Minimum Wage, Big Checks Spur Obama Minnesota Trip
President Barack Obama's latest trip to Minnesota is about drawing attention to the state's about-to-increase minimum wage and drawing campaign checks to assist House Democrats in the fall.
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President Barack Obama's latest trip to Minnesota is about drawing attention to the state's about-to-increase minimum wage and drawing campaign checks to assist House Democrats in the fall.
Six months ago, a Twin Cities business took a risk few have voluntarily taken. Before state law changed minimum wage laws in April, the owner of Punch Pizza increased wages to $10 an hour -- a $2.5 million investment over the next 10 years.
Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development officials say the summer job outlook for teens is looking pretty good this year. DEED Jobs Analyst Oriane Casale says the unemployment rate for teens in Minnesota is down substantially from the last two years.
A Twin Cities pizza chain is getting national attention once again for leading the way with higher employee wages. "Hi, everybody. In my state of the union address, I talked about pizza. More specifically, I talked about a pizza chain in Minneapolis - Punch Pizza - whose owner, John Soranno, made the business decision to give his employees a raise to ten bucks an hour," President Obama said in his weekly address.
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.
A locally owned business in the heart of downtown Minneapolis for more than 40 years, Lyon's Pub has been there for every sports high and low.
Amy Klobuchar is putting her gubernatorial campaign into high gear. She faces no significant opposition in the race for the DFL endorsement and her existing record of statewide wins is formidable.
Kody Clemens had three hits and Kendry Rojas earned his first major league win with a strong outing in relief as the Minnesota Twins held off the Cleveland Guardians 5-4.
A Minnesota school bus driver is accused of possessing hundreds of files containing sexual abuse material depicting girls as young as 4 years old, according to a criminal complaint filed in Scott County on Friday.
A Minnesota school resource officer who did not report a middle school teacher for sending sexual photos of herself to high school students pleaded guilty to aiding an offender.
A locally owned business in the heart of downtown Minneapolis for more than 40 years, Lyon's Pub has been there for every sports high and low.
A Minnesota school bus driver is accused of possessing hundreds of files containing sexual abuse material depicting girls as young as 4 years old, according to a criminal complaint filed in Scott County on Friday.
One woman and five men were injured in the June 1, 2025, shooting at Minneapolis' Boom Island Park.
According to investigators, a woman driving an SUV was shot by someone in another vehicle while driving northbound on University Avenue Northeast.
Abdirahman Abdullahi was convicted of one count of arson causing injury in federal court for the fire that occurred on May 31, 2024, on the 8000 block of Cardiff Lane in Eden Prairie.
A Minnesota school resource officer who did not report a middle school teacher for sending sexual photos of herself to high school students pleaded guilty to aiding an offender.
A man was found dead in a wooded area around 2:30 p.m. Friday, after a short pursuit on an ATV, according to the Becker County Sheriff's Office.
Postal workers across Minnesota and the United States are both delivering mail and receiving donations Saturday.
The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office is investigating after a driver hit a cyclist early Saturday morning.
Two canoers were rescued after a water emergency at the Island Lake Dam north of Duluth, Minnesota, Saturday morning.
A 100-mile stretch of Mississippi River towns is hosting its annual 100 Mile Garage Sale this weekend, drawing shoppers and sellers from across the region and beyond.
Minnesota animal rescues are stepping up to take in dogs from a Wisconsin research facility accused of animal abuse.
You may have heard of Give to the Max Day, where people donate millions of dollars to hundreds of nonprofits and organizations across Minnesota on a single day. That idea has spread to western Wisconsin, called Give Big Valleys.
Federal prosecutors say a small-town Wisconsin police chief tried to help California gun dealers import illegal armor-piercing rounds from Europe.
Local and federal law enforcement are investigating after nearly 50 firearms and "a large quantity of ammunition" were stolen from a sporting goods store in St. Croix County, Wisconsin, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said Friday.
Somali and Muslim leaders in Minnesota played a threatening voicemail at a public gathering Friday, saying businesses in their community are being targeted with messages warning of death.
The Black homeownership rate in the Twin Cities dropped to 29% in 2024, and the region had the largest gap between Black and White homeownership rates of any comparable metro in the country.
Bobby Rogers once came to the Minneapolis Institute of Art to sketch and study; now he leads its design and editorial work, shaping what visitors see and experience.
