Mn. House Passes Local Labor Law Preemption Bill

Preemption is in the news again this week. Let’s shift from St. Louis, Mo. (the subject of our last post), to Minnesota, where the state’s house of representatives passed a preemption bill March 2.

Bill HF600, which passed the house with a 76-53 vote, preempts local jurisdictions from enacting labor-related ordinances.

For background, preemption occurs when one government’s law (or laws) takes precedence over another’s.

According to a Minnesota House of Representatives press release, the bill would prohibit local governments from adopting or enforcing the following types of regulations:

• Paying minimum wage rates higher than the state’s
• Requiring private employers to offer paid or unpaid leave
• Giving advance notice about work schedules
• Providing particular benefits, employment terms or work conditions

In addition, HF600 is retroactive, affecting any laws put in place on or after Jan. 1, 2016. This particularly impacts Minneapolis and St. Paul, both of which have sick leave and minimum wage ordinances in progress.

The bill now moves on to the Minnesota Senate. Labor Law News will continue to monitor this story and update you as more information is available.