Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Bills asking lawmakers to raise the minimum wage by more than $3 have made their way to the floor. How much should the Legislature raise minimum wage, if at all, in one of the lowest-paid states in the country.
Minnesota lawmakers, during this period of slow, economic recovery, are taking up the debate of the amount of the state's minimum wage. Currently, both tipped workers and minimum wage workers can be paid as low as $6.15/hour, legally, in Minnesota. Most employers, though, abide by the Federal minimum wage, which is set at $7.25. Still, 6 percent of the state's workforce makes that amount, which analysts have said won't lift a worker or a family above the poverty line. Rep. Ryan Winkler of Golden Valley has introduced a bill to change that, moving Minnesota from one of the lowest minimum wage states in the nation to one of the highest. His bill hikes the state's minimum wage to $10.55/hr for high earners, or businesses that make more than $…
Sunday, February 3, 2013
In other big headlines from around the South Metro region this week, a $10 million mansion goes up for sale in Inver Grove Heights and the Kohl's property in Burnsville is sold.
You can't be in front of your computer 24 hours a day, so each weekend, Patch reviews the top stories of the past week from around the South Metro region. Here's a look at recent stories, which first appeared on this site or those of our neighbors, that may interest you or affect your life. To read the full stories, click on the headline links: UPDATED: Flu Deaths in Minnesota Now Total 112 Department of Health says there were an additional 36 deaths last week, but that number of people hospitalized with flu-like symptoms much lower than previous week. Norovirus Bug On the Rise, New Strain Arrives in Minnesota A new, extremely contagious norovirus strain, detected last year in Australia, is making Minnesotans miserable. UPDATE: Apple…
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Ashley Kilcher, the co-owner of Dakota County fashion boutique Roe Wolfe, said the proposed sales tax on items of clothing worth more than $100 would damage small businesses.
Gov. Dayton released more specifics last week about how his sales tax plan would affect individual businesses and services. One the proposed changes to the tax code would be the introduction of a sales tax for clothing items and apparel costing more than $100. Ashley Kilcher, co-owner of the Dakota County fashion boutique Roe Wolfe, said $100 for a luxury item is not a particularly high price point. "The sales tax increase would negatively impact small businesses, American-made clothing brands and Minnesota tourism," she said. "American made clothing and brands are typically more expensive just because labor costs are more expensive here, so it will affect the brands people are buying." She said tax-ree shopping was a large draw for …
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
More than 100 reader comments have been made since governor's plan unveiled last week.
Like us on Facebook | Get our newsletter | Follow us on Twitter | Start a blog When Gov. Mark Dayton last week unveiled a proposed state budget and tax plan that would, among other things, lower Minnesota's sales tax from 6.875 percent to 5.5 percent, the plan sparked a vigorous debate among Patch readers. Patch has had more than 100 reader comments on our story that asked people to take our poll, then share their thoughts on Dayton's tax and budget plan. Here's a sampling of some of the comments: George P. Burdell: A simplistic response to this comment would then be; Democrats want to clean out our wallets and institute socialisim... which really worked well for the USSR...hmmm. Brad Koehn:_I'll be curious to see if Minnesotans spend …
Sunday, January 27, 2013
In other headlines from around the region last week, South Metro school districts are losing students to open enrollment, and Shakopee makes a guest appearance on 'Saturday Night Live.'
You can't be in front of your computer 24 hours a day, so each weekend, Patch reviews the top recent headlines from throughout the South Metro region. Here's a look at last week's stories, which first appeared on this site or those of our neighbors, that may interest you or affect your life. To read the full stories, click on the headline links. UPDATE: Death Toll Now at 75, But Flu On The Wane Across Minnesota Department of Health says there were an additional 15 deaths last week, but that number of people hospitalized with flu-like symptoms has fallen dramatically. Authorities Identify Apple Valley Woman Killed in Savage Crash Authorities are still investigating an accident that left a 35-year-old south metro woman dead Wednesday …
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Take our poll and tell us what you think of the governor's proposals.
