment we find ourselves in,” Freiberg said.
The law requires the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board to redact home address information from both future filings and previously-submitted public reports, making the change retroactive. The same bill also clarified what is allowable campaign spending and detailed the disclaimer that is required for lobbying materials.
The legislation was backed by People United for Privacy Foundation, which urged lawmakers to adopt stronger protections in the wake of recent violence.
“Especially in the wake of horrific acts of political violence in Minnesota and elsewhere, no state should be publishing online the precise locations of citizens’ homes alongside their political donations,” the group wrote in a letter to Minnesota House leaders. “Campaign finance laws are meant to prevent corruption, not facilitate doxing, and ever-advancing information technology has changed the calculus surrounding public disclosure of sensitive location information.”
Minnesota is the third state this year to adopt such protections, following West Virginia and Utah, according to the foundation. California, Texas and Wyoming already do not require home addresses to be disclosed in campaign finance reports.