Moses Cooper, who has cerebral palsy, met running partner Mark Hulsey through My Team Triumph Minnesota two years ago and the pair qualified for the Boston Marathon at Grandma's Marathon last summer.
Mackenzie Reed, head custodian at Shakopee East Middle School, has painted large-scale murals throughout the building she once attended as a student, creating a more welcoming space for current students.
Amy Klobuchar is putting her gubernatorial campaign into high gear. She faces no significant opposition in the race for the DFL endorsement and her existing record of statewide wins is formidable.
Another race getting a lot of attention in Minnesota is for governor. In the DFL race for governor, the presumptive favorite is Sen. Amy Klobuchar. She has a large lead in the very early, limited polling that's been done and she has a huge lead in fundraising over all the other candidates. She joined Esme Murphy on WCCO Sunday Morning at 10:30 a.m.
Matt Little won 63% of the delegate vote in the first round, beating out state Rep. Kaela Berg and state Sen. Matt Klein.
In Minnesota's only congressional race without an incumbent in the fight, one of the DFL hopefuls emerged Saturday with the backing of his party. Our Conor Wight takes us to Burnsville, where a competitive democratic primary is now all but guaranteed.
The Supreme Court has ruled that, under the Voting Rights Act, Congressional districts can no longer be drawn along racial lines, but can be shaped by partisan aims. The result: A dash to re-draw voting districts in several states. What does this portend for democracy?
A 100-mile stretch of Mississippi River towns is hosting its annual 100 Mile Garage Sale this weekend, drawing shoppers and sellers from across the region and beyond.
The Black homeownership rate in the Twin Cities dropped to 29% in 2024, and the region had the largest gap between Black and White homeownership rates of any comparable metro in the country.
The Minnesota Senate passed a bill with mandatory requirements for homeowners associations aimed at improving transparency and preventing disputes, after two years of legislative work driven by public complaints.
Gas in the Twin Cities can be up to $4.20 a gallon these days, and it's happening as Minnesota is revving up for summer.
According to the letter, enforcement will be done by police and plainclothes officers, with businesses themselves being held accountable for repeat violations.
A Minnesota school bus driver is accused of possessing hundreds of files containing sexual abuse material depicting girls as young as 4 years old, according to a criminal complaint filed in Scott County on Friday.
A Minnesota school resource officer who did not report a middle school teacher for sending sexual photos of herself to high school students pleaded guilty to aiding an offender.
One woman and five men were injured in the June 1, 2025, shooting at Minneapolis' Boom Island Park.
According to investigators, a woman driving an SUV was shot by someone in another vehicle while driving northbound on University Avenue Northeast.
Abdirahman Abdullahi was convicted of one count of arson causing injury in federal court for the fire that occurred on May 31, 2024, on the 8000 block of Cardiff Lane in Eden Prairie.
An American on the repatriation flight began showing symptoms of hantavirus and another "tested mildly PCR positive for the Andes virus," the Department of Health and Human Services says.
Minnesota-based North Memorial Health and South Dakota-based Sanford Health have signed a "definitive agreement" to merge into a single nonprofit health system, according to both organizations.
The Minnesota House approved a pilot program that would legalize psychedelic mushrooms in the state for therapeutic use.
The FDA announced its first authorization of fruit-flavored electronic cigarettes intended for adult smokers, a major policy shift after months of appeals to President Trump from the vaping industry.
A deadly virus that's killed cruise ship passengers can be traced to small critters found hiding in homes.
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis are calling their Aug. 29 show "Homecoming: A Celebration of the Minneapolis Sound."
A trial in the lawsuit between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni was set to begin later in May.
The Minnesota Star Tribune was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for breaking news for its coverage of a mass shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic school that killed two children and injured more than a dozen others.
Mononymous country music star Hardy is set to kick off the final weekend of the 2026 Minnesota State Fair.
Jake was at the funeral for one of his closest friends when he learned of his parents' deaths, he said.
A locally owned business in the heart of downtown Minneapolis for more than 40 years, Lyon's Pub has been there for every sports high and low.
Kody Clemens had three hits and Kendry Rojas earned his first major league win with a strong outing in relief as the Minnesota Twins held off the Cleveland Guardians 5-4.
Allisha Gray scored 16 of her 24 points in the second half, Angel Reese had 11 points and 14 rebounds in her debut for Atlanta and the Dream beat the Minnesota Lynx 91-90 in the season opener for both teams.
