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News Release
Rep. Nathan Nelson: Budget Delivers Big for Rural Families and Farmers
ST. PAUL, MN — The Minnesota Legislature passed the final state budget on Monday, including key wins for Greater Minnesota secured by Representative Nathan Nelson (R-Hinckley), Co-Vice Chair of the Children and Families Committee and a member of the Agriculture Committee. Nelson, a farmer himself, said this year’s budget reflects long-overdue accountability and common-sense investments that directly support rural families, local farmers, and Minnesota’s next generation.
“In every committee I serve on, I bring the voices of rural Minnesotans with me — and this budget reflects that,” said Rep. Nelson. “From fighting fraud in our child care system to standing up for family farmers, we worked hard to bring some balance and responsibility back to St. Paul.”
As a leader on the Children and Families Committee, Nelson helped secure several major provisions aimed at improving oversight and protecting vulnerable children. The bill gives fraud investigators real-time access to attendance records in child care programs — a move that will speed up investigations and clamp down on fraud. It also strengthens protections against child maltreatment and fully funds much-needed IT modernization in the state’s child welfare system.
“Families deserve to know that their taxpayer dollars are being used wisely — and more importantly, that children are safe and supported,” Nelson said. “We’re not just talking about accountability — we’re delivering it.”
Nelson also played a key role in securing critical agriculture provisions, including funding for wolf and elk depredation payments and stopping harmful mandates that would have increased costs for food producers and grocers. The final agreement also cut nearly $2 million in funding from Second Harvest Heartland after concerns about executive compensation — a move Nelson said reflects a commitment to realigning state dollars with true community needs.
“We need to be supporting producers and processors — not making their jobs harder with expensive mandates or rewarding wasteful spending,” Nelson said. “This budget takes important steps to protect livestock, strengthen food security, and invest in rural communities where agriculture isn’t just an industry — it’s a way of life.”
Other key agriculture provisions include:
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Blocking radical changes to the Board of Animal Health that would have weakened its ability to respond to livestock disease outbreaks.
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Rejecting a proposed mandate that would’ve forced grocers to test food products for plastics — a costly and unproven regulation.
The final budget passed with bipartisan support and reflects a growing recognition that Greater Minnesota must be part of the state’s priorities.
“This was a true team effort,” said Nelson. “We didn’t win every fight, but we stood our ground, and we secured real wins for the people we represent. I’m proud of the work we’ve done — and I’m not done yet.”
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