State Representative Josh Heintzeman

06/09/2026

The House Oversight Committee’s allegations against the Walz administration are disturbing. If state leaders ignored years of warnings about fraud in taxpayer-funded programs, that goes well beyond a failure of oversight.

Vice President Vance has referred the matter to the Department of Justice, and that’s the right move.

We’ve heard plenty of excuses from St. Paul. We’ve heard promises that things are being fixed. But the fraud scandals keep coming, and taxpayers keep paying the price.

Minnesotans deserve to know what elected officials knew, when they knew it, and why this administration failed to stop it time and again.

Government moves slow but its wheels are turning and the days of carefree fraud are numbered.

Committee chair Rep. James Comer is now asking a White House task force to review all of Minnesota's social service programs.

05/25/2026

For many of us in Minnesota, Memorial Day is spent outside. Maybe it’s time at the lake, a family gathering, a walk through the woods, or just enjoying the start of another summer.

Those are simple things, but they’re part of the freedom we’re blessed to have.

Today, we remember the men and women who gave their lives defending that freedom. They never got to come home and enjoy the lives, families, and communities they helped protect.

I hope you’ll take a moment today to remember them, and to keep their families in your thoughts as we mark Memorial Day.

05/22/2026

Friends and Neighbors,

The 2026 legislative session has officially come to an end, and I wanted to give you an update on some of the major issues we worked on this year.

With the House tied and Democrats controlling the Senate and Governor’s Office, this was not an easy environment to work in. We did not get everything we wanted, but Republicans fought hard to make sure Minnesotans had a voice at the table and to stop some very damaging proposals from becoming law.

One of the biggest issues this session was fraud in state government. Minnesotans are tired of seeing taxpayer dollars stolen while government agencies look the other way. This year, we finally started putting real accountability measures in place. That includes creating an independent Office of Inspector General to investigate fraud across state government, strengthening oversight measures, increasing penalties for fraudsters, and improving tools to recover stolen taxpayer dollars.

Affordability was another major focus. We secured roughly $400 million in tax relief, including property tax relief and reductions to car tab fees. Quite honestly, it should have been more. But in divided government, a big part of the fight was stopping things from getting even worse.

This session, we stopped proposals that would have dramatically increased costs and expanded government even further. That included efforts to quintuple car tab fees, create a fifth income tax bracket, impose a 1% wealth tax on assets over $10 million, and push new costs onto families, farmers, small businesses, and retirees who are already being squeezed.

We also stopped several controversial policies that would have taken Minnesota in the wrong direction, including extreme gun control proposals, efforts to codify abortion up to birth into the State Constitution, taxpayer-funded gender transition surgery for state employees, restrictions on law enforcement’s ability to protect their identities from criminal cartels, and attempts to withhold state funding from cities that refuse to fly the new state flag.

We also made progress on conforming Minnesota’s tax code with HR1, the One Big Beautiful Bill. Since this was the first session after that federal law was introduced, it was important to start that work right away so Minnesota taxpayers and businesses are not left dealing with unnecessary complications or state tax surprises.

Another issue that did not receive much attention publicly, but matters greatly to northern Minnesota, was PFAS reporting requirements. The DFL trifecta passed extremely aggressive regulations that threatened supply chains for products people rely on every day, including vehicles, recreational equipment, tools, and heavy machinery. We secured delays and adjustments to some of those requirements to help protect Minnesota businesses, consumers, and repair industries from unnecessary disruption.

On healthcare, we also worked to bring Minnesota into compliance with HR1, the One Big Beautiful Bill. That includes work and community engagement requirements for certain able-bodied adults on Medicaid, along with stronger anti-fraud protections within those programs. Again, not everything we wanted made it across the finish line, but Republicans fought hard to improve accountability, protect taxpayer dollars, and make sure Minnesota is not out of step with federal law.

One issue I heard about constantly from constituents was the Second Amendment. Democrats pushed some incredibly extreme gun control proposals this session, including bans that would have impacted commonly owned fi****ms and magazines used by law-abiding Minnesotans. Some of the language was so broad it could have criminalized possession of certain youth training rifles and competition fi****ms. Republicans held the line and stopped those bills from becoming law.

At the end of the day, this session was about fighting to protect Minnesota families from higher costs, government overreach, and policies that continue pushing our state in the wrong direction. There is still a lot of work ahead, but I’m grateful for everyone who reached out, stayed engaged, and made their voice heard throughout the process.

As always, please continue reaching out if you have questions, concerns, or ideas. Your input is important, and I appreciate the opportunity to represent northern Minnesota at the Capitol.

Sincerely,

Josh

05/20/2026

What Happened at the Capitol This Session?

