When innovative retailers and their partners gather, learn and celebrate at Retail Rally in October, we'll roll out the red carpet to recognize 10 Minnesota organizations and individuals for being champions of the industry.

Show your support for Minnesota's retail industry by nominating an employee, employer, business or vendor partner for one or more of these prestigious awards:

Nominations are open through June 1 and can be done at www.retailrally.com/nominate.

Take a moment to nominate a Minnesota Retail Champion today!

From the National Retail Federation, May 17, 2018

Graduation spending to reach $5.2 Billion with cash and greeting cards as most popular gifts

Consumers say they will spoil high school and college graduates this year by filling their greeting cards with gift cards and cash, according to the annual survey released today by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics.

The average person buying graduation gifts will spend $102.51, on par with last year’s $104.92. Total spending is expected to reach $5.2 billion, the third-highest number in the survey’s 12-year history following the record $5.6 billion set last year and $5.4 billion in 2016.

“Graduation is a huge milestone for students and parents alike, and retailers are ready to help make it even more memorable,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “Cash might be the most popular item, but an assortment of graduation gifts from greeting cards and gift cards to clothing and electronics will tempt shoppers.”

Cash will once again be the most popular gift, given by 55 percent of those surveyed as they seek to help students with the costly transition from high school to college or college to the “real world.” Greeting cards — many of them with cash inside — follow at 43 percent, gift cards at 32 percent, apparel at 14 percent and electronics at 10 percent.

From the Star Tribune, Erin Golden, May 21, 2018

The 2018 legislative session wrapped up late Sunday night as lawmakers sent a raft of major legislation to Gov. Mark Dayton, who is threatening to veto much of it. He has 14 days to decide for sure, and GOP legislative leaders say they hope the DFL governor will reconsider. Here’s what we know about what issues are on the line with Dayton’s decision, and what’s coming next.

Taxes: Dayton has pledged to veto the tax bill, which includes cuts in income tax rates for the two lowest income tiers in the state tax code, and brings Minnesota in line with recent federal tax changes. Republicans who drafted the bill say it would result in either a tax cut or no change for most Minnesotans. Without a tax bill, the next tax filing season is likely to be chaotic for both families and businesses. That’s because state taxes are based on federal taxable income. Dayton said the GOP plan is too favorable to business at the expense of families. If Dayton vetoes the tax bill, families and individuals will have to use federal tax rules from before Congress passed and President Donald Trump signed the major tax overhaul in December. Tax accountants and lawyers say it will be a confusing mess without a tax bill.

Public school budgets: The tax bill also includes a GOP-crafted provision that frees up about $225 million for Minnesota public schools facing budget shortfalls. That came after Dayton said in recent days he wouldn’t approve any tax changes without new money for schools mulling teacher layoffs and other budget-cutting steps. However, much of the money would be redirected from existing state accounts that help pay for teacher training and community education, which Dayton called unacceptable.

Opioids: Lawmakers also sent Dayton a nearly 1,000-page omnibus bill packed with $131 million in new spending and dozens of policy changes. Dayton is also saying he’ll veto that legislation, as he objects to wrapping disparate issues — some of which he supports and some he doesn’t — into one large bill.. Among the provisions in the omnibus bill is $16 million from the state treasury for opioid prevention and treatment programs. That’s less than what a bipartisan group of lawmakers had originally sought to raise with a “penny-a-pill” tax or an “opioid stewardship fee” on pharmaceutical companies, neither of which made it into the final bill.

Elder care: Also tucked into the big omnibus bill are a series of reforms to the state’s regulation of elder care facilities, after revelations in recent months of widespread elder abuse in Minnesota nursing homes. DFLers and advocates of broader reforms say the reforms lack bite and would not go far enough to end the abuse.

Infrastructure: Late Sunday night, lawmakers approved $1.5 billion in public works projects, with about half of that backed by state general obligation bonds, and the rest coming from other pots of state money. It includes $500 million for Department of Transportation work, $129 million for the Minnesota State university system and $79 million for the University of Minnesota, $32 million to build veterans’ homes in Bemidji, Montevideo and Preston, $15 million for a new visitor center at Fort Snelling and $1 million for repairs to the Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis. Unlike the tax bill and the budget-and-policy bill, Dayton has not threatened to veto the bonding bill.

School safety: This became a top stated concern of the Legislature in the wake of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, but one that ended up largely lost in the political shuffle of other issues. The bonding bill includes $25 million for safety improvements to school buildings, but money for other expenses, like mental health counseling and safety staff at schools, was tucked into the omnibus bill that Dayton says he’ll veto. Leaders of both parties had expressed interested in a standalone school safety bill, but one never materialized.

MNLARS: Lawmakers passed a bill that would have provided $9 million in emergency help to driver and vehicle licensing centers hurt by nearly a year of glitches and delays caused by the state’s rollout of a new licensing software system (the Minnesota Licensing and Registration System, or MNLARS.) Dayton vetoed that bill, saying he wanted lawmakers to approve more than $30 million in spending to help fix the problems with MNLARS, in addition to the money for the licensing centers. House lawmakers tried and failed to override that veto on Sunday.

Distracted driving: Advocates who have lost loved ones in crashes involving distracted drivers pushed hard this year for a law that would ban the use of handheld phones while driving. Efforts to pass that bill stalled, but a provision that would increase fines for texting while driving was included in the broad spending and policy bill that Dayton says he’ll veto.

