| Legislative Breakfast | |
Join us for our April Legislative Breakfast!
Topic: Southwest Light Rail Susan Haigh, Chair of the Metropolitan Council and Mark Fuhrman, Manager, New Starts Program will be on hand to provide the latest developments on this long awaited mass transit project.
Register now for our April Legislative Breakfast |
| MINIMUM WAGE | |
 The TwinWest Chamber supports the following minimum wage provisions.
- Federal Conformity
- No automatic escalators
- Youth Wage Provision
- Tiered Wage
TAKE ACTION!
Contact your Legislator |
| United for Jobs | |
Thanks to all of you that hosted business tours, talked with legislators and signed our petition! The Governor signed the repeal of the Business to Business Taxes into law.
United for Jobs website.
Thank You! |
 SAVE THE DATES! June 11-13, 2014 | |
The TwinWest Chamber of Commerce is taking a delegation to Washington, D.C. to the U. S. Chamber's Small Business Summit.
For more information, contact Brad Meier at [email protected] or
Deb McMillan at [email protected]
763-450-2220
Additional details to follow! |
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Quick Links | |
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HENNEPIN COUNTY
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STATE LEGISLATURE
Minnesota State Legisture
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Greetings!
The legislative session continues to fly by. We are now past the final committee deadline which begs the question, what will be the major issues in the upcoming weeks? This Political Insider takes a look at the issues still "cooking" during this session and provides some analysis.
Thanks for supporting the TwinWest Chamber!
Deb McMillan, Director of Government Affairs
TwinWest Chamber of Commerce |
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THE BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE - Visit with Legislators | | |
The legislators are on Easter/Passover Break from April 11-April 21, 2014. Please connect with them in their home districts. Following is a list of bills that we are following along with the business perspective on those bills. Be sure to thank those that advocated for an early tax bill and voted for the repeal of the Business to Business taxes. The vote was bi-partisan and nearly unanimous. Thank you for your advocacy--it makes a difference! |
| ISSUE HIGHLIGHT - Session Remainder | | |
Minimum Wage
The conference committee has settled on raising the wage to $9.50, however there is currently disagreement in the conference committee as to whether there should be an automatic inflation index on the minimum wage bill. This disagreement has led the Senate to consider a constitutional amendment which would ultimately ask voters to decided in a statewide vote whether future wages should be linked to the increase in the cost of living. The TwinWest Chamber of Commerce supports a minimum wage that conforms to federal minimum wage, has provisions for youth and training wages and a tiered wage schedule for tipped employees. TwinWest has staunchly opposed the automatic inflator.
Bills: HF92, SF3
The bills imposing mandatory paid sick leave regulated at the state level are being reevaluated by both the house and the senate. This is due in large part to grassroots efforts and the wonderful turnout at Business Day at the Capitol. The cost of this mandate is troublesome to employers and this issue could still see a return during the current session. Please contact your legislators and thank them for reconsidering and urge them not to revisit these bills.
Bills: HF2461, SF2105
Pay Equity
The current proposal would add new regulation on MN Employers with 40 or more Employees as well as contracts with the State. The new regulations would mandate job HR review and payment systems to evaluate positions based on comparable worth. It also does not take into account market conditions. No other state has a similar requirement which allows the state to effectively micromanage the pay equity for business with government contracts.
Bills: HF2373, SF1806
Family Caregiver Protected Class Status
This bill proposes adding "Family Caregiver" as a protected class under the Minnesota Human Rights Act and expands litigation risk and exposure for employers. The definition of caregiver is ambiguous and overly broad, and ignores the fact that employees already have rights to provide for family members with serious health concerns.
Bills: HF2536/SF2050
Education and Workforce Development
The omnibus bills being drafted by the respective education committees contain very little education reform. There are however several key initiatives still active including a measure to provide parents with better information about students college readiness, a statewide survey of career and technical education programs, and of course the apprenticeship bill which is consistently supported by TwinWest as well as the MN Chamber.
Bills: There are numerous bills. Please call and we can help track down the bill that contains the issue you are tracking.
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| The Latest from the Capitol | | |
B2B Taxes Repealed!
The Governor signed into law an early tax bill that contained the repeal of the Business to Business Taxes. The bill also adopts federal conformity for income tax returns, repeals the gift tax and increases the threshold for the estate tax. Our thanks to the businesses that talked with legislators, hosted tours and shared their stories. Your voice makes a difference!
Minnesota State Legislature
Rumors abound that the legislature is focused on an early finish. In practice, an early adjournment remains to be seen. Legislators will, however, be on Easter/Passover break from April 11-April 21. Please watch for opportunities to meet with them while they are in their districts and visit with them about concerns.
Contact Your Legislators
Now is a good time to share your concerns and provide input to legislators on issues pertinent to your business, or feel free to contact TwinWest with your concerns as well. |
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A Word from our Sponsor - The Rouen Group | | |
Recess for the Children
Columnist Joe Soucheray affectionately refers to legislators as "adult children" because of their inability to get along or exercise self control. Now, the adult children will get a "recess" for the Easter/Passover break. But, before they go it appears the children will get their new $90 million office building. The new building call the State Legislative Office Building (SLOB) will likely be approved today by the MN House Rules committee, clearing the way for construction. The building has been criticized by Republican and Democrat legislators for its costs. Recently even Governor Dayton called it "opulent." Despite the criticism the building appears to be a done deal. If you are looking for a humorous look at this read (this).
The Politics of the Session
For a perspective on the DFL Controlled legislature read (this).
The Rouen Group is a leading public relations and public affairs firm based in Minneapolis. Noah Rouen,President of the Rouen Group serves on the TwinWest Scholarship Foundation Board and the TwinWest PAC board. |
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Thanks for reading! Our goal is to provide a concise and informative newsletter that keeps you abreast of developments at the Capitol. Please don't hesitate to share feedback and comments by e-mailing our staff at [email protected].
10700 Old County Rd. 15 | Suite 170 | Plymouth, MN 55441
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