A bill that would override paid sick leave ordinances in Minneapolis and Saint Paul is moving toward a floor vote after clearing another committee in the Republican-controlled Minnesota House. Cam Winton with the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce says it will avoid a patchwork of laws and “make sure that Minnesota’s employers can play by uniform rules across the state.” But Michelle Deziel with TakeAction Minnesota told lawmakers when her son had an asthma attack she had paid sick time, and now lawmakers want to take that away. “Your actions say to me that you care more about corporate interest,” she said.
Minnesota Grocers Association President Jamie Pfuhl supports the pre-emption bill, adding that “our member companies proudly offer a wide range of benefits to meet the needs of the work force and the very competitive nature of the job marketplace.” But Minneapolis City Council Vice President Elizabeth Glidden, who opposes the bill, told lawmakers “what we have is an absence of action at the state as well as the federal level, and this has in fact prompted hundreds if not thousands of residents in the city of Minneapolis demanding action.”
Governor Mark Dayton said it’s premature to discuss whether he’d veto the bill, but that the business community is trying to keep wages down in Minneapolis and St. Paul.