Earned Sick & Safe Time

After hours of lively debate Thursday afternoon and evening, the Earned Sick & Safe Time bill, H.F. 19 (Rep. Liz Olson, DFL-Duluth), was passed off of the House floor with two amendments. The bill would allow nearly all employees in the state to accrue up to 48 hours of sick time per year, and includes carve-outs for federal government employees and independent contractors. The Senate is expected to pass the companion bill (S.F. 34, Sen. Sandy Pappas, DFL-St. Paul) in the coming weeks.

Commissioners Get Confirmed—And Get New Jobs

The week opened with the news that Department of Employment and Economic Development Commissioner Steve Grove is decamping for a new role as publisher and CEO of the Star Tribune. However, as of this week the Senate has now confirmed the appointments of 11 of Governor Walz’s commissioners. The remaining 10 confirmations are expected to proceed steadily over the coming weeks.

Governor Traveling

Governor Tim Walz spent a portion of the week in Norway on a trip dedicated to the military partnership between Minnesota and Norway, called the Norwegian Reciprocal Troop Exchange. Members of the Minnesota National Guard spent the last two weeks training with the Norwegian Home Guard. This is the 50th year of the partnership.

W&W Hosts Speaker Hortman at Breakfast

We wish to offer special thanks to Speaker Melissa Hortman, who was the most recent featured speaker at the Winthrop & Weinstine Client Legislative Breakfast Series this past Wednesday. She shared her thoughts with our team and firm clients in attendance about the general arc of the legislative session, as well as major budget and bonding bills to come. Stay tuned for information on our final client breakfast for 2023 in the coming weeks.

A Return To Normalcy

While both chambers continue to work on major legislation, the Capitol has seen a return to normalcy with perhaps the best feature of session life: Days on the Hill. Constituents from dozens of different professional, cultural, and issues groups have descended on the Capitol complex in recent weeks to rally, lobby, and share their views with their home district legislators.

February 17, 2023