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February 17, 2025
Legislative Update
Friends & Neighbors,
The bold north has arrived, and with these chilling temperatures, I pray your family, animals, and homes are warm and safe. With the legislative session in full swing, I want to provide an update on some key developments, including progress on my bill to make Minnesota more affordable and our efforts to build a stronger future for Minnesota.
HF 10 – Protecting Minnesota Tax Dollars for Minnesotans
This week, my bill, House File 10, took its first step forward in the legislative process. HF 10 prohibits illegal immigrants from receiving taxpayer-funded financial aid for higher education and Minnesota Care—ensuring that our state’s limited resources are prioritized for legal Minnesota residents.
Last Tuesday, the bill received its first hearing in the Higher Education Committee, where it passed with the support of testimony from Milaca area college student Emma Jopp (pictured). You can watch her testimony here. The bill was then re-referred to the Health Finance and Policy Committee where it will be heard again at 1:00 PM today. You can watch using the committee's link above. There will be additional committee stops before the bill reaches the House floor, but I’ll be sure to keep you updated as the process moves forward. You are invited to testify in support of the bill. Send me an email at rep.isaac.schultz@house.mn.gov if you would like to help get this bill passed.
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Building for the Future
House Republicans are focused on ensuring Minnesota remains a place where businesses, families, and communities can thrive. As part of our Build for the Future initiative, we are championing key reforms that will create jobs, attract private investment, and strengthen our economy for years to come.
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Creating Regulatory Certainty for Private Investments in Data Centers: Minnesota has a huge opportunity to become a leader in the data center industry, bringing high-paying jobs and billions of dollars in investment to our state. We need to cut through the bureaucratic red tape and ensure that businesses looking to develop world-class data centers in Minnesota have the clarity and stability they need to move forward with confidence. Rep. Shane Mekeland is leading this effort with HF 28.
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Permitting Reform – Encouraging Private Investment: Right now, Minnesota’s environmental review process is one of the slowest and most burdensome in the country—driving businesses and job creators away. We are working to streamline permitting timelines and cut unnecessary delays so that companies of all sizes can invest in our communities, grow our economy, and create new opportunities for workers across the state all while protecting our precious natural resources. HF 8, authored by Chair Josh Heintzeman, cleared its first committee stop this last week. I’m glad to be a top co-sponsor of this legislation.
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Lifting the Nuclear Moratorium: Minnesota’s outdated ban on nuclear energy has stifled innovation and prevented us from diversifying our energy portfolio. House Republicans are pushing to lift the moratorium and allow for new, advanced nuclear technologies that can provide reliable, affordable, and safe power for Minnesotans which is exactly what we will need when these new data centers come online.
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Expanding Broadband Access Across Minnesota: With $650 million in federal broadband funding coming to Minnesota, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reach every home with high-speed internet. But to make this investment count, we need to get the right workforce, labor, and safety policies in place to ensure broadband deployment is done quickly, efficiently, and safely in a way that benefits Minnesota workers, communities, and families. Later this week, my bill, HF 47, will have its first committee hearing as we work to fix the overly burdensome policies passed by the Walz administration.
Republicans are leading on these critical issues because we believe in a future where Minnesota is competitive, affordable, and open for business. I’ll keep you updated on our efforts as we work to pass these much-needed reforms.
Weekly Fraud Update
Last Monday, we held our first Fraud and Agency Oversight Committee hearing, where we heard testimony from the Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA) regarding state agencies’ massive failures in preventing fraud.
Minnesota has seen over $610 million stolen from taxpayers through fraudulent state programs, yet state agencies continue to lack the proper oversight to prevent future abuse. Testimony from Auditor Judy Randall made it clear: state agencies had the tools to prevent fraud, but they failed to use them. These hearings are crucial in exposing what went wrong and how we can ensure the same mistakes are never repeated – but it all begins with a culture change from the top from Governor Walz on down.
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 Always grateful to the people who go out of their way to come have great conversations about state policy. Thanks for coming to St. Paul, Mari and Vicki. I appreciate your hard work in Milaca that benefits the community!
 The Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation held their annual County Presidents Dinner and I was glad to break bread with Kanabec County farm leaders and legislators across the aisle. I'll fight for farm families through: helping transition family farms from generation to generation, reducing barriers to entry in farming, proper wolf management, eliminating burdensome regulations and mandates, and prioritizing affordable, reliable, and safe energy.
  The work is never done! Several local leaders traveled to St. Paul this week to prioritize infrastructure from broadband to roads and bridges. I am appreciative of the Benton Communications and Benton County, MN representatives who came to advocate for our community.
 Honored to meet with Minnesota Sheriffs at the Capitol to discuss public safety priorities and support law enforcement efforts in our communities.
 Building great friendships through common values and a desire to see our communities thrive is one of the peaks of serving in the Minnesota House.
Jeremy is one of the most engaged business leaders involved in the Foley Area Chamber of Commerce and I always appreciate when he takes the time to come to St. Paul and advocate on behalf of his Main Street business.
As always, I appreciate hearing from you. If you have any thoughts, concerns, or ideas, please reach out to my office—I want to hear what matters most to you. House Republicans are ready to govern, lead, and fight for the people of Minnesota, and I am proud to be your voice in St. Paul. Keep an eye out for information on my next town hall meeting which will be out soon.
Stay warm,
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