Committee advances bill to create DEED ombudsman for business permitting after debate on funding and public access

The House Workforce, Labor and Economic Development Committee voted Thursday to pass House File 8 as amended, sending the bill to the Committee on Ways and Means. The bill creates a permitting ombudsman position at the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) intended to help businesses navigate state environmental permitting.

The amendment approved by the committee adds an appropriation intended to fund two ombudsman positions. Representative Josh Heintzeman, the bill author, said the office is meant to “protect Minnesota’s air, land, and water” by helping regulated parties understand and comply with state environmental requirements while also making permitting more navigable for businesses.

Supporters from the business and trades community told the committee permitting delays and uncertainty discourage investment. Andrew Morley, government relations representative for the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, said Minnesota “ranks number 40 in the nation for overall GDP growth” and that long permit timelines—he cited air permitting as taking “up to six times longer than comparable states”—keep projects from moving forward. John Pollard, legislative and political director for the International Union of Operating Engineers…