ST. PAUL – Today the Minnesota Senate passed a bill that claims to improve permitting process for energy but lacks significant improvement for mining or manufacturing. While the Chamber of Commerce supports this bill, their own research indicates this bill will not go far enough, leading to much discussion from Republicans on why this bill didn’t achieve significant bipartisan support.

“This bill is a classic Democrat solution; it helps their friends but fails to make meaningful change to the businesses to provide the energy solutions that Minnesotans need,” Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson said. “What’s good for renewable energy is surely good for nuclear, mining, manufacturing, and more. This bill does not address the concerns raised by companies like Huber, Epitome Energy, and Talon Metals, who left Minnesota for more favorable businesses and permitting rules in other states. It’s disappointing that instead of working together to find bipartisan consensus, Democrats are moving forward with a partisan, ineffective bill that will continue to restrict job growth and innovation in our state.”

“We had an opportunity to improve the permitting process across all sectors in our state with broad, wide-ranging reforms, but the Democrat majority chose to keep it to their preferred industries in a show of political gamesmanship,” Senator Andrew Mathews (R-Princeton) said. “Our state continues to lose critical investments due to the burdensome permitting process we currently have. If we’re going to abide by the energy mandates passed by Democrats last year, we must streamline Minnesota’s regulatory process for all Minnesotans.”

“I originally signed onto this bill as a co-author because, having sat through the Legislative Energy Commission meetings, I believe we need permitting reform,” Senator Eric Pratt (R- Prior Lake) said. “Every journey begins with the first step, but this bill’s first step involved an amendment that took the bill backwards. I’m disappointed that for the last 2 years, the Democrat trifecta has pushed through an all-or-nothing agenda, despite Senate Republicans’ attempts to work across the aisle, like we tried to do today with this bill.”