Expected spirited debate before the Minnesota Senate votes today on a bill that would override Minneapolis and Saint Paul ordinances requiring employers to provide paid sick and family leave for their workers. The bill would also prohibit any Minnesota city, county or township from enacting a minimum wage higher than in state law, or requiring that employers provide certain benefits, or regulating work hours or scheduling. Backers argue it’s needed so that businesses don’t face a patchwork of local regulations and decide to expand outside of Minnesota. Opponents say local communities should be able to ensure that workers make a living wage and receive basic benefits.
Text of the key section of the bill:
Subd. 2.
Express preemption.
(a) A local government must not adopt, enforce, or
administer an ordinance, local resolution, or local policy requiring an employer to pay an
employee a wage higher than the applicable state minimum wage rate provided in section
177.24.
(b) A local government must not adopt, enforce, or administer an ordinance, local
resolution, or local policy requiring an employer to provide either paid or unpaid leave time.
(c) A local government must not adopt, enforce, or administer an ordinance, local
resolution, or local policy regulating the hours or scheduling of work time that an employer
provides to an employee. This paragraph does not preempt an ordinance, local resolution,
or local policy limiting the hours a business may operate.
(d) A local government must not adopt, enforce, or administer an ordinance, local
resolution, or local policy requiring an employer to provide an employee a particular benefit,
term of employment, or working condition.