Dayton Signs Minimum Wage Boost Into Law
Gov. Mark Dayton is capping a push to raise Minnesota's minimum wage with a ceremony to sign the bill doing just that. Dayton planned to turn the bill into law Monday afternoon in the Capitol Rotunda.
Gov. Mark Dayton is capping a push to raise Minnesota's minimum wage with a ceremony to sign the bill doing just that. Dayton planned to turn the bill into law Monday afternoon in the Capitol Rotunda.
Gov. Mark Dayton plans to sign the minimum wage bill into law on Monday, bringing one of the country's lowest rates to one of the highest in the nation.
Lawmakers will be less than a month from the mandatory session finish line when they return to the Capitol after Easter, but don't be surprised if they make an earlier break for it. Much of the heavy lifting of the election-year session is done. Negotiators from the House, Senate and Gov. Mark Dayton's administration forecast more ease than usual buttoning up remaining tax and budget bills.
President Barack Obama is praising Minnesota lawmakers for raising the state's minimum wage.
Minnesota lawmakers are prepared for the final vote on a bill significantly boosting the minimum wage. House approval Thursday would send the bill to Gov. Mark Dayton, who supports the plan to raise the wage to $9.50 by 2016.
The bill ushering in one of the nation's highest minimum wages is hitting the Minnesota Senate floor and could reach Gov. Mark Dayton by week's end.
Minnesota legislative leaders appear to have reached a deal to raise the state's minimum wage. No details have been announced, but top lawmakers called a news conference for Monday morning to discuss an agreement.
This legislative session has stalled out with battles over a proposed $90 million Senate office building and a proposed minimum wage increase. But the battle is not between Republicans and Democrats - it's the Democrats who are fighting amongst themselves. With Democrats controlling the Minnesota House and Senate as well as the governor's office, it's the Democrats who are battling with each other over key issues.
Despite a collection of traditional adversaries aligning in opposition Friday, Democratic senators advanced a proposed ballot measure to let voters resolve a legislative deadlock over the minimum wage. A Senate jobs panel endorsed a constitutional amendment on a party-line vote over the objections of business, labor, faith and other advocacy groups. The measure would let voters decide if increases in the minimum wage should be automatically tied to inflation starting in 2017.
Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk says voters should decide whether Minnesota's minimum wage climbs automatically. A constitutional amendment that he and another prominent senator put in play Thursday would ask voters this fall if they think the wage should be forever linked to inflation.
Public bargaining is resuming over Minnesota's minimum wage. A House-Senate conference committee trying to forge a deal is scheduled to convene on Tuesday. The committee hasn't met since early in March after getting bogged down.
The push is growing to raise the minimum wage in Minnesota. Some lawmakers want to pass a bill this session to raise it to $9.50 an hour, but some workers in Minneapolis were rallying for much more Saturday. "I believe workers have a right, have a basic human right to be able to make enough money to raise their families and have safe affordable housing," Veronica Mendez Moore from Minneapolis said.
Another Minnesota-based company is hiking its own minimum wage. Mahtomedi-based Chuck and Don's Pet Food Outlet is giving its employees a starting wage of $10.10 an hour. Company founder Chuck Anderson says he didn't want to wait for mandates from the government to do what he calls "the right thing."
Restaurant and resort owners were at the Capitol Monday, lobbying against the proposed increase in the minimum wage. They say most servers already make well over the minimum wage when you factor in tips. Some said the increase would force them to lay off employees and raise prices, and they are trying to get lawmakers to carve out exceptions to the current proposed increase.
A political coalition pushing for a minimum wage increase in Minnesota is rallying in the Capitol rotunda as the new legislative session gets underway. House Speaker Paul Thissen and Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk are scheduled to speak at the Tuesday event sponsored by the Raise the Wage Coalition.
The Minnesota House quickly passed a bill Tuesday to send emergency heating aid to people suffering through the brutal winter, setting a rapid pace on the first day of what could be a quick legislative session.
Democrats who lead the Minnesota Legislature left no doubt Wednesday that a minimum wage increase of some kind will prevail in the upcoming session.
