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Gov. Walz issues first veto, blocks bill setting minimum wage for Uber and Lyft drivers
Gov. Tim Walz issued the first veto of his entire tenure on Thursday, striking down a bill that would have set minimum pay rates for Uber and Lyft drivers and provide them greater protection against being fired. Walz’s office announced the veto hours after Uber said it would pull out of greater Minnesota and only […]
Nurse staffing bill is gutted in final hours of Minnesota’s legislative session
A nurse staffing bill that passed the House and the Senate just weeks ago was gutted in the final hours of the 2023 legislative session when some senators withdrew their support because of an exemption for Mayo Clinic. Gov. Tim Walz pressured legislators to carve out Mayo Clinic after the hospital threatened to move billions […]
Mayo Clinic exemption leads Minnesota lawmakers to rethink nurse staffing bill
A nurse staffing bill that seemed destined to become law just less than three weeks ago, is now in jeopardy in the final hours of session. The Minnesota Senate on Monday afternoon was trying to hammer out a last-minute compromise on a bill that aims to increase nurse staffing levels. The bill, which has faced […]
Minnesota Legislature approves minimum wage for Uber and Lyft drivers
The Minnesota Senate passed a bill on Sunday that would set minimum pay rates for Uber and Lyft drivers and establish greater protections against wrongful termination – or “deactivation.” “Minnesota has long been a leader in protecting workers from being exploited and taken advantage of, but in the area of (transportation network companies) Minnesota is lagging […]
Minnesota to allow all undocumented residents to enroll in MinnesotaCare
Undocumented residents in Minnesota will be eligible to enroll in the state’s publicly subsidized insurance program for low-income people, known as MinnesotaCare, under a budget agreement released on Friday night. The proposal, which is expected to become law, will expand public health insurance access to the more than 40,000 undocumented people estimated to live in […]
Mayo Clinic wins full exemption from nurse staffing bill in agreement with state leaders
State lawmakers say they will exempt Mayo Clinic from a bill aimed at increasing nurse staffing levels, ending a two-week standoff that began when the hospital sent an email to the governor’s office threatening to move billions of dollars in future investments out of state if the bill was not gutted. All of Mayo Clinic’s […]
Minnesota lawmakers approve 9 major worker-friendly changes
Minnesota Democrats say a sweeping labor bill they passed on Tuesday could be the most significant worker protection bill in state history. “This bill is a big damn deal,” said Sen. Erin Murphy, DFL-St. Paul, during a news conference. The labor bill (SF3035) includes a Democratic wish list years in the making that will affect […]
Uber warns customers and drivers that it may leave Minnesota over proposed legislation
Uber is making a last-ditch effort to kill legislation on its way to becoming law in Minnesota, which the company says could cause it to shut down operations in the state completely. In emails to drivers and customers on Monday night, Uber said the legislation would threaten passengers’ safety, drivers’ earning potential and the ability […]
Second group of workers at Mayo’s Mankato hospital file petition to get rid of union
A second group of health care workers at Mayo Clinic’s Mankato hospital is trying to decertify their union with the help of the National Right to Work Foundation, a nonprofit anti-union advocacy group. Less than a year ago, nurses at the hospital voted to get rid of their union after more than seven decades. That […]
Senate committee sends Uber and Lyft regulations to floor without recommendation
The Senate judiciary committee voted to send a bill regulating Uber and Lyft to the floor on Wednesday night — with the caveat that they are not recommending its passage. Committee Chair Ron Latz, DFL-St. Louis Park, said he’s not sure the bill should become law, or that he would vote for it when it reaches […]
Bill regulating Uber and Lyft could hold up the rest of the legislative agenda in Minnesota
Standing outside the Capitol on Wednesday morning, Sen. Omar Fateh, DFL-Minneapolis, made a promise to a cheering crowd of Uber and Lyft drivers. “My commitment to you is that this will get across the finish line. It will pass the judiciary committee. It will pass on the floor of the Senate. It will pass on […]
Nurses’ union stages sit-in outside Minnesota governor’s office over staffing bill
The Minnesota nurses’ union began a sit-in outside the office of Democratic Gov. Tim Walz in the state Capitol on Tuesday, saying they will continue the demonstration until legislation is passed giving them more control over hospital staffing levels. The sit-in comes after Mayo Clinic sent an email to Walz’s office and legislative leaders, saying […]