St. Paul, Minnesota (June 10, 2025) – The Minnesota State Senate and House of Representatives passed a bill to streamline and improve Minnesota’s permitting process yesterday. The bill was introduced by a bipartisan group of legislative leaders and coalition members from labor, agriculture, and business, including Senator Grant Hauschild, DFL-Hermantown, the chief author of the bill in the Senate, and Representative Josh Heintzeman, R-Brainerd Lakes, the chief author of the bill in the House.
“Permitting reform isn’t about politics–it’s about ensuring Minnesota is a state that works. Whether it’s a small business trying to expand, a contractor breaking ground, or a community waiting on clean water infrastructure, they all deserve a process that’s fair, transparent, and efficient,” said Senator Hauschild. “I’m proud to have worked across the aisle to get this done–because when we work on common sense policy and focus on real solutions, we deliver for the people of Minnesota.”
“This bipartisan permitting reform package is a win for all Minnesotans. It will give employers the certainty they need to grow, while maintaining strong environmental standards that Minnesotans expect,” said Representative Heintzeman.
A study commissioned by the Minnesota Chamber Foundation last year found that, from 2018 to 2023, Minnesota-based companies invested in 355 projects outside of the state. This resulted in an estimated $17.5 billion in capital expenditures and 31,000 lost jobs. This is a net deficit compared to other states.
“Jobs for Minnesotans is a unique and valuable partnership between business and labor. Our organizations and members share a commitment to a strong and growing economy. Permitting reform will provide greater opportunity for business expansion and investment in Minnesota while upholding high environmental standards to protect the environment and public health,” said Doug Loon, President and CEO of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. “Business, labor, and community groups across Minnesota understand that a strong environment and a growing economy are critical to our state’s economic future.”
Key tenets of the bill include provisions to eliminate outdated or unnecessary regulations that slow approval processes, enhance transparency through increased accessibility of information for stakeholders and the public, and ensure reforms balance increasing efficiency in permitting processes while maintaining rigorous environmental standards and protections.
“Jobs for Minnesotans is committed to advancing responsible industrial projects through a predictable, timely, and transparent permitting process while also protecting the environment. This bill puts Minnesotans and our people back to work,” said Andy Campeau, Chair of Jobs for Minnesotans and President of the Minnesota Pipe Trades Association. “Thank you to each member of this bipartisan coalition for your stewardship in making Minnesota a better place to do business.”
“Common sense permitting reform allows for a system that supports both strong economic growth and protects our health and natural resources. With the passage of this bill, we can begin to bring back good jobs and foster the economic stability our communities need,” said Dave Lislegard, Executive Director of Jobs for Minnesotans.
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About Jobs for Minnesotans
Jobs for Minnesotans, a coalition representing business, labor and communities, supports statewide opportunities for prosperity and middle-class jobs from sustainable natural resource development in Minnesota. The organization is committed to the principle that our state can preserve both job opportunities and the environment for future generations. Jobs for Minnesotans was co-founded in 2012 by the Minnesota Building and Construction Trades Council representing 70,000 workers and the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce representing 2,300 members and 500,000 employees. For more information, visit jobsforminnesotans.org, follow @JobsforMN on Twitter and find the coalition on Facebook.com/Jobs4MN.
Press Contact
Samantha Hanson, samantha@giantvoices.com, (218) 576-7236