Democrats who lead the Minnesota Legislature left no doubt Wednesday that a minimum wage increase of some kind will prevail in the upcoming session.
As Minnesota's legislative session nears, one of the state's minimum-wage champions has issued a challenge. Five House colleagues accepted Golden Valley Democrat Rep. Ryan Winkler's invitation Tuesday to live for a week on the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour.
Some of Minnesota's well-known mayors, including the mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul, are putting their weight behind an effort to pass Minnesota's first minimum wage hike in 8 years.
President Barack Obama shed a national spotlight on Minnesota Tuesday night when he praised a Minneapolis business owner during his State of the Union speech.
Thousands of Minnesota workers earn a minimum wage that's less today than it was in 1974 -- that's among the findings of a new state report on the minimum wage from the state Department of Labor and Industry.
The owners of a Minnesota pizza franchise are making an unusual business move this holiday season -- raising the pay for all their minimum wage workers to $10 an hour. The move at Punch Pizza comes as debate is sharpening over whether to raise Minnesota's minimum wage statewide.
The same week thousands of workers protested across the nation to raise the federal minimum wage, one Minnesota company decided to do something about it. John Puckett, co-owner of Punch Neapolitan Pizza, says all eight of their Twin Cities' locations now have minimum wage set at $10 an hour. "My business partner and I decided to invest in our people because we are growing our company in the Twin Cities," Puckett said. "We really believe to have the best quality product and service, it's the right thing to do." Minnesota's minimum wage is $7.25. Puckett hopes the pay will keep good workers and attract valuable employees to their company.
Fast food workers and their supporters here in Minnesota and more than 100 cities across the country are holding a day of protests.
Authorities in western Wisconsin say a correctional officer died after a suspected drunk driver struck his vehicle on Christmas Eve.
When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Svetlana Vold immediately thought of her mom's teachings and looked to give back to her old Ukrainian neighbors who were suffering.
Dr. Shirlee Xie and her husband went to Switzerland for a two-week hiking journey. There, she experienced a life-altering accident, falling about 300 feet down a mountain.
The Minnesota Vikings have obliterated even the most optimistic of external predictions for this transitional season with a 13-2 record entering their matchup against the Green Bay Packers that has made Kevin O'Connell the current favorite for the NFL Coach of the Year award.
Baltimore's victory over Houston averaged 24.3 million viewers, while Kansas City's win at Pittsburgh averaged 24.1 million, according to early viewer figures released by Nielsen.
When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Svetlana Vold immediately thought of her mom's teachings and looked to give back to her old Ukrainian neighbors who were suffering.
Dr. Shirlee Xie and her husband went to Switzerland for a two-week hiking journey. There, she experienced a life-altering accident, falling about 300 feet down a mountain.
This week has been warm, which isn't great for winter activities, but skaters and hockey players have been able to enjoy a refrigerated outdoor ice rink in Roseville.
Minnesotans don't have to drive far to visit two of the best bakeries in America, according to the New York Times.
In 2024, Minnesota was a hotbed of SPAM smuggling, golf-related helicopter attacks and genetically modified giant-sheep hunting.
An auto body shop in Waverly, Minnesota has been deemed a total loss after a fire broke out on Christmas Day.
Minnesotans don't have to drive far to visit two of the best bakeries in America, according to the New York Times.
In 2024, Minnesota was a hotbed of SPAM smuggling, golf-related helicopter attacks and genetically modified giant-sheep hunting.
Mary Murphy, the longest-serving woman and second-longest-serving member of the Minnesota House, died on Christmas Day at the age of 85, according to Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman.
A northern Minnesota woman is being praised for rescuing not one, but two owls in the same day and in two different locations.
Authorities in western Wisconsin say a correctional officer died after a suspected drunk driver struck his vehicle on Christmas Eve.
The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection says it identified a case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A, or H5N1, in Burnett County.
Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has finally selected a new leader for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
The Centers for Disease Control says no person-to-person transmission has been detected and the risk to the general public remains low.
