New state laws take effect for Minnesotans
Minnesota’s minimum wage will raise on Monday (August 1) – and several other new state laws will also take effect.
This will be the first increase in three years that come about as part of a 2014 law that Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton signed after the Minnesota State Legislature passed it. The minimum wage’s first increase under the law was to $8 an hour in 2014.
After Monday, the state’s large employers must pay at least $9.50 an hour, while smaller businesses will be required to pay $7.75. Training and youth wages also must be at least $7.75.
And, in 2018, Minnesota minimum wages will begin rising annually to keep up with inflation.
In the law, large businesses (which have to pay higher wages) are defined as those having gross revenues of at least $500,000.
The new minimum wages apply to all workers, full- and part- time, not dependent on how many hours worked. Employers will not be allowed reduce wages when tips are given workers. Workers exempt from the state minimum-wage law include babysitters and non-profit organization volunteers.
A number of laws passed this year also go into effect this Monday:
+ Changes to some drug sentencing laws, with some sentences increasing, while others decrease.
+ Establishment as to how videos from police-worn cameras are handled. Most of each video will not be available to the public.
+ Establishment of requirements that the state Agriculture Department compile a report on farm accidents and what programs there are to provide prevention of them. The department is additionally beginning a program to help farmers buy rollover bars for older tractors.
+ Banning the state from increasing the size of an elk herd unless the agriculture commissioner verifies the herd has not caused a state program to pay out more in crop and fence damages than is currently being paid. The state does pay farmers for damages caused by some wild animals, including elk, and natural resources officials manage the sizes of the herds, by, in part deciding how many can be killed by hunters.
+ No-wait wedding by eliminating a requirement that couples must wait five days to get married after applying for a marriage license. As long as the couple meets other requirements – such as age – a couple can get married right after getting a license.
+ Requiring that health care facilities’ waiting rooms must provide closed captioning.
+ Increasing penalties for repeat drunken drivers whose actions kill someone.
+ Allowing pharmacies to provide 90 days of prescription drugs in many situations.
+ Making it a crime to distribute private sexual images without consent. This is known as revenge porn because often the pictures end up on pornographic Internet sites.
+ Giving local governments permission to donate unneeded equipment to non-profit organizations.