Byron Buxton doubled off the wall in left-center with one out in the 11th inning, scoring automatic runner Matt Wallner, and the Minnesota Twins beat the Cleveland Guardians 2-1.
Kirill Kaprizov scored first and assisted on the next two goals as the Minnesota Wild delivered the Colorado Avalanche their first defeat this postseason with a 5-1 victory in Game 3 of their second-round series.
Amy Klobuchar is putting her gubernatorial campaign into high gear. She faces no significant opposition in the race for the DFL endorsement and her existing record of statewide wins is formidable.
The legislation establishes a list of requirements aimed at improving transparency and reducing conflicts within HOAs. Minnesota estimates that 25% of its residents live in an HOA, and 82% of new homes are built within one.
The Minnesota Senate passed a bill with mandatory requirements for homeowners associations aimed at improving transparency and preventing disputes, after two years of legislative work driven by public complaints.
The Minnesota Senate passed a bill with mandatory requirements for homeowners associations aimed at improving transparency and preventing disputes, after two years of legislative work driven by public complaints. In Talking Points, Esme Murphy spoke with Dana Ohman, an attorney who handles HOA disputes, about some of the most common questions homeowners have.
Sen. Tina Smith is using her last months in office to vocally campaign for progressive and environmental causes. She hopes that a progressive will succeed her when Minnesotans go to the polls next November.
For nearly 50 years, Farmamerica has been sowing agricultural knowledge near Waseca, Minnesota.
The carillon has 56 bells, and the Mayo Clinic said that makes it one of the largest instruments in the world and the largest instrument in Minnesota.
When you think of masterful, memorable works of art, grain elevators don't typically come to mind. But in towns across the country, including in Minnesota, they're becoming an unlikely canvas for creativity.
At Arnie Lillo's Creations in Blue Earth County, you can visit a metal-scaled version of the Eiffel Tower and the Golden Gate Bridge. The works of art have taken on a shape of their own.
It's one of the largest musky hatcheries in the entire world. John Lauritsen shows us how the Spooner hatchery keeps fish healthy and anglers happy.
A deadly virus that's killed cruise ship passengers can be traced to small critters found hiding in homes.
So far this decade, the Twin Cities metro has, on average, added about 17,000 housing units per year, according to data from the Metropolitan Council.
A symbolic change is bothering some Minnesotans. Now their local leaders are listening; several cities are voting to fly the old state flag instead of the new one. While it was a drastic redesign, it wasn't the first.
Construction season has arrived, potentially adding several minutes to your daily drive to work. So, how bad is the commute in the Twin Cities? Good Question.
The media we consume and how long we spend consuming it can impact our mental health. In a world where screens are scrutinized, what is the worst kind of screen time?
A look back at the esteemed personalities who've left us this year, who'd touched us with their innovation, creativity and humanity.
Minnesotans got a great view of the northern lights Tuesday night.
A look at the newest addition to the polar bear population at St. Paul, Minnesota's Como Zoo.
From food shelves to school programs, our team is proud to serve where it matters most.
The Minnesota State Fair has unveiled its new food, drinks and vendors for 2025.
WCCO meteorologist Katie Steiner says temperatures will be frosty overnight, but it'll be warmer tomorrow with highs in the upper 60s.
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 Adam Del Rosso says Sunday will be breezy and top out around 60 before a warm up this week.
Aside from a few morning clouds, high pressure moving in from Canada will make for a beautiful Mother's Day filled with sunshine in the Twin Cities.
WCCO meteorologist Adam Del Rosso says it will be a beautiful Mother's Day filled with sunshine.
It's a Mother's Day celebration filled with cultural connections.
Fans across Minnesota and the Twin Cities metro are gearing up for Game 4 of the NBA playoffs as the Timberwolves host the San Antonio Spurs. Marielle Mohs is out in Minneapolis seeing how local businesses are benefitting from the playoff boost.
WCCO meteorologist Katie Steiner says temperatures will be frosty overnight, but it'll be warmer tomorrow with highs in the upper 60s.
The summer music tour season is almost here, but in addition to the big acts there's also a unique opportunity to see some special instruments. Violins of Hope is a program that recovers and restores string instruments that were played during the Holocaust. They're being played now by virtuosos and orchestras across Minnesota and CBS News' Jonah Kaplan spoke about them with one of the most famous fiddlers of all time.
Susan-Elizabeth Littlefield talks about her trip to Finland and what inspiried her to visit.