Graco, Inc, v. City of Minneapolis, Minnesota Supreme Court, No. A18-0593, May 28, 2019  

Issue: Whether Minnesota’s minimum wage law preempts Minneapolis’ minimum wage ordinance. 

Summary: NELP authored this brief on behalf of Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en la Lucha (CTUL) and 15 Now Minnesota to oppose plaintiff-petitioner’s argument that Minneapolis’ minimum wage ordinance is preempted by state law. Many municipalities have enacted local minimum wage laws and four states courts have found that state minimum wages set a floor, not a ceiling. Research and evidence from cities that have raised their local minimum wage show that minimum wage increases benefit workers without negatively impacting business. Raising wages reduces turnover and increases the buying power of working families, which is why many small-business owners support increasing the minimum wage.