The man was flown to a hospital in Minnesota, but the department gave no word on his condition. No one else was hurt.
When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Svetlana Vold immediately thought of her mom's teachings and looked to give back to her old Ukrainian neighbors who were suffering.
Volunteers at St. Paul's Union Gospel Mission served up hundreds of Christmas Day meals during a free lunch on Wednesday.
The Salvation Army says it's a proven fact that donations decline when the bells aren't ringing. Fewer volunteers mean fewer rings and fewer dollars raised.
Dan Reed is on a campaign to get more people to become donors. The more people he can register, the higher up he gets on the transplant list.
Army veteran Delphine Littlewolf and her 7-year-old son Curtis have been living in her compact car for six months.
Here's what to know about the United States' involvement with building and operating the Panama Canal.
Mary Murphy, the longest-serving woman and second-longest-serving member of the Minnesota House, died on Christmas Day at the age of 85, according to Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman.
President Biden signed legislation Christmas Eve to make the bald eagle officially the U.S. national bird.
Jason Rantala looks at the changes several Twin Cities restaurants are making in response to a new Minnesota law taking effect on New Year’s Day.
Former President Bill Clinton remains in "good spirits," a spokesman said.
Leftovers are in the fridge and the presents under the tree are unwrapped. But what if Santa didn't get your wish list just right?
The Mega Millions jackpot is valued at $1 billion for the drawing on Christmas Eve
The rush was on Tuesday as shoppers grabbed last-minute essentials at Mall of America, just hours before Christmas Day.
Twin Cities Starbucks baristas joined a nationwide strike Tuesday afternoon.
Most grocery stores will be open on Christmas Eve but will have reduced hours.
St. Paul police say narcotics may have played a role in the death of a toddler on Christmas Day.
Agents found 30 brick-like packages of cocaine inside the backpacks, located in a wooded area in Washington near the U.S. border with Canada.
An 18-year-old man is facing a second-degree murder charge after a fatal shooting in Mankato Saturday.
The appeal had asked the court to reinstate charges, including involuntary manslaughter, against Alec Baldwin.
A 40-year-old Sartell woman has pleaded guilty in connection with a fraud scheme that cost two loan companies over $9 million.
Minnesota health officials are warning of an outbreak of a highly contagious illness: norovirus.
According to the Minnesota Department of Education, only 46.5% of third graders in the state are reading proficiently.
Health experts are offering tips on creating a more nutritious diet as new year's resolutions are put into action.
Mental health is a topic that some might feel uncomfortable talking about. In St. Louis Park there's one event trying to change that.
Minneapolis has softened an ordinance that prohibited obstructing entrances and driveways to abortion clinics after anti-abortion activists sued to challenge it on free-speech grounds.
Baltimore's victory over Houston averaged 24.3 million viewers, while Kansas City's win at Pittsburgh averaged 24.1 million, according to early viewer figures released by Nielsen.
A judge ruled that a woman who says she was raped by Jay-Z and Sean "Diddy" Combs when she was 13 can proceed anonymously, for now, in her lawsuit against the rap moguls.
Hudson Meek, the 16-year-old actor known for his performance in the 2017 film "Baby Driver," died Dec. 21 in Alabama, authorities said.
Going to the movies has become a Christmas Day tradition for some Minnesotans.
Netflix will have one of its biggest days Wednesday since the site launched in 1998 when it airs two NFL games for the first time.
Watch an unforgettable moment during an Alexandria football game that brought the crowd to tears. Plus, a tough battle in boy’s basketball between Rockford and Zimmerman.
The Minnesota Vikings have obliterated even the most optimistic of external predictions for this transitional season with a 13-2 record entering their matchup against the Green Bay Packers that has made Kevin O'Connell the current favorite for the NFL Coach of the Year award.
Baltimore's victory over Houston averaged 24.3 million viewers, while Kansas City's win at Pittsburgh averaged 24.1 million, according to early viewer figures released by Nielsen.
Coach Dan Campbell said Thursday that the team signed Bridgewater as another backup with second-year player Hendon Hooker behind starter Jared Goff.
