Minimum wage and sick-leave ordinances in Minneapolis, Saint Paul and Duluth would be overridden by state law, under a measure the Republican-controlled Minnesota Senate passed last night (Mon) as part of a larger budget bill. Minneapolis Democrat Scott Dibble objects, “What’s at stake here really is the ability for citizens to… participate in their local democracy, to respond to the issues that are confronting them in their lives.” But North Branch Republican Mark Koran says, “We cannot have our municipalities enacting legislation or policies which reach well beyond their boundaries — and that’s exactly what this does.” The so-called “pre-emption” bill faces strong opposition in the Democrat-controlled Minnesota House.
The vote came the same day the state Court of Appeals ruled that Minneapolis’s sick-and-safe-time ordinance does not conflict with state law, and also applies to Minneapolis residents who work outside the city.