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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 […]
New quarter-cent metro sales tax for housing assistance likely to pass Legislature
The Minnesota Legislature is poised to fund a new rental assistance program with a quarter-cent sales tax increase in the Twin Cities metro area, which would be the state’s first ongoing funding stream dedicated to housing. The state House approved the tax on Monday as part of a $1 billion bill that funds new affordable […]
Nurses’ union says Mayo Clinic needs the staffing bill it wants to kill
Union nurses and Democratic legislators say the Mayo Clinic shouldn’t get an exemption from a bill that aims to increase nurse staffing levels, saying even staff at the premier hospital system struggle at times to safely care for patients. “Mayo relies on last-minute, Jerry-rigging, duct-taping tactics that are not acceptable for nurses and patients,” said […]
As red states pass new abortion restrictions, Minnesota looks to shed them all
Progressive Democrats, fresh off a surprising midterm election victory, had a plan this year to make Minnesota an abortion refuge of the Upper Midwest, writing abortion rights into law and removing all restrictions on the books. They quickly succeeded in codifying the right to abortion and enacting a shield law to protect women who travel […]
Mayo Clinic threatens to pull billions in investments over proposed legislation
Mayo Clinic has given Gov. Tim Walz and state lawmakers an ultimatum over two bills that aim to increase nurse staffing levels and rein in health care costs: Gut the bills or the nonprofit hospital will pull billions in planned investments out of the state. In an email to DFL legislative leaders and Walz’s office […]