Dear Neighbors,
Yesterday, we received news that Huber Engineered Woods was canceling the construction of an 800,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Cohasset. The facility was expected to provide the area with more than 150 jobs and would have been a significant economic boon for the Northland.
This news was a sad ending to what was initially a bipartisan effort to bring more than 150 jobs and significant investment in the communities of northeast Minnesota. Unfortunately, since signing the bill into law, Governor Walz and his administration have provided zero support for this project as it has come under attack from a small number of activists that would prefer to see this project sacrificed in the name of radical environmentalism instead of letting the Northland thrive. Until Minnesota reforms its regulatory and permitting process, we can expect more businesses to choose not to invest in our state. It’s time to put Minnesota workers and our communities first.
I was the chief author of legislation in 2021 that provided more than $25 million in production incentives to help secure the construction of the 800,000-square-foot wood manufacturing plant in Cohasset.
Huber and the community would have been a perfect match and it was wise for them to want to invest $450 million into what I believe is the best workforce in the world. It’s a shame that it didn’t work out and I urge Governor Walz and his administration to work with us to make sure future opportunities are not lost to the state’s crushing regulatory processes. Let yesterday’s news be the last example of this—enough is enough and we demand change.
Vice President Harris Visits MN
Vice President Kamala Harris visited St. Cloud this week to discuss green energy needs like electric vehicles and the future of public transportation.
The critical minerals needed to build the batteries we need for electric vehicles are right here on the Iron Range. Instead of letting the Range extract these materials, the Biden-Harris administration has instituted what amounts to a 20-year ban on mining in the region. Instead, they are relying on foreign nations that employ child slave labor and have zero environmental regulations to mine these critical minerals.
I attended a news conference yesterday discusses the administration’s hypocrisy on this issue. Click here or the photo below to watch my comments.
Staying in Touch
As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any questions or concerns you may have. I can be reached by phone at 651-296-4936 or via email at rep.spencer.igo@house.mn.
Have a great day,
Spencer