From The City of Minneapolis, May 18, 2018

Sick and Safe Time Ordinance News and Updates

District Court Ruling

The Hennepin County District Court recently issued a decision continuing in place its injunction against the City’s enforcement of the Sick and Safe Time Ordinance as to any “employer resident outside the geographic boundaries of the City.” The City has appealed the District Court’s decision to the Minnesota Court of Appeals. As a result of the injunction, the Ordinance will not be enforced against any employer resident outside of the City pending a decision by the Court of Appeals. A copy of the District Court's ruling is available for download on the homepage in the announcements at  http://sicktimeinfo.minneapolismn.gov .

 

Accrual and Use Tracking Spreadsheet Available Online Now

Please visit  http://sicktimeinfo.minneapolismn.gov/employer-resources  for a new tool provided to help employers track accrual and use. Employers without payroll departments or the resources to contract a payroll processing company may benefit from using a simple spreadsheet to help them record and notify employees of leave balances available for their use. This spreadsheet identifies an employee's leave balance using the accrual method of 1 hour earned per 30 hours worked. Leave balance will update automatically on the spreadsheet if the number of hours of leave used is entered accurately.

 

Enforcement Data Portal Available Online Now

Please visit the City of Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights homepage (see "Labor Standards Enforcement" and "Reports" in the left column) or click  here  to view the Labor Standards Enforcement Division’s data portal. It offers real time transparency and accountability. Explore data across the tabs to track results, from inquiry and allegations to outcomes and impact. Data is automatically updated daily. Click here to view on mobile devices.

 

 

Minimum Wage Update:

Don't forget! On July 1, 2018, the minimum wage in Minneapolis is going up to $10.25 and $11.25 for small and large employers, respectively. "Small" businesses are defined as 100 or fewer employees. "Large" businesses are defined as more than 100 employees.

For more information, visit http://minimumwage.minneapolismn.gov , call 311, or email minwage@minneapolismn.gov.

From Minnpost, Peter Callaghan, May 21, 2018

The 2018 session of the Minnesota Legislature began with some optimism. A constitutional battle from 2017 between Gov. Mark Dayton and GOP legislative leaders over his veto of their funding had been resolved; there was a surplus of cash that allowed flexibility in the second year of the budget; and there was agreement on what bills had to get passed, if not the specific provisions they would contain.

But when they adjourned just before midnight Sunday, optimism was in low supply, as the Legislature was left hoping that Gov. Mark Dayton wouldn't follow through on his threat to veto a massive omnibus spending and policy bill as well as an attempt to bring state tax law into conformity with the new federal tax code.

And those must-dos? Many fell apart or were passed in ways that left supporters unsatisfied. And even then, many are embroiled in the veto threat. Here's a look at the sessions big issues — and where they ended up.

From the Pioneer Press, Fredrick Melo, May 19, 2018

Council member representing the most small businesses is torn over $15-an-hour minimum

As St. Paul weighs raising the citywide minimum wage, few elected officials are in as sensitive a position as City Council Member Rebecca Noecker.

Ward 2 includes downtown St. Paul, a large section of restaurant-heavy Grand Avenue and Summit Hill, a growing number of storefronts along West Seventh Street and the city’s West Side, which has a large Latino population.

Even the St. Paul Saints — who play ball inside Ward 2 — have asked the state for an exemption from minimum wage laws.

At the request of the St. Paul City Council, the nonpartisan Citizens League has assembled a committee to help guide its second major study of how changes to the minimum wage may impact St. Paul.

The committee will study the appropriate wage, a phase-in time and potential exemptions, including how — if at all — to account for tipping. Recommendations are due by the end of August, and the city council is likely to vote on a citywide increase before the end of the year.

The state’s current hourly minimum is $7.67 for small businesses and $9.65 for large ones.

The Pioneer Press met Noecker for lunch at Gray Duck Tavern recently to discuss the particulars. The following interview has been edited for clarity.

From the Pioneer Press, Fredrick Melo, May 21, 2018

Raising St. Paul’s hourly minimum wage to $15 would hit city hall by as much as $2.23 million in one year alone.

Relative to city spending, is that a major bundle of cash or a minor budget hiccup? For perspective, that’s less than 1 percent of this year’s total city spending on salaries — $218.4 million — and fringe benefits — $96 million. But one city department alone would account for the vast majority of the increase — Parks and Recreation.

The city recently asked the Citizens League to study the impact of a potential citywide minimum wage increase on St. Paul employers. The city, with roughly 3,000 workers, is one of the biggest employers in town. A wage increase would impact city coffers directly.

In preparation for that effort, a city budget analyst studied the impact that a $15 minimum wage might have on city departments.

The analysis looks at “moving all city employees making less than $15 per hour directly to $15 per hour immediately — no phase-in,” said City Finance Director Todd Hurley. “This is the first component of what will be much more detailed analysis.”

Whether the city council approves $15 per hour or another sum, city officials have long acknowledged that St. Paul, like Minneapolis, Seattle, New York and other cities, will likely institute a phase-in period that could span several years.

Some departments, like the city attorney’s office, already pay most of their employees at least $15 an hour, so the net effect for the legal office of raising wages to $15 would be less than $300.

Others, such as Parks and Recreation, would be forced to make significant budget changes.