MINNEAPOLIS — Just a few months from now, state lawmakers will gather to form the 94th Minnesota Legislature at the state's Capitol in St. Paul.
As those elected officials prepare to introduce and lobby for new legislation going into 2024, we're focusing on some new laws passed in 2023 that take effect on Jan. 1.
Earned Sick and Safe Time
WHAT IT DOES: This legislation guarantees earned paid leave for state employees for reasons like illness, caring for a sick family member or seeking assistance if they or a member of their family has experienced domestic abuse, sexual assault or stalking. Eligible employees include those who work at least 80 hours per year in Minnesota and are not independent contractors.
Both full and part-time employees are qualified to receive one hour of sick time for every 30 hours worked and can earn up to 48 total hours - unless their employer agrees to more.
Minimum Wage
WHAT IT DOES: Workers in Minnesota who make minimum wage will see an increase in their paychecks come January. The boost, which the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry said was adjusted for inflation, will amount to $10.85 per hour for large employers and $8.85 for small employers.
The state considers large companies as those with an annual gross income of at least $500,000.
Worth noting, the statewide wage hike will not interfere with minimum wage requirements in Minneapolis and St. Paul, both of which have already implemented higher hourly rates.
Pay Discrimination
WHAT IT DOES: According to data gathered by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, women, people of color and Indigenous people are consistently paid less than white men.
The new pay history law addresses that issue by encouraging employers rely on a job seeker's "skills, education, certifications, licenses, and other qualifications, as well as the job market, to set pay." Further, the law says all public, private and nonprofit employers in Minnesota are required to comply, and will not be allowed to ask an applicant about their current or past pay history as part of the hiring process and/or salary negotiations.
Workplace Safety
WHAT IT DOES: If warehouse distribution centers, meatpacking and poultry processing facilities, and health care systems with 100 employees or more haven't felt the impacts of the pieces of this legislation that have already gone into effect, they will on Jan. 1.
The legislation aims to minimize and prevent musculoskeletal disorders from developing, and to lower the number of injuries suffered at work in general with a required amount of safety training and honoring an employee's refusal to work under conditions they believe will put them in "imminent danger of death or serious physical harm."
According to Minnesota's Labor Department, the legislation is the first of its kind to be implemented in the United States.
Education
WHAT IT DOES: Every school district in the state will be required to provide sanitary products, free of charge, to students who menstruate. The new law states the products must be available in restrooms regularly used by students in grades 4-12.
Public Safety
WHAT IT DOES: Sometimes referred to as a "red flag law," this piece of legislation allows a family member, law enforcement or city official or guardian to petition for an "extreme risk protection order." The petition, which can be filed on an emergency basis, works to prohibit a person from possessing firearms for up to one year if "the respondent poses a significant danger of bodily harm for other persons or is at significant risk of suicide by possessing a firearm."
The law states that in an emergency situation, the respondent must "present an immediate and present danger of either bodily harm to others or taking their own life."
If a court finds a petition is appropriate, the accused is required to transfer their firearms within 24 hours to a federally licensed firearms dealer or law enforcement agency. When the petition expires, the law states firearms will be returned.
Transportation
WHAT IT DOES: Several new rules will go into effect for commuters on Jan. 1, including the availability of specialty sports license plates (Twins, Lynx, United, Timberwolves, Wild, Vikings) as well as Lions Club International and Minnesota Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives, with proceeds going toward their designated respective foundations. Blackout plates will also be available.
Prices for some transportation essentials are set to rise, too. The state's gas tax is also set to change in the new year, with a hike linked to the state of inflation. However, the law says no year-over-year percentage change is allowed to exceed 3%.
Additionally, taxes on motor vehicle registrations will increase beginning Jan. 1, as well as motor vehicle sales tax rates (from 6.5% to 6.85%).
For a list of every piece of legislation passed into law in 2023, click here.
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