The Minnesota Vikings will look to keep the NFL's longest active winning streak alive on Sunday when they host the Green Bay Packers.
Esme Murphy talks with Congressman Pete Stauber, who hopes to see President Biden’s 20-year moratorium on new mining near the Boundary Waters reversed by President-elect Donald Trump.
President-elect Donald Trump said he plans to reverse President Biden's 20-year moratorium on new mining near Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness on his first day in office.
In this election, Klobuchar faired much better than all other Senate Democrats — she won by a significantly larger margin.
For Democrats the postmortem continues on why Vice President Kamala Harris and her Running mate Governor Tim Walz performed more poorly with almost every demographic than Joe Biden did in 2020. In Minnesota, Senator Amy Klobuchar did much better than Harris with some of those same groups.
As Election Day nears, experts say voters in Wisconsin and other battleground states will decide the 2024 presidential election winner.
The story behind the St. James Hotel is simple: 11 business owners needed a place for people to stay when they came to town. Likely none of them envisioned their establishment would one day end up on the National Register of Historic Places.
During the first week of December, Little Falls holds Christmas tours around town. It's a chance for historic buildings to deck their halls and spread their cheer.
Duluth is known for its scenic views across the city, but one location stands out from the rest.
One family's creative design in central Minnesota allows guests to sleep under the stars — at any time of year.
"Thomas Dambo, he believes the trolls really help us kind of shine a light on how we can take better care of the environment and be better to each other," said Stearns.
There are a lot of reasons to get distracted this time of year and to procrastinate.
It's a term that's being thrown around a lot these days. Some think it's a social thing, others a medical thing.
Every home has a distinct smell, and chances are your home smells just as strong to other people. Why can't we notice our own home's smell but we can notice everyone else's?
An important deadline is approaching, and we're not talking about Christmas shopping. End of semester exams are coming up for students of all ages.
Jeff Wagner dives into the cold-weather dating trend that has singles looking for love with a time limit.
Regions Hospital and Children's Minnesota share photos of their tiniest patients dressed to the nines for Halloween.
Minnesotans got a great view of the northern lights Thursday night due to the arrival of a severe geomagnetic storm.
Minnesotans got a great view of the northern lights Monday night.
Storms ripped through parts of Minnesota and western Wisconsin on Thursday evening. There were several reports of tornadoes and trees were downed in the metro and beyond, including in Cottage Grove, Anoka, Champlin and Fridley.
A powerful thunderstorm tore through the grounds of the Minnesota State Fair on Monday night, delaying Tuesday's opening.
WCCO meteorologist Chris Shaffer says temperatures are going to be quite mild for the next three days.
In Minnesota, weather can be all over the place. Here at WCCO, we want to give you what you need to prepare for what's happening next.
WCCO meteorologist Chris Shaffer has your latest forecast and he says they'll be no more snow for 2024, despite a large system coming our way.
This week has been warm, which isn't great for winter activities, but skaters and hockey players have been able to enjoy a refrigerated outdoor ice rink in Roseville.
It's looking like it will be a very mild end to 2024, which could end up being the Twin Cities' warmest year on record.
WCCO meteorologist Chris Shaffer says temperatures are going to be quite mild for the next three days.
It's the second night of Hanukkah, a Jewish celebration marking the re-dedication of a holy temple. From the candles to the colors, WCCO's Kirsten Mitchell first answered your Good Questions about the "Festival of Lights" last winter.
As the war in Ukraine rages on, a local woman is doing all she can to help. Frankie McLister met a St. Paul firefighter making sure first responders in eastern Europe have what they need to help their own.
A woman trained to help others now needs some help herself. A hiking accident left a doctor paralyzed. As Ubah Ali shows us, her fight is personal with the goal of getting back to helping patients.
A familiar voice who gets NFL fans ready for the slate of games every Sunday is thrilled with what he's seeing in Minnesota. WCCO's Jeff Wagner talked with James Brown, the host of NFL Today on CBS, about the Vikings success this year and the team's future at the quarterback position.