Capitol Newsletter from Rep. Spencer Igo

Dear Friends and Neighbors, 

This Tuesday was the first day of the 2026 Legislative Session. I am grateful for the opportunity to be your voice in St. Paul and make meaningful change for our district and Minnesota as a whole. Thank you for your support and for staying engaged, I look forward to sharing updates with you throughout the session as there are many things I am working on! 

Working for the Iron Range and Northland 

This session, we remain committed to the same fundamental goals that we fought for last session: 

1. Stop the Fraud
2. Raise Standards, Reduce Mandates
3. Minnesota Tax Dollars for Minnesotans
4. Make Minnesota Safe
5. Make Minnesota Affordable
6. Make Minnesota Competitive 

We have a lot to work on this session, but stopping the fraud is our number one priority. We have been working since last session to advance HF1, a bill to establish an independent Office of the Inspector General, but without bipartisan support so far. We will continue to push for this legislation as we also look into other avenues to address the issue. While fraud may seem like a very metro-centric issue, the $9 billion lost equates to $3,840 per Minnesotan household, out the door to fraudsters. That includes all of us here at home, as every taxpayer has lost money to the fraud schemes.  

I will continue to fight for this and other issues that will improve and support life on the Range. As always, please reach out if you have questions, comments, or concerns. I am here to work for you! 

My absolute first priority this session is to pass HF3393, a bill to provide unemployment insurance to miners who were impacted by the recent layoffs at HibTac. This bill is essentially the same as the one passed last year for those laid off by Cleveland Cliffs, and I am proud to fight for this continued support.  

On Wednesday, HF3393 was heard in the Labor and Workforce Committee as the first step in its journey through the House. I want to extend a huge thank you to my testifiers, who came to speak in support of the bill on behalf of the Range. Thanks to John Arbogast, Staff Representative for United Steelworkers District 11; Mike Jugovich, St. Louis County Commissioner; and Pete Hyduke, Mayor of Hibbing. The bill was passed out of committee with strong bipartisan support. It will move to the Ways and Means Committee next, and then onto the House floor. I am confident this bill will pass through with great support so that our Rangers can get the critical help that they need.