Fight for ballot questions in Mpls. goes to court
A lawsuit filed this week seeks to compel the city of Minneapolis to place a mandatory $15 an hour minimum wage proposal on the November ballot.
The suit argues the Minneapolis city council was wrong when it voted to reject the measure last week.
Minneapolis City attorney Susan Segal had advised council members that setting a citywide minimum wage was more appropriate as an ordinance, not an amendment to the city charter.
However, attorney Bruce Nestor, who represents some of the plaintiffs, said that's not a sound argument.
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"There really is no case law supporting the city attorney's position that a minimum wage can only be adopted by an ordinance, as opposed to putting it the city charter," said Nestor. "The Minnesota Supreme Court simply hasn't spoken on this issue. Nor have other appellate courts."
Supporters of a police insurance requirement ballot measure denied by the city council last week have also filed a lawsuit seeking a similar decision.
Attorney Tim Phillips said the suit he filed on behalf of members of the Committee for Professional Policing has been assigned to Hennepin County District Court judge Susan Robiner.
Robiner is also presiding over the minimum wage lawsuit case. No hearings have been scheduled yet.
Segal said she believes her office provided sound advice to the council. And she said nothing in either lawsuit changes that opinion.