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The Minnesota Supreme Court has denied the city of St. Paul’s request to stop a right to repair ballot initiative from being put on the November ballot. 

The “Tenants Right to Repair In Residential Rental Property” measure would allow St. Paul renters to make fixes to their homes that are up to $500 or half their rent, whichever is greater, and then deduct that cost from rent or get a reimbursement. Tenants would have to give landlords a 14-day notice, giving the landlord an opportunity to make the repair themselves. 

Safe Homes St. Paul, the organization behind the ballot initiative, had gathered enough signatures to get the measure on the ballot. But last week, the St. Paul city council voted 5-2 against putting it on the ballot. The council cited concerns that parts of the measure may violate state law. 

Safe Homes St. Paul sued the city, and on Monday, a Ramsey County judge ruled the city must add the measure to the ballot, saying the city’s concerns were not enough to remove it from the ballot. 

The judge ruled the city must put the measure on the ballot by Tuesday, which is the mandatory deadline. State statute requires municipal ballot measures to be finalized 84 days before an election, which is Aug. 11. 

Immediately after the judge ruled in favor of the ballot measure, the city filed an appeal with the Minnesota Supreme Court asking the court to prohibit Ramsey County court from enforcing this order. The court denied that order, meaning the city will be required to put the measure on the ballot. 

“It would now have to be removed from the ballot, from my understanding,” Cole Hanson, an organizer with Safe Homes St. Paul told MPR News host Nina Moini. 

MPR News has reached out to St. Paul City Attorney Irene Kao for comment. 

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Right to repair would allow St. Paul renters to take smaller repairs into their own hands — if a landlord does not — and get reimbursed. Believing the measure may violate state law, the city appealed to the Minnesota Supreme Court. Now, the city will have to add the measure to the ballot to meet the Aug. 11 deadline. 

Right to repair would allow St. Paul renters to take smaller repairs into their own hands if a landlord does not, and get reimbursed. Believing the measure may violate state law, the city appealed to the Minnesota Supreme Court. Now, the city will have to add the measure to the ballot to meet the Aug. 11 deadline. 

State Supreme Court denies St. Paul's last ditch effort to remove right to repair ballot measure

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