UPDATE: Minnesota Senate Passes Minimum Wage Preemption Bill

Following up on our last post, the Minnesota Senate passed a bill that would prohibit Minnesota cities from creating and enforcing local minimum wage and paid sick leave rules on Tuesday, April 18, 2017.

The bill was approved with a vote of 35-31 after the House approved the bill earlier this month.

The bill is set to head towards Governor Mark Dayton’s desk soon. In the past, Dayton has expressed concern about the bill because it takes away the cities’ abilities to make their own policies tailored to their needs. However, he has not yet taken an official stance.

The main argument made by the Republicans is that businesses need a uniform platform across all cities on wage regulations and sick leave because without it, they may have to juggle multiple labor laws depending on where they do business.

On the other side, Democrats say state policies that regulate local laws complicate the jobs of local officials. Also, they believe the bill is backed by businesses looking to take away local input on pay issues.

For now, we will be keeping an eye on this bill and what this could mean for the future of many Minnesota businesses. Keep an eye out for updates on Labor Law News!