The Legislature adjourned May 19 without passing a complete state budget for the next two-year cycle. House Democrats put us behind from the start this year by refusing to come to the Capitol for the first 23 days of the session, staying home while still collecting a paycheck.

As a result, a special session will now be necessary to complete our work. But here’s the good news about that: there’s still time to pass legislation that would enable the largest private investment our state has ever seen – and it’s not even close. We’re talking about a PRIVATE investment of more than $100 billion in Minnesota, including tens of billions in Becker alone. Statewide, this would bring roughly 40,000 high-paying construction jobs, an estimated 10,000 permanent, high-paying jobs, and a massive influx of tax revenue for both the state and local governments.

For this to happen, we must pass regulatory reforms and update tax policies to help capitalize on the explosive growth occurring in the data industry. The stakes are enormous. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to welcome a transformative economic boom. We cannot afford to let this slip through our fingers. These data centers will be built. The only question is whether it happens here in Minnesota, where over 20 sites are already in various stages of planning, or across the border in Iowa or Wisconsin.

Just think what this project could mean for our local region. Sherco reductions have already caused significant revenue losses for local governments and our school district. Data expansion in Becker would at least double the revenue lost from Sherco phase-outs.

I understand that Minnesota has a reputation for moving slowly on big issues, but that cannot be the case here. If we delay, the window of opportunity will close. Amazon has been planning to build a large data center on 350 Sherco acres it purchased in Becker. The fact Amazon has now put those plans on hold over “uncertainty” should put legislators on notice. We can’t afford to kick this down the road to next year – or the year after – hoping we’ll eventually get around to it. This opportunity is too important to waste time standing still, waiting for someone else to act.

A special session is expected soon, and I will be pushing hard to make sure data centers become a reality for us. It’s time to remove the blinders and seize this opportunity for what it is, rather than snatching defeat from the jaws of victory while our neighbors in Wisconsin and Iowa reap the rewards.