Koran co-sponsors bipartisan election bill to modernize Minnesota’s Political Contribution Refund program

The Senate Elections Committee yesterday approved a proposal to establish an online system to accept Political Contribution Refund (PCR) receipts. The bipartisan bill is co-sponsored by Senator Mark Koran (North Branch) who granted the proposal a hearing while he held the gavel under the Senate’s power-sharing agreement.  

Senator Koran has long been a supporter of this proposal with the goal of creating an electronic format for the PCR program to modernize and encourage members of the public to participate in Minnesota’s elections.  

“In order to encourage the greatest amount of participation in our political process by eligible voters, we need to find ways to modernize our systems and ensure accessibility,” Koran said. “My first attempt to modernize the PCR program was in 1998 while I was running all of the Department of Revenue’s electronic tax return processing. This solution will promote greater integrity within our electoral system, and I’m glad to finally see this get bipartisan support.” 

The proposal instills more integrity and oversight in the election system by requiring the Campaign Finance Board and the Department of Revenue to track and verify issues receipts daily. Receipts can be submitted in as little as $10 increments. Minnesotans will receive their refund more quickly and without the hassle of having to hold onto their PCR receipts until they hit the $75 or $150 maximum refund threshold.  

The legislation is a continuation of a previous proposal introduced during the 2023-2024 biennium. Some opposition that existed in previous years has been resolved with a change that allows campaigns to submit printed and electronic receipts.  

  • Allowing campaigns to submit printed and electronic receipts 
  • Authorizing information sharing between the Campaign Finance Board and the Department of Revenue in order to verify contribution receipts 

The PCR program encourages Minnesotans to contribute to local candidates and campaigns by refunding up to $75 for individuals or $150 for married couples worth of their donation to qualified candidates.