Gov. Mark Dayton on Tuesday unveiled a proposed state budget and tax plan that would, among other things, lower Minnesota's sales tax from 6.875 percent to 5.5 percent but broaden it to cover more items such as higher-priced clothing, car repairs and other services. In his quest to avoid a projected $1.1 billion revenue shortfall, Dayton said his plan also includes raising the income on some groups of taxpayers (such as the state's 2 percent of hignest-income earners). He is proposing to reduce property taxes and cut the corporate tax rate on businesses. (To see a Patch story and UpTake video of Dayton's speech, click on this link.) Bottom line: The governor said he wants to provide property tax relief, boost funding for K-12 education, …
Gov. Mark Dayton's $38 billion proposal would expand sales taxes on certain items and services and boost education funding.
Like us on Facebook | Get our newsletter | Follow us on Twitter | Start a blog Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton's $38 billion budget plan drew a mixed response from Dakota County legislators this week, with Republicans decrying proposed tax and spending increases, while Democrats lauded Dayton's focus on school funding. Released Tuesday, the two-year budget plan raises roughly $2.1 billion in revenue by implementing sales taxes on haircuts, car repairs and high-end clothing sales, among other specific products and services. An income tax hike for married filers making more than $250,000 of taxable income annually and single filers earning more than $150,000 is also included in the proposal, as is a tax hike on cigarettes. But corporate taxes …
Saturday, December 22, 2012
A Minnesota legislator says yes, Gov. Dayton says no, and a Minneapolis school staffer took matters into her own hands, bringing a .357 Magnum to school. Should teachers bear arms?
Updated below. Should Minnesota teachers carry guns at school? One staff member at a Minneapolis public school apparently thought so—according to authorities, she brought a loaded .357 Magnum to Seward Montessori on Wednesday. MN Rep. Tony Cornish (R-Vernon Center) has a bill that would let educators have firearms in classrooms, according to WCCO-TV. The idea is to prevent massacres like last week's mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, CT that left 20 students and seven adults dead. Cornish told WCCO: “We found out that nothing else works, and I think teachers are the best people to confront this. Even an armed security or an armed cop doesn’t do a lot of good if they get by him or her. Then they’ve got all these classrooms…
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Real men not only wear pink, but have fought the fight against breast cancer. This weekend, men can join the popular women's cause against breast cancer at the annual Breast Cancer Awareness Conference in St. Paul.
Breast cancer isn’t just about pink ribbons anymore. Despite the common perception that women are only affected by breast cancer, thousands of men are also diagnosed with the disease each year. In fact, approximately 2,190 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed among men in 2012, according to the American Cancer Society. In addition, approximately 410 men will die from breast cancer this year. A Pledge invites men in the community, corporate leaders, political figures and entrepreneurs to step up and pledge to raise awareness for breast cancer by supporting the 11th Annual Twin Cities Breast Cancer Awareness Conference alongside their spouse, sister, daughter or mother. The conference is set for Saturday, Oct. 6 in St. Paul…
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Sen. Chris Gerlach, who represents Apple Valley, voted no on the plan that passed 38-28 on Tuesday.
Follow us on Twitter | Like us on Facebook | Get our newsletter | Write on Patch The Minnesota Senate on Tuesday approved a public subsidy package for a new Vikings stadium with a 38-28 vote. Sen. Chris Gerlach, a Republican who represents Apple Valley, voted no on the bill, which would provide the team with about $350 million in state money to build the $975 million facility, with the other funding sources being the City of Minneapolis and the Vikings ownership group. Tuesday's vote follows the Minnesota House's approval on Monday of its version of a Vikings stadium bill with a 73-58 vote. A conference committee made up from members of the House and Senate will need to negotiate a final bill and get approval from their respective bodies. …
Joshua
1:30 pm on Thursday, March 14, 2013
Like I said; if minimum wage does not match inflation, then it should be removed since it serves no purpose. more ›