Session has officially wrapped up, and I wanted to share a quick update on some of the major issues we worked on this year.

House Republicans fought hard to get after fraud, return money to taxpayers, stop costly mandates, and protect your Second Amendment rights.

We were able to secure $400 million in tax relief, make progress on accountability through a stronger Office of Inspector General, protect businesses from burdensome overregulation, and block several bad proposals that would have raised costs or infringed on the rights of law-abiding Minnesotans.

There’s more to unpack, and I’ll have additional updates coming soon. In the meantime, thank you to everyone who reached out, asked questions, and shared your concerns throughout session.

05/19/2026

Proud to share that we secured $2 million in the capital investment bill for the Cuyuna Lakes State Trail segment closest to Brainerd.

This is the first piece that needs to get done if we’re going to eventually connect Brainerd to the Cuyuna State Recreation Area. It will help improve the trail network, strengthen connections between nearby trail segments, and make the area safer and easier to use for pedestrians, cyclists, and families.

The Cuyuna area is one of the great outdoor recreation assets in our region. It brings people here, supports local businesses, and gives families another way to enjoy the outdoors.

I’m glad we were able to get this funding included and will keep working to support projects that improve our communities and protect the outdoor traditions that make this part of Minnesota such a special place to live.

05/18/2026

I filmed this last night from St. Paul during the final night of session. Senator Heintzeman and I have been in close contact with local officials back home, including our sheriffs and Crosslake Mayor Jackson Purfeerst.

I’m thankful for the firefighters, EMS, law enforcement, DNR staff, the National Guard, and everyone else working to keep people safe. We’re also very thankful that, from what we’ve heard, there have been no injuries or loss of life, and only limited damage to smaller structures.

We’re praying the rain helps with the hot spots still out there. It’s been frustrating to be away from home while this is happening, but we’ve stayed in touch, we’ve been paying close attention, and we’ll keep doing what we can to support everyone back home.

05/17/2026

Friends,

I want to share an update on the Flanders Fire burning in Crow Wing County.

The fire is affecting the Crosslake and Breezy Point area, and evacuation orders remain in place for affected areas. Fire crews are continuing their work, and county officials will provide updates if evacuation areas change.

The Governor has issued an executive order declaring a peacetime emergency and authorizing the Minnesota National Guard’s fire suppression team to assist the Department of Natural Resources and other agencies fighting wildfires in northern Minnesota.

If you are in or near the affected area, please follow evacuation notices, respect road closures, avoid restricted areas, and give firefighters, law enforcement, DNR crews, and emergency personnel the space they need to work safely.

Helpful resources:

Crow Wing County wildfire updates: https://www.crowwing.gov/1814/Wildfire-Update
Minnesota DNR fire danger and burning restrictions: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/forestry/fire/firerating_restrictions.html
Minnesota 511 road conditions and closures: https://511mn.org
American Red Cross shelter information: https://www.redcross.org/local/minnesota.html
Emergency alerts for Crow Wing County: https://www.crowwing.gov/622/CodeRED-Emergency-Alert-System

05/15/2026

Apparently it's all care and compassion until the cameras cut off.

From the very start of session, Republicans brought forward a number of school safety measures focused on real solutions and bipartisan work so they could actually pass.

Those ideas were rejected before they were ever seriously considered.

Why? So we could end up exactly where we are now: last-minute theatrics, moral blackmail, and a rushed gun bill that criminalizes law-abiding gun owners while doing nothing to stop violent criminals.

That is a terribly cynical way to "govern".

If Democrats were serious about public safety, they would've worked with us months ago on school safety, threat reporting, mental health resources, and practical measures that could have earned broad support.

Instead, they waited until the end of session to put on a political show, insult their colleagues, call them cowards, and push a bill that punishes the very people who follow the law.

Minnesotans deserve better than reckless legislation, political grandstanding, and disgusting comments from elected officials on the House floor.

05/14/2026

HAPPENING NOW: Democrats Omnibus gun legislation being heard on the House Floor.

05/14/2026

The questions surrounding Ilhan Omar and the Feeding Our Future fraud scandal are not going away.

Last week, Republicans on the House Fraud Committee tried to subpoena records tied to Omar’s office. Democrats blocked it on a party-line vote.

Now Omar is pointing the finger at Governor Walz over the failure to catch fraud in these programs. That is quite a shift, considering Democrats spent years defending these programs, removing guardrails, and brushing off concerns from people who were warning about fraud from the start.

And now we have questions about financial disclosures, $30 million dollars reported and then walked back as an accounting error.

At some point, Minnesotans deserve more than excuses and finger-pointing. They